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Colby Greets Kotlas Mayor's Delegation with Poetry

One of the many highlights of the Russian guests’ July 2015 visits in the Waterville area was an afternoon of poetry readings and discussion with Colby Russian students. Professors Julie de Sherbinin and Elena Monastireva-Ansdell welcomed students, Kotlas Connection members, and the Kotlas Mayor’s delegation to lunch at the college spa. The Russian guests tried lobster rolls, quesadillas, salads, and burgers, all the while carrying on Anglo-Russian conversations with the students. After lunch, our group enjoyed a quite special poetry reading with Winslow poet and artist Jean Ann Pollard.

The history of this poetry selection is a tribute to 25 years of our Sister City relationship with the city of Kotlas, Russia. In 1991, Jean Ann Pollard, together with her husband Peter Garrett and their daughter Jessica, was among the first Mainers to visit our brand new sister city. While there, Jean Ann was presented with a selection of poems by Kotlas poet Vyacheslav Chernykh, who was himself a member of the first Kotlas Mayor’s delegation to Waterville.

In honor of the 25th Anniversary of the Sister City relationship, Jean Ann asked Colby Russian professors and students to translate some of the poems. The students presented the Russian guests with a booklet of their translations, and Jean Ann and the students read some of the poems in Russian and English translation for our very delighted guests.

Colby student Michael Loginoff ’16 translated this Chernykh poem from 1967.

Colby student Emily Tolman '16 translated another Chernykh poem from 1978.