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A Thin Thread
of Destiny

A Novel
by Lara Prodan

Impressive Detroit

If you want to travel, either for pleasure or on business, you can choose among various places worth visiting. Some of them are mysterious, some are marvelous and, all of them are, of course, unforgettable. And without any doubt, everyone will find something special for themselves in any part of the world. Whether it is a village or a city, you may look for the second home here. Every place can share different stories, show the traveler some old museums and sincere people. Detroit has become a city of business and attractions a long time ago. Millions of people from all over the world have a great desire to visit it some time. So, here we present some interesting facts about this city.

Detroit can become a city of your dream if you really wish it. Here there are lots of interesting places, big roads and other things you will never forget. There are many business centers – but one should not forget about the beauty of parks and gardens nearby. People say it is a perfect place if you want to climb a career ladder and become the richest man in the world (at least it was like this).

Here one can find numerous attractions for all tastes. You can spend days and nights in fashionable clubs and pubs without getting too tired. Moreover, you will fall in love with the city’s architecture and road system. It will become your personal heaven on earth. And what about millions of shops? Do you want to visit them? If yes, come on! There are also different restaurants of all kinds where you can treat yourself with culinary masterpieces from exotic countries. Or you can forget about fashion of having something exotic for lunch and try a perfect pizza or sushi in the local cafes. Everything depends on you!

This city is depicted in lots of films and books. One of them impresses almost every reader. ‘A Thin Thread Of Destiny’ by Lara Prodan is a perfect novel for those who can’t live without history and investigations. The most interesting part is that it is a real story of a real family who managed to overcome all obstacles they had on their way. Despite the repressions, the war and many other problems, they lived without fear with a big desire to stay together. The history of this strong family was deeply appreciated by their descendants. Thanks to them, all the facts about Uhtomsky family appeared. And they were worth knowing. Detroit city has become one of the main places where the action in the book takes place.

Why people love Everett?

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Photo credit: hj_west / Foter / CC BY-SA

Sometimes it is extremely necessary to change something in your life. These changes vary a lot depending on their target. For some people having a new haircut will be enough, while for others moving to a new place is the only way to make their life more colorful. Are you fed up with all this routine? Do you want something new? Then it’s high time to pack your things and buy a one way ticket. In this article we are going to tell you about one of the most interesting and calm places in the world. There are numerous cities in the USA, but we would like to tell you about Everett.

Why did we choose this city? The main reason is that it is the largest city of its beautiful district. People are migrating to here from all over the world. Everett is known for its hospitality, and millions of Russian and Ukrainian people use it. Despite the fact that we call this city a calm one, there are many sights you should definitely see.

One of them is a Naval Base. Just imagine: the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln was placed here for three years. And it would be quite interesting to observe a Boeing factory. Visit it and enjoy the majesty of Boeing 747, 767, 777 and 787. Anyway, these are not the only sights to visit. You will be completely amused by numerous parks and beautiful gardens. This city is perfect for all ages. You will be not annoyed with noise or traffic jams. Don’t you dream about long promenades and cozy evenings in the library? Everett welcomes you and gives you a lot of possibilities to relax, to create and to live happily. Be ready for changes!

If you want to know more about Everett, we strongly recommend you to read the marvelous novel ‘A thin thread of destiny’ by Lara Prodan. Alex and Melinda, the characters of this novel, are living in this city with a young beautiful daughter. Darya has a lot of friends here and she’s absolutely happy with her life. It is also important that this family has a deep history and Russian roots. Their ancestors have moved here a long time ago, at the beginning of the First World War. Severe conditions have broken a strong family apart. Actually, for the readers it is so exciting that Darya,who lives in Everett, falls in love with a Russian guy. Their love is dangerous because a thin thread has connected their difficult destinies.

Time flies, and it would be better if you start your own way to changes as soon as possible. Some people are afraid about their own future. Frankly speaking, the first step is the most difficult. It will obviously be easier later. If you want to travel – do it whenever you want and whatever age you are. It is so interesting to start a new life and to awake in a new place. Be ready to face some obstacles – but don’t be afraid of them. Everything will be fine. The best things are in the end.

Why Students Love The University of Washington?

university_of_washingtonTime flies, and one day you may discover that you have to change your life path completely. It may happen, for example, when you decide to enter the university. There are various types of them all over the world, and sometimes it gets really difficult to choose the best one. A typical student may spend months searching for the university with a good quality of education and great perspectives. Perhaps every such student can list some best of the best. Every year mass media and such students create the top of the popular universities. One of them is the University of Washington. It is known for the high educational standards and effective ways of teaching.

