Delegates from Ulan-Ude, a city located just north of Mongolia in the Buryatia region of Russia had the opportunity to learn about cultural and historical preservation on a recent visit to Oklahoma and Northeastern State University. The group of 10 men and women was brought to the state by the Tulsa Global Alliance as part of a cultural exchange program between the United States and former Soviet citizens.
For several days in August the group traveled through Oklahoma visiting with colleagues in their fields and learning about cultural and historical preservation attempts in the state. Stops on their tour included NSU, the Cherokee Nation, Cherokee Heritage Center and Museum, Cherokee Nation Tribal Complex and others. According to Bob Leaser, Program Director for TGA, the observance of the Cherokee National holiday traditions was particularly special for the guests who hail from an area of Russian that has its own distinct language and culture.
While at Northeastern, the group met with several key staff
including University Archivist Vickie Sheffler, Director of Tribal Studies
Dr. Phyllis Fife and Assistant Professor of User Services Delores Sumner.
Members of the group had the opportunity to tour the various historic
buildings of the former Cherokee Female Seminary, see restorations of
the Kiowa murals, visit the University archives and learn about the special
Native American collections housed in NSU’s John Vaughan Library.
Historical and cultural preservation
group participants included:
* Ardan L. Angarkhayev, general director of the State unitary enterprise
Publishing House Buryaad Unen.
* Balzhinima Dorzhiev, deputy chairman of the Union of Artists of the
Buryat Republic
* Vladimir I. Polomoshin, leading specialist at Kabansk Department of
Education
* Timur Badmayev, reporter for Informpolis LLC
* Valentina Babuyeva, head of the museum at Buryat State Academic Drama
Theater
* Lyubov Gomboyeva, head of the department of local history studies at
the central city library
* Tatyana Sanzhiyeva, head of the History Department, Buryat State University
* Zoya Shagzhina, senior lecturer, Eastern-Siberian State Academy of Culture
and Art
* Elena Tashak, leading specialist at a scientific and production center
for protection and use of the monuments of history and culture of the
Ministry of Culture of the Buryat Republic
* Gunsema Mitypova, Deputy Director - Buryat History Museum
Contact: Jennifer Zehnder, 1-918-458-2088