- Russian Business Cultural Association
The Russian Business Cultural Association was founded in 1999 in
British Columbia ,Canada with the goal of fostering international business and trade between Russia and Canada as well as helping to support businesses owned and operated by Russian-Canadians in the Canadian Pacific. The idea of a unique economic and cultural link between the two largest countries in the world has been in place ever since 1944 whenVancouver formed its first sister city arrangement withOdessa , which was, at that time, part of the formerSoviet Union . Although this relationship cooled during theCold War , there have been many attempts to intensify relations betweenRussia andCanada . The Russian Business Cultural Association in British Columbia has been one notable example of this effort.The current president of the Russian Business Cultural Association,
Nathalie Potocka , is a successful Russian-Canadian entrepreneur herself. She is the founder and president ofPotocka Music and Arts International (PMAI ) and producer ofDiscover Russian (DR), the first Russian television program in Pacific North America.In 1999 Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin attended a series of events organized by the RBCA. Among them: Vancouver Board of Trade executives meeting, UBC presidential dinner, open discussion with BC Premier Glen Clark.
The RBCA received recognition and appreciation from Canadian Prime Ministers
Jean Chrétien andPaul Martin on separate occasions. The RCBA actively participated in various business projects inBritish Columbia and was highly appreciated by such Premiers of BC asUjjal Dosanjh andGordon Campbell . Vancouver MayorLarry Campbell praised the substantial contribution of the RBCA to the business and cultural life ofVancouver . The RBCA actively participated in a project of VSO management regardingMstislav Rostropovich performances from 1999 to 2002.The RBCA actively promoted and contributed to multicultural events, organized by its business partners, such as:
Taiwanese Cultural Festival andAsian Heritage Festival , from 1999 to 2004The RBCA was an active donor of International Cultural/Educational series Masters, which was organised in collaboration with UBC in 1998-2000 .
The RBCA, in cooperation with
ICCC , organised the Taste of Europe festival, fundraising for underprivileged children between 2001 and 2004. A number of events were organized by the RCBA in collaboration with Istituto di Cultura Italiano, among them the hosting of an official dinner party in honour of Her Royal Highness Princess Elettra Marconi-Giovanelli, only daughter of radio inventorGuglielmo Marconi , during her visit to Canada in 2002.RBCA was a main sponsor of
Discover Russian , the first Russian TV production on the Pacific coast of North America. The show had 38 episodes and was a bilingual cultural variety show that ran from 2003 to 2005.External links
* [http://www.potocka.net Official site]
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