Alexander+Nevsky+&+The+Battle+on+the+Ice

=Experience the celebration of the Roots of Russian Culture! =




 * The photo above is from the conference where members discuss how to improve the ceremonial proceedings of the Alexander Nevsky and the Battle on the Ice celebrations for the following year. Justin and I were invited to the council meeting and received authentic ceramic plaques for the occasion, as well as being treated to a wonderful lunch. Russian hospitality means never being hungry and always feeling warmly received. **


 * As you can see I am standing next to the father superior, a very important man in Russia who is dedicated to keeping Alexander Nevsky's memory alive. Neither Justin or myself were able to speak the language of those in the conference, but the dean of the university in Pskov attended the conference and translated for us. We were each given a chance to speak and expressed our appreciation for being given the privilege of experiencing their history and learning what was important to them and their culture. Despite language barriers it was easy to sense their sense of pride and concern for the future. **


 * Keeping traditions and memories alive means a great deal for Russia's future and one of their biggest focuses was and is keeping the youth motivated to do the same. There was much discussion on how to get younger generations interested in the message of Russia's history it seemed that the solution was changing methods of message delivery and creating special venues for youngsters to attend a celebration made just for them. Becoming the Russian Federation was an important step towards a brighter future for Russia. The hope for the future is that the conference becomes international and tentatively the programs for next years proceedings will also be printed in English. **


 * When I was a given a chance to speak I told the conference that I was creating a webpage (this one actually) where I would put the videos and photos I had acquired during the proceedings and I hoped that helped in their efforts to publicize their history. I would gladly attend again. My son's name is Sean Alexander Vann Huffman and I expressed to the council that even though I didn't know much about Alexander Nevsky before coming to Russia I too felt pride and even in my son's name being Alexander (whom we call Alex for short). They told me I would have to bring him to the Church and monument next time I came to Russia and agreed enthusiastically. **


 * In the board meeting there were people from all over, including Russia's neighbor, Estonia. The representative from Estonia stressed that because they were neighbors it only made sense to work together and aid each other in the goals for the future. This made an impact on me. One of my dreams is to see a time when there are more people that consider themselves global citizens and more and more people look to help their neighbors, but not just their neighbors...their friends from overseas or around the globe. In order for there to be more equality among the nations of the world we have to realize that physical borders shouldn't restrict our connections or who or what we value. Even though Alexander Nevsky isn't a part of my history it is a part of Russia's and because I value Russia and its people I feel like their interests are mine too no matter how many miles apart we are. **


 * We need more and more people to care and act on the interests of others. If this process is reciprocated and returned, history is shared, lessons are learned and connections are made. The 21st century isn't just about technology like many assume...it means 21st century communities. Having experienced the tradition and celebrations, being accepted and treated warmly as a guest, and being invited back in the future I feel like I have a new community to share with and be a part of. I've committed to doing my part to spread the message of Alexander Nevsky and the Battle on the Ice. I hope to see more English speakers at next year's events! **

**To learn more about Alexander Nevsky and his influence on ** **Russian Culture check out the "Travel with Me" tab and scroll down! **

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Looks like it was a great performance.













**Below you can see a 3-D re-creation of The Battle on the Ice. To learn more click here:** []

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