University of Washington has a long and exciting history. It provides students with deep knowledge in almost all branches of science. The secret of it lies in the perfect combination of education and well-planned leisure time. University’s schedule is made especially for those who want not only to receive a diploma, but also use it in practice. Every student can get a job while studying. Moreover, they can do a research work freely. There are also a big number of educational programs for all degrees. Even after graduation you can continue studying here, because this university offers you numerous additional prospects.

This university has a huge financial support. It is open for the students with new ideas. We should mention that it offers $208 million for grants for international students. Yes, University of Washington gives perfect opportunities for foreign students. Accommodation is provided. Marvelous classrooms, several libraries, well-equipped gym and a big swimming pool (you can use it 23 hours per week) are available for every student. And don’t forget about colorful parties organized by students’ community.

If you want to know more about this university and its faculties, read an exciting novel ‘A thin thread of destiny’ by Lara Prodan. One of the main characters, Darya, is studying in this very university. She is clever and open-hearted; she always knows how to do something in the best way. Moreover, she very well educated and always tries to learn something new. Darya has a lot of friends from other faculties. One of them, Vladimir, has become a love of her life. Poor girl, she didn’t know how their life would be connected soon. A thin thread went through their destinies. What will win: love or duty? You will get to know after reading it. It can make you crying, but it is still worth admiring.

We all need to choose. Choose the right way, choose the person to love, choose the profession. Before such a difficult decision you need to think about all pros and cons of every step. It is also about the university you want to enter. Choose the best one. Don’t be afraid to look for some additional information and facts. Be ready to go through the interview. Make a list of professions you want to receive. And act! All our actions are made just for good things. Don’t be afraid to meet some obstacles on your way. Life is worth living!

State Hermitage In Saint Petersburg: Place To Admire

hermitageThere are so many places in the world which are worth visiting. Nevertheless, everyone makes their own top list of most interesting places. What is your main desire? It can be a beautiful city somewhere in Europe. Regardless of which place you want to visit, you should discover more about its traditions, and when you get there – just feel its smell and get lost in its streets. And don’t forget about museums and galleries. All the history is kept there. Moreover, art is immortal, and galleries give you the chance to observe the real masterpieces of all ages.

If one of the places on your ‘must-visit’ list is Saint Petersburg, then the State Hermitage is number one place for you in this city. The secret of its beauty lies in a perfect combination of the gallery and the museum.

You can see everything here. Numerous portraits, sceneries and still lifes – all these examples of beauty are for you. As they say, you need at least 10 years to see all expositions in this museum. Its collections occupy a large complex of six historic buildings along Palace Embankment, including the Winter Palace, a former residence of Russian emperors. In addition, the Menshikov Palace, Museum of Porcelain, Storage Facility at Staraya Derevnya and the eastern wing of the General Staff Building are also parts of the museum. It is one of the best opportunities to relax, listen to some interesting excursion and, of course, to have a date. Why not?

Observing different pictures and statues, you can get to know more about your partner. What is more, you will see all his/her preferences in art. One more thing you should do is to show Hermitage to your friend, especially foreign one. It gives you a great opportunity to show him/her the whole history of the world’s art in some hours. He/she will never regret, we promise. Finally, when you observe something beautiful and creative, you receive a good amount of inspiration for years.

State Hermitage was the first thing visited by Darya, Alex and Melinda, characters of the novel “ The Thin Thread Of Destiny” by Lara Prodan, when they arrived to Russia. It was a great idea of Nadya to show them all this beauty. And, without any doubt, they were absolutely impressed with it. Read about this and many more adventures of this unique family in the novel. It is gaining large popularity within the US and in Russia. Moreover, while reading it, you can learn lots of new things about Saint Petersburg and other cities. You will be absolutely absorbed in this story of one big family.

All in all, museums can’t be forgotten. There are many reasons for it. Maybe observing someone’s paintings you’ll feel a great desire to create something yourself. Why not then? Every piece of art has a right to exist. It seems that everyone should visit such galleries at least once in his or her life. Even if you hate galleries – try to look for something you enjoy while visiting it. We are sure, you will find it. Let’s become more intellectual!

History of Russians in Harvard

History of Russians in Harvard

Foundation

The college was founded in the first half of the 17th century, in 1636, and got its name three years later after the British missioner John Harvard. The school was not meant to be a religious educational institution, but the majority of students started as future clergymen. With the time the program was getting more and more secular.

