Sakha Republic's ex-President Nikolaev visits Fairbanks

In August, Russian Duma Vice-President, Mikhail Nikolaev, formerly known to us as Governor, and then President, of the Sakha Republic visited Fairbanks. He was attending the Eighth Conference of Arctic Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region, http://www.arcticparl.org/ that was held at the University of Alaska August 12-14, 2008. He had visited Fairbanks in 1990, during the first large official exchange of delegates between our two cities and had been supportive of our relationship over the years.

Former Fairbanks Mayor, Juanita Helms, and Anastasia Bozhedonova

of the Northern Forum organized a reception for Vice President Nikolaev

and we shared many memories of our friends and days in Yakutsk.
In this picture, taken by Carolyn Gray, Vice-President Nikolaev speaks to the group with former FNSB
Mayor Junita Helms at his side.