The Development of the Relation between Nizhny Novgorod and Essen

Having been opened in 1991, Nizhny Novgorod started to develop relations with Germany, particularly, with Essen, which became our first sister-city: on September 10, 1991 the agreement on establishing sister-city relations between Nizhny Novgorod and Essen was signed.

Within the framework of the partnership a lot of projects in various areas have already been realized:

Economy:
- inauguration of joint companies and the representative office of German companies in Nizhny Novgorod (such as logistics centre "TissenKrupp" in 2004);
- establishment of business contacts between Nizhny Novgorod and German companies, among which are Volga-Vyatksky Saving Bank and the "Sparkasse Essen" Bank (consultations and staff training courses); "RWE" and OJSC "Nizhny Novgorod Vodokanal" (modernization of water supply system and adoption of the biogas collection system), "RWE" and OJSC "TGK-6" (electric-power industry).
- internship for Nizhny Novgorod specialists

Culture:
- cultural and information events were held: "Volga Days in Essen" (1993), "German Days - information and culture" in Nizhny Novgorod (1994), "Russian Culture Days in Essen" (1995), "German Culture Days in Nizhny Novgorod" (visit of a jazz band from Essen Folkwang Art School in September 2004); "Essen Art Days" within the celebration of 15 Anniversary of sister-city relations (September, 2006); "German Days in Nizhny Novgorod" (September, 2007); participation of Essen representatives in an international graffiti festival "Images of My City" in 2007 and photo exhibition "Postcards of my city" timed to the City Day in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
- Organization of I.S. Bach Festival with the participation of over 40 musicians from Essen from September 20 to October 4, 2008: the festival was held with the assistance of Nizhny Novgorod City Administration and Nizhny Novgorod Regional Government together with Essen Society of German and Russian meetings and included Bach music concerts, a scientific conference "Bach traditions in modern culture of West and East", films with music or about composer's life, and the project "Vivid Bach".
- exchange of artistic groups: theatre "Piano", the Puppet theatre, the children choir "Javoronok", Nizhny Novgorod boys choral school, the choir "Rusich", ensembles "Russian Souvenir" and "Nizhegorodsky Lojkari" visited Germany; Essen choir "Schubertbund" took part in the All-Russian Music Day in Glinka Conservatoire in October, 2006; establishment of contacts between the choir "Essen Nord" and Children's Art Club of Moscovsky district and school № 70, between the theatre "Vera" and "Studio-Buehne Essen" (the last project - arrival of the theatre "Studio-Buehne Essen" to Nizhny Novgorod in October, 2006 for the participation in the international youth theatre festival "Contact");
- The Centre of German and Russian Cultural ties supported by Essen Society of German and Russian meetings has been working in Nizhny Novgorod State linguistic University since 1994;
- participation of Nizhny Novgorod official delegation in the conference on the architecture of Essen sister-cities, which took place in 2002 within the celebration of 1150 anniversary of Essen;
- participation of Nizhny Novgorod in the program "European Capital of Culture of 2010": participation of Nizhny Novgorod delegation in the international conference "Sister- cities 2010" within the program (February, 2006); the project of theatre "Piano" and brass band from school №70 is adopted for realization in 2010 within the program;
- placement of a detailed internet presentation of Nizhny Novgorod, its history, modern development, places of interest etc. in German language on the official site of Essen (January, 2007).

Education and science, youth projects:
- contacts among institutions of higher education: regular internship for professors, postgraduates and students of Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University, Nizhny Novgorod State University, Nizhny Novgorod Medical Academy in Essen University; besides postgraduates of Nizhny Novgorod Medical Academy and Nizhny Novgorod State Architecture and Building University get Russian and German diplomas;
- the German language contests: annually the German language contests are held among Nizhny Novgorod Region schoolchildren, the winners are awarded with a tour to Essen (the winners of the last contests visited Essen in May 2007 with the assistance of Nizhny Novgorod City Administration);
- schoolchildren exchanges: there were established friendly relations between school № 1 (specialized in the German language) and Essen Waldorfschule school, between school № 80 and female college Borbeck in Essen (the last visit of schoolchildren to Essen was in 2009);
- youth projects: every year Essen hosts international youth meetings of Essen sister-cities with the participation of Nizhny Novgorod representatives; the aim of the meetings is to start cultural dialog and drawing of the youth into social life (the last meeting was on July 13-20, 2009, the topic was "Life variety. Elements fire, air, earth", its' aim - development of a variety show for the international youth festival in 2010 within the program "European Capital of Culture of 2010"); on June 28- July 4, 2009 the first sport gathering of young people from sister-cities Nizhny Novgorod, Essen and Tampere took place in Essen;
- sharing experience of specialists working with young people (visit of representatives of youth organizations in June 2003, September 2005, April 2007. on September 18-23, 2008 Nizhny Novgorod specialists visited Essen, in the course of the visit there was signed an agreement to start exchanges of folk groups and to prepare a trilateral youth camp together with Tampere);
- exchange of youth creative groups supported by the Essen League of youth organizations (young representatives of the modern flute orchestra from Essen visited Nizhny Novgorod in April, 2009);

Ecology:
- holding youth ecological assembly with the participation of Nizhny Novgorod and NRW Land schoolchildren in Nizhny Novgorod and Germany in turn. The aim is ecological education, organization of joint ecological actions (the project took place regularly from 1997 to 2003 and then in 2006);

Social projects:
- social and alternative service of German volunteers in social institutions of our city since 1997; meetings aimed at experience sharing in that field in Nizhny Novgorod in 2001 and in Essen in 2003, 2008; Essen Society of German and Russian meetings - the German sponsor - annually visits Nizhny Novgorod to supervise the project; in june 2007 the project was honored with the first award of R. Bosh for initiatives in Russia-German cooperation within the framework of German-Russian conference in Hamburg;
- participation of Nizhny Novgorod representatives in an international meeting on female movement problems in Essen (December, 2007);
- humanitarian aid from Essen City Administration (medicine in 1995, equipment for disabled people in 2000) and from Essen Society of German and Russian meetings (typewriters for blinds in 2003);

Sports:
- holding football matches between Nizhny Novgorod, Essen and Brunswick youth teams in July, 2005;
Cooperation within tripartite agreement among sister-cities Nizhny Novgorod, Essen and Tampere on realization of the following projects:
- analysis of actual condition and plans of development of the enterprise "Vodokanal" by German and Finish specialists (June, 2001);
- internet-conference aimed at communication of people with the Mayors of sister-cities (May, 2001);
- youth volleyball tournament with the participation of all sister-cities of Tampere (June, 2001);
- placement of broadsheets about sister-cities (September, 2001).

It is necessary to mention that successful development of relations between Nizhny Novgorod and Essen became a basis for the "Agreement on cooperation between Nizhny Novgorod Region and North Rhine-Westphalia Land" signed in July, 1993.