ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — On Monday, Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea said that he plans to not end the sister city partnership with a Russian City.
Roanoke has a partnership with Pskov, Russia.
What is a Sister City?
According to the Sister Cities International website, a sister city is a partnership between two communities in two countries. This can be a sister city, county, or state relationship. This relationship won’t be recognized until both communities sign off on the agreement. This can be the highest elected or appointed official. A city can have several sister cities.
The Roanoke Valley Sister Cities website states that President Eisenhower created the Sister Cities International network in 1956. Eisenhower thought this bond between nations would help form peace and prosperity between different communities around the world.
How does Sister Cities work?
Each sister city is comprised of seven committees in which they choose a project to work on. They also work with governments, schools universities, churches, civic/service clubs, and community festivals.
What are the sister cities of Roanoke?
Roanoke has seven sister cities: Florianópolis, Brazil, Kisumu, Kenya, Lijang, China, Opole, Poland, Pskov, Russia, Saint-Lô, France, and Wonju, Korea.
Wonju, Korea
- Sister City since: 1964
- Roanoke and Wonju participate in cultural, educational, medical, and artistic exchanges
- Gateway city to Korea’s coal, tungsten, and cement resources
- Industry includes auto parts, transformers, battery manufacture, cutlery, copper wire, electronics, sporting goods, office equipment, plastics, cermics, bio-med research & products, insulation and floor tiles, cosmetics, processed/canned foods, and musical instruments
Kisumu, Kenya
- Sister City since: 1976
- Roanoke and Kisumu support tech programs, scholarships, orphanage, and HIV/AIDS care
- Roanoke has relationships with Agape Children’s Ministry, Salem Orphanage, New Life Babies Trust, and Kisumu Hospice
- Initiatives to provide water wells in rural areas for better quality of life for those living in Kisumu and surrounded areas
Pskov, Russia
- Sister City since: 1992
- Furnished medical supplies and equipment for hospitals, orphanages and hospice
- 1993 parternship between Ferrum College and the Pskov Pedagogical Institute ( now Pskov State University)
- Russians students received scholarships to study at Ferrum College for a semester and Ferrum students have worked, studied and interned in Pskov
Florianópolis, Brazil
- Sister City since: 1995
- Reciprocal visits between cities
- Roanoke and Florianópolis had exchanges in arts, concert performances, economic development, social services, and univeristy linkages
- Raised funds to support Love’s Little Nest, an orphanage/school for children living with HIV/AIDS and children whose parents have died of the disease
Opole, Poland
- Sister City since: 1995
- Opole is the center for industry, trade banking, culture and education
- Operates central heating plant, water treatment, and sewage facilities
Lijiang, China
- Sister City since: 1996
- U.S. connection: Virginians learn the process of curing ham and Yunnan Province had it’s first tabbaco plants that were transplanted from Virginia
Saint-Lô, France
- Sister City since: 1998
- Virginians in the Infantry Regiment helped liberate St.-Lô on July 19, 1944
- In 1999 the city dedicated a bridge called the Pont de Roanoke
How do Sister relationships develop?
There are several ways these relationships develop either through preexisting mayoral relationships, trade relationships, historical connections, ancestral/demographic connections, expatriate communities, shared geographic/sector challenges, faith-based groups, and personal experiences ranging from study/work abroad to marriages
What are Virginia’s other sister cities by state?
| Virginia City | Sister Cities |
|---|---|
| Alexandria | Gyumri, Armenia Caen, France Helsingborg, Sweden Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Arlington | San Miguel, El Salvadoror Reims, France Aachen, Germany Coyoacan, Mexico Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine |
| Charlottesville | Pleven, Bulgaria Besancon, France Winneba, Ghano (Friendship City) Poggio a Caiano, Italy |
| Chesapeake | Joinville, Brazil |
| Gordonsville | Thoré-la-Rochette, France |
| Hampton | Vendome, France Pietermaritzburg Msunduzi, South Africa Anyang, South Korea Southampton, England, United Kingdom |
| Lynchburg | Rueil Malmaison, France Glauchau, Germany |
| Newport News | Taizhou, China Greifswald, Germany Neyagawa, Japan |
| Norfolk | Halifax, Canada Ningbo, China Toulon, France Wilhelmshaven, Germany Tema, Ghana Kochi, India Kitakyushu, Japan Cagayan de Oro, Philippines Kalinigrad, Russia Norfolk County, England, United Kingdom |
| Richmond | Zhengzhou, China Saitama (Urawa), Japan Segou, Mali Windhoek, Namibia Richmond upon Thames, England, United Kingdom |
| Suffolk | Oderzo, Italy Suffolk, United Kingdom |
| Virginia Beach | Waiblingen, Germany Miyazaki, Japan San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua (Friendship City) Moss, Norway Olongapo, Philippines Ards and North Down Borough, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom |
What is a Friendship City?
A Friendship City is considered less formal than a sister city. In some cases, it is used as a first stage in the relationship, in which afterward an agreement for a long-term relationship may be formed.
