2008
Shared History Unites America and Russia
On October 24, Vladivostok Public Affairs Officer (PAO) Bridget Gersten participated in the opening of a novel exhibit entitled Eleanor Pray: “Letters from Vladivostok, 1894-1930” at the Arsenyev Museum in Vladivostok. The exhibit chronicles 36 years of the American citizen’s presence in the Russian Far East. The project, funded in part by a PAS Vladivostok grant, brought to life the writings of Eleanor Pray, thanks to the research conducted over the last 8 years by American scholar Birgitta Ingemanson (Washington State University at Pullman). Ingemanson collected over 2,000 letters that the American Eleanor Pray during her sojourn in Vladivostok, from the late 1800s into the 1930s. These letters were published in a book that debuted on the day of the exhibit.
The opening exhibit attracted about 250 visitors from all walks of life, and generated dozens of media reports, including multiple-page spreads in the leading local daily Vladivostok and glossy magazine Sobranie Exclusive. Many viewers were particularly moved by the outstanding quality of the exhibit interiors, ones that featured antiques from her living room, as well as a colorful embroidered tablecloth with the names of so many people who graced Ms. Pray’s table in the 30+ year span. PAO Gersten was interviewed at the opening by OTV Prim, reaching over 2 million viewers.
The exhibit will continue until summer and promises to attract hundreds of visitors. The book debut will also take place at the Moscow Book Fair at the end of November.