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Russian Voluntary Bureau: Only good relations can break the ice

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Russian Voluntary Bureau: Only good relations can break the ice

08.05.2018

Svetlana Smetanina

Many events dedicated to the Victory Day to be held on this holiday season in London and other cities of Great Britain. Most of them would never happened without the volunteers' assistance. This challenging job is held by the Russian Voluntary Bureau. Its director Ekaterina Chernyaeva explains how the Voluntary Service became the part of the people’s diplomacy.


- How was born the idea to set up the Russian Voluntary Bureau?

The idea has emerged in 2010, when the 65th anniversary of the Victory of the World War 2 was celebrated in London. A great concert was organized in the Royal Albert Hall. Russian and British artists performed, veterans and government delegations from Russia were present. This event required volunteers who met the veterans, bring them to the concert and other event venues. We had to use the “word of mouth” to organize the event. Once all activities were concluded, we've gathered in the Pushkin House and decided to set up a list of Russian-speaking people who could help us at all kinds of events. This is how the Russian Voluntary Bureau has emerged.


We gave ads in newspapers and spread the word in our close circles. This is how the main body of our Bureau has shaped up. Our organization will turn 8 years in the end of May. We have pretty big voluntary database, working on a huge number of events.

Right now I'm gathering crew for the coming Victory Day, because our volunteers help to conduct events at the Soviet Soldiers Memorial – they give out Ribbons of Saint George, create special area for veterans.

Our volunteers always present at the Immortal Regiment processions and the Maslenitsa Festival. They just have done a great job at the 9th International Music Competition of Russian Songs. We also assist with arranging guest performances, poetry evenings, Russian theater plays. This year we've also helped at one fashion show.

Another important aspect of our work – for many years we helped the children with cancer who were coming for a treatment through Rusfond to London. Our volunteers taught them a school program, and played with little ones skill-development games. They also helped parents to deal with money issues, stores, just to go for a walk, solve elementary domestic questions that differ from Russian realities.

I organized celebrations for kids at their homes since I know many kids creative groups and theater studious. We brought performances to the sick kids, because they can's go out and stay in a middle of a crowd. One of our volunteers conducted yoga sessions with moms to help taking out the stress.

- Was this program finished?
Unfortunately the London branch of Rusfond was closed. As far as I know the kids to be brought for a treatment anyway, because some types of medical services can be done only here. Hence, I think we will continue our work, anyway.

- You have already mentioned preparations for the Victory Day. How they will be coordinated in London this year?
- There is a huge amount of various events, including еhe Immortal Regiment processions, concerts, rallies for the commemoration... On the April, 24 the Ribbon of Saint George action started in London for the second time. Our Bureau also participates – we've handed out the Immortal Regiment ribbons and brochures in English. Memorial lessons are conducted in Russian schools across Great Britain.


The rally memory of the WW2 to be conducted in the Imperial War Museum garden next to the Soviet Soldiers' memorial on May, 9th. Our Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko, Lambert district mayor, representatives from other embassies and public organizations somehow connected with Russia will participate. Society of Friends of Stalin and Society of Friends of USSR are among them.

The Immortal Regiment starts from Trafalgar Square and reaches the Parliament, taking a little bit more than 2 kilometers . Russian and British veterans are invited to the Belfast ship that is located near the Tower of London.

The car race from Derby to London dedicated to the Victory Day will take place as well. There will be many events. Each year, there are more and more events, and the most important – more and more people, which is very pleasant. I have to say that British people have a big respect to the memory of Soviet soldiers. Of course they teach in schools that the US and Great Britain have won the war. But the middle generation knows that it's not like that. I have friends that say, “We are grateful to Russia because if not Russia we wouldn't be alive.” Many British come to the Soviet Soldiers' memorial to personally thank our veterans.


- Today the relations between our countries have significantly worsened. Do you think it can affect the participation in the Immortal Regiment action and others?
- I think that people who really want to participate not for political reason but to pay the duty of remembrance to those who sacrificed their lives for the sake of peace, those people will come indeed. Judging by my circle, I can't say that common people have changed their attitude about Russians somehow in everyday life. There were always negative and positive attitudes. Some kind of wariness might arise in the first moment, then it goes away.

- How do people come to the Russian-language Voluntary Bureau, how they decide to do it?
We have 200 volunteers registered. I am working from my computer, sending letters to volunteers and communicate with organizations. The crowd is diverse, but the majority are the Russian-speaking people from Baltic countries, including Russians that lived in Lithuania and Latvia, and Latvians and Lithuanians who treat Russian culture with respect.

We observe now that Volunteer movement gains its momentum.


There is now a well-established structure in the UK, that formed for decades. Resume recommendations from volunteering organizations have a great value. We also write recommendation letters to our actively helping members, and many of them have found a good work because they were cooperating with our Bureau.

First of all, there are many beginning translators in our crew. They need to make a certain amount of working hours before being accepted at the real job, and we can help them with that.

It is very pleasant that people come to devote their time for free. And no less pleasant that companies who call us understand exactly the great significance of the volunteer work. Volunteers expressing their free will, and it's important to be grateful for that. It happens often that we are offered concert and theater tickets or guest passes for interesting events; major organizations write thank you letters to our volunteers.

We have conducted volunteer training on the 5th of April were we explained rules and legal details of the volunteer activity, guidelines of our organization. We made the volunteers booklet indicating at which places for how long he/she worked, with the signature of the supervisor. It's like a portfolio of a certain kind.

- Looks like Russian-speaking volunteers in a great demand, therefore cultural and human communications remain intact through the people-to-people diplomacy?

Absolutely. Only good relations can break the ice. Here is an example with my colleague and co-founder Oxana Guliy. Her husband's relatives were very negative about Russia, relying on propaganda myths. After a trip to Moscow and Saint Petersburg, her husband has completely changed his attitude. He was excited about Russian people, their hospitality, the country in general. And of course told that to his relatives. Here's one of the examples of people-to-people diplomacy.

We feel that our work is very much requested. We position ourselves as an independent organization. We don't have religious, national, political preferences. We work with those who need help. We've got the only goal - the volunteering.

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