The Development of the Relationship between Nizhny Novgorod and Linz

Sister city relationship between Nizhny Novgorod and Linz has existed since October 28, 1993 when the chairman of Nizhny Novgorod City Administration, Kosarikov A.N. and the mayor of Linz, Franz Dobusch signed the agreement.

In 1994 there was an economic mission of Austrian companies such as Voest Alpine, Intertrading, Stahl AG etc. In February 1995 Nizhny Novgorod Industry Exhibition was held in Austria where the most important city companies took part.

In March 2000 the representatives of our city participated in the International congress "Public Transport 2010" in Linz. In July 2001 municipal officials from Nizhny Novgorod took advanced training courses that were held in Vienna and Linz supported by Austrian Ministry of Economy and Labor.

In July 2003 Nizhny Novgorod was visited by the Linz Magistrate Delegation headed by the vice-mayor, Mr. Hans Nestlinger. The representatives of the company "Tyrolit" (Concern "Swarovski"), who also came to our city, introduced their products to Nizhny Novgorod companies. In the framework of the visit the leaders of "Tyrolit" expressed the willingness to finance the trip of Lomonosov School pupils to Linz. Later on that project was realized.

In July 2004 an official delegation from Nizhny Novgorod headed by the mayor, Vadim Bulavinov, arrived in Linz. In the framework of the visit they met with the mayor of Linz, Mr. Franz Dobusch. The Nizhny Novgorod side presented their proposals including the activities within the projects "Linz as a European Cultural Capital in 2009" and "Nizhny Novgorod as a cultural capital of Volga region in 2005" and other.

In September 2004 there were business matching meetings between companies from Nizhny Novgorod and Austria. The Austrian economic mission headed by the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Austria to the Russian Federation, Mr. Martin Vukovich, consisted of the representatives of 31 Austrian company.

On June 24-28, 2006 there was a visit of the delegation of the City Council deputies to Linz for the purpose of experience exchange in the spheres of fiscal and budget policy, health care, education and sports. The members of the delegation also visited one of the largest hospitals in Austria - Linz Public Hospital, moreover the deputy director of "Nizhny Novgorod Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics", Ezhov U.I., attended two operations on transplantation of artificial joints. There was a meeting with a representative of the company called "Tyromet", Mr. Hoelzl, (production and supply of abrasives and grinding machines). In the continuation of that meeting in September, 2006 the presentation of an Austrian company "Tyromet" and the negotiation with representatives of the largest industrial companies from our city was held.

In October 2007 Nizhny Novgorod City Administration organized several meetings between the administration of Austrian company "Ruebig" and representatives of Nizhny Novgorod companies. During the visit, business contacts were established between the company "Ruebig" and JSC "Krasnuy Yakor".

During 2007, our city was visited by several working groups from Austrian Airlines to determine the possibility to open regular flights Vienna-Nizhny Novgorod. The first flight took place on April 2, 2008; there were 3 flights a week on this route. On March 2, 2009 the company closed its office in Nizhny Novgorod and stopped the flights.

The cooperation on education and culture is also successfully realized. In 1995 an agreement on cooperation between Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University and Kepler University in Linz was signed. As a result, that year on the basis of Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University the Austrian Library was opened, which nowadays has about 5 thousand volumes of fiction, special literature and more than 140 videos. The library organizes training courses for teachers, postgraduates and students of the university in Austria, prepares seminars about history and culture of Austria on the German language, and provides professional development of schools and universities teachers. The library conducts examinations of the Austrian Language Diploma (?SD) of an international level. Supported by the Embassy of Austria to the Russian Federation the center organizes lectures of famous Russian interpreters and specialist in Germanic studies. Austrian lecturers work at the library on permanent basis. "Summer schools of the Russian language and culture" for students from Austrian universities are held since 1994.

Nizhny Novgorod music schools took part in the International Choir Festival in Linz. Besides, friendly relationship between the Lomonosov School of Nizhny Novgorod and the Walldorf School of Linz is established.

