My summer in Chita: 12. At the dacha
This summer has been marked by visits to the dachas of friends. Dachas have been a boon in the difficult economy that most Russians have endured for 2-3 generations now as they are almost...
My summer in Chita: 11. Visiting the war memorial
In 1997, Tanya Sukhanova came from Chita for summer study in Vermont. We took a trip to Washington, DC, and I asked if there was anything she wanted to be sure to see. She...
My summer in Chita: 10. Family camping on Lake Arey
I joined Elena Anatolievna and her family on a camping trip on Lake Arey. This lake is 220 kilometers west of Chita and sits alone in the larch, birch and pine forests. There is...
My summer in Chita: 9. Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky 4th of 4
HOW THE CENTER IS FARING On Saturday at the camp, Director Natalia Nikolaevna talked to the committee of volunteers about the state of the school. Some of the good things are that the 2nd...
My summer in Chita: 8. Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky 3rd of 4
THE “YOU’RE SUPER!” CONCERT And then we went to the concert. Background: Three children from the Children’s Center, Zoya (12) and Anna (16) Chizhkova and Vitaly Tolochkin (10), auditioned into this new national TV...
My summer in Chita: 7. Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky 2nd of 4
THE DECEMBRIST MUSEUM The following day, Sunday, we drove into town for a tour of the Decembrist Museum of Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky. After the Decembrist Uprising of 1825–an attempt by a group of aristocrats to depose...
My summer in Chita: 6. Petrovsky-Zabaikalsky 1st of 4
PART 1 of 4: AT THE CAMP We drove the 6+ hours in two cars. The highway was noticeably better than 2 years ago, though still full of construction. I was with Vitaly and...
My summer in Chita: 5. An interlude.
The day after teaching ended, Tanya took me to the Music College, the place I taught in 1992-93 and 1995, to see if I could get a practice room to prepare for the concert...
My summer in Chita: 4. School ends.
English Explorers summer school ended Wednesday, June 21st. On that day we had a field trip to a nature area west of Chita and along the Ingoda River called Sukhotino. We were accompanied by...
My summer in Chita: 3. Time is flying!
Time is flying! We are already in the last week of the three week session at City of Children’s summer English school. I found my niche as Loud Repetition Master. As a group and...
My summer in Chita – 2. Catching a cold
Yesterday we had a fantastic day at the Rope Park 20-25 km outside of Chita in the mountains. The day was brisk and we were outside from 10:30 until 4pm. I’m blaming that for...
News about the boys from Chernovsky
This note was received June 6th from Irina Shipley. For many years now, Irina and Michael having been assisting older [mostly] boys at the Children’s Center in Chernovsky, a town 30 minutes from Chita....
My summer in Chita – 1. City of Children
Hello from Chita, or more accurately, the KSK district about 12 km from the city center. I’ve taught several days now in the 3-week summer English program of the “City of Children” Child Development...
Vitaly wins 2nd Place, Zoya wins Audience Favorite!
Tom here. Just arrived in Chita and learned that Vitaly Tolochkin and Zoya Chizhkova both living at the Children’s Center in Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky (see previous posts here) shined at the “You’re Super!” (?? ?????!) nationally...
Spring 2017 newsletter available for viewing and download
Here is the “online” version of our semi-annual newsletter. SPRING 2017 Siberian Bridges email newsletter It is similar to the print version, but containing color photos (and a few more of them) as well...
More from Zoya and Vitaly, Children’s Home singers
Zoya Chizhkova and Vitaly Tolochkin, residents at the “Unity” Children’s Center in Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky both appeared again this month in the “You’re Super!” national Russian TV talent show for children. Their first appearances were in...
Check out the new gallery under “About Zabaikalye”
We just got a nice set of photos from the Petrovsk Zabaikalsky Children’s Home into a gallery here. Photos by Home staff, nature photos by some of the children, some by SB visitors, Judy...
A photo of Vitaly Tolochkin
I’m having a little trouble with our new website, and could not get the photo of Vitaly to appear in the previous post where it belongs! This young singer competed in the “You’re Super”...
Three from the Children’s Center shine in Russian national TV competition
Sisters, Zoya (12) and Anna (16) Chizhkova and Vitaly Tolochkin (12), all residents of the “Unity” Children’s Center in the town of Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky (pop. 12,000) joined the singing competition on Russian station NTV. Zoya...
John Crust talks about his visit to Chita
I had never been a counselor at a summer camp, and I often felt I missed out on something special. When an opportunity came up to work at a camp, an inner voice told...