Step by step, Harvard became one of the most prestigious universities in the country and started attracting thousands of students not only from different states of America, but also from other countries. By the way, eight presidents of the USA were graduated from Harvard.

Russians in Harvard

Russian people started coming to America long time ago. One of the biggest waves of immigration took place at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Many of newcomers and their descendants wanted to receive the adequate education that would allow them to get better jobs and higher positions in the society.

There are many famous Russian names in the history of Harvard. Let’s just remember Vladimir Nabokov. He was born in the noble family in Russia. In the turbulent years of the October revolution Vladimir had to leave his country. He had spent several years in European countries, before he succeeded to come to America. In Harvard University he worked as a researcher.

Another Russian scholar, Sergey Eliseyev, was born in the family of a merchant, in other words, he was considered to be a representative of bourgeoisie. Eliseyev immigrated to Finland. In 1940-s he came to America and became a professor of Oriental culture department of Harvard. Sergey Eliseyev had a huge influence on the bilateral relationships between America and Japan.

It is not surprising that there are many books describing the life of Russian immigrants, who connected their lives with Harvard. For example, in the book “The thin thread of destiny” by Lara Prodan, one of the main characters, Alex Ukhtomsky, turns out to be the great grandson of the Russian Duke. His grandfather decided to escape from the country during the revolution, while his two brothers stayed. Alex studied in Harvard and then founded his own law company.

Russian Bells

Harvard has some special symbols, and one of them is “the bells”. The bells literally came from Russia. Instead of destroying the bells, the Soviet authorities sold them from Danilov Monastery to one American entrepreneur from Chicago named Charles Crane. The bells became the inseparable part of Harvard. They used to ring when the university team won the match against Yale university team. Bells stayed in Lowell House of Harvard for about 80 years.

The time passed, and religion in Russia was not forbidden anymore. The Russian authorities, and especially the Russian Orthodox Church asked the university to return the historical bells. Harvard agreed to return the precious relics to the monastery. Later the United States received the replicas of all the 17 bells made in Russian city of Voronezh.

Seattle: The Russian City

Seattle: A Russian City

The earliest records about Seattle date about the year 1850. The first inhabitants of the city were represented by settlers from other parts of the country as well as colonists from Europe. It may seem that the city is not old and has just a little more than 150 years. However, the historical evidence shows that the first American Indians’ settlement existed on that place even several centuries BC.

The development of the city’s production and economy started with the timber industry which supported Seattle during many decades. The city became a prosperous place attracting attention of thousands of settlers – and Russians made up the large part of them.

The first wave of Russian immigration started in the 18th century and lasted till the end of the next century. In this period people mostly escaped from religious and governmental persecutions in their motherland. Moreover, this was a time of a famous gold-rush, and many Russian adventurers came to Seattle in search of fortune.

Thanks to the port, the city gained a strategic part and became a connection link between the USA and other countries. At that time the Russian population in Seattle was so significant that St. Nicolas and St. Spiridon Orthodox churches were built there. They received the financial support directly from the Russian Empire and Tsar Nicolas II. Already in 1925 statistics reported about 5 thousand Russians in Seattle only.

Gradually Seattle became famous for electronic industry, computer technologies, ship and aircraft construction. Many people came here from distant corners of the country in search of jobs.

In the beginning of the 20th century Seattle and smaller towns around it became the destination for the second wave of immigration from Russia in revolt. Lots of Russians tried to escape from the political crisis in their native land. The intelligentsia and nobility were especially exposed to the outrage of the new authorities. The USA became a new hope for these people, promising the better and more tranquil life. The settlers tied their hopes for the future of their families with this land of opportunities.

Now you can find various stories and descendants of the Russian dukes and
duchesses who moved from Russia and settled here, in America. For example, one of such fascinating stories is described in the novel by Lara Prodan, “The Thin Thread of Destiny”.

It tells about the elder son of Ukhtomskiy duke, who moved to America after the October revolution in Russia. In general, many pages of the city’s history are tightly connected with Russians. Just remember the two-week dockers’ strike in 1919, when the workers refused to load weapons designed for Kolchak on the ships.

Later the third wave of immigration started, provoked by the Soviet regime. Now the estimated quantity of Russians coming to Seattle yearly is about 10 thousand people.

Usually they live in communities and try to preserve their nation traditions and culture. You can often hear Russian music here and see press in their native language. Lately some advertising companies even decided to make Russian ads to cover the larger quantity of customers.