Supported by Nizhny Novgorod City Administration in April, 2001 a unique humanitarian action was successfully completed. A company "Boesendorfer" (Vienna) presented the Nizhny Novgorod State Conservatory with a new concert piano in exchange for an old one of the same manufacturer. The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Austria to the Russian Federation, Franz Zede, attended the presentation of the new piano in May, 2001. In the framework of the visit the ambassador visited the official ceremony of closing an exhibition of an Austrian artist, Erich Lessing that took place in Nizhny Novgorod.

In June, 2001 the director of the Department of Culture of the city of Linz, Siegbert Janko, participated in an international forum "Sister-cities and partners" in Nizhny Novgorod and met with the representatives of cultural organizations and departments of our city to discuss potential joint projects concerning culture.

In November, 2001 there was humanitarian assistance received by Nizhny Novgorod City Administration from the government of Upper Austria consisting of secondhand clothes, shoes, boots, bed stuff, furniture, dishes etc. Everything was sent for poor people living in Nizhny Novgorod.

In January, 2002 Austrian photographers took part in the second international festival of photographers "Pro-vision" that was held in Nizhny Novgorod.

In June, 2002 the Strauss Chamber Orchestra took part in the VII International Art Festival dedicated to Sakharov A.D. The arrival of the Orchestra became possible due to joint effort of the mayors from Nizhny Novgorod and Linz, government of Upper Austria and the Austrian Embassy in Moscow.

In the course of several years (1995, 1999, 2000 and 2004) there were "Days of Austrian Culture" in Nizhny Novgorod involving different exhibitions, performances of creative groups. On May 14-19, 2004 "Days of Austrian Culture" were timed to the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Austrian library. The program included international Symposium "Concepts of language and culture in compositions by F. Kafka", a conference "Management of education and culture, problems of international communication", and a concert of Nizhny Novgorod and Austrian musicians, exhibitions of Russian and Austrian artists' works.

In order to participate in those activities the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Austria to Russia, Dr. Martin Vukovich, visited Nizhny Novgorod. The official delegation from Linz that consisted of the members of the city administration, Johan Meier and Claus Lueger, and the director of the department of culture in Linz Siegbert Janko, also visited our city.

On April, 23-25, 2006 there was an international festival in Nizhny Novgorod called "Mozart in Russia" dedicated to 250 anniversary of a great Austrian composer Wolfgang Mozart. Nizhny Novgorod Festival is one of the three international projects, supported by the Austrian Bureau "Vienna Year of Mozart, 2006". Musicians and music experts, writers and diplomats from Vienna, Salzburg and the sister-cities of Linz visited our city. The initiators of the festival were Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University and Nizhny Novgorod State Conservatory.

In December, 2007 Nizhny Novgorod took part in an international Internet-project "Linz is the city of Christmas cradles" by publishing photos of Christmas statues, decorating Nizhny Novgorod on Christmas and New Year.

In April-May, 2008 in Nizhny Novgorod there was a competition of cultural projects under the motto "Nizhny Novgorod in support of Linz - 2009" in order to identify and introduce the most interesting projects to the Austrian side for common implementation within the framework of "cultural year" in Linz. Nine projects were sent to the Austrian organizer but unfortunately they were not included in the program of activities. The issue concerning their realization will be discussed with the city administration of Linz beyond "the cultural capital".

On June 22-25, 2008 Nizhny Novgorod was visited by a musician from Linz, Mrs. Katrin Emler, in order to work on a multimedia project, "Go by your gait!" which unites all the sister-cities of Linz. To identify the individual rhythm of Nizhny Novgorod Katrin Emler filmed in the central part of the city, in Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street, Minina Square, Verkhne-Volzskaya Embankment. The results were presented in Linz (from May 15 till august 15, 2009) and other cities participating in the project, including Nizhny Novgorod (August 11, 2009), within the framework of "Linz as a European Cultural Capital in 2009."

In 2008-2009 Linz participated in international photo exhibitions of Nizhny Novgorod sister-cities in the framework of Nizhny Novgorod Anniversary. In 2009 Austrian photographers presented their works in the photo festival "Old Nizhny Novgorod. People. Streets. Yards".

In addition, the representatives of Nizhny Novgorod took part in an International Music Festival in honor of Bruckner twice (in 2001 and 2006). Traditionally it is held in September in Linz.