New Video Production of Rubtsovsk to Debut on Local Television  (1993)

By Ron Brown

Three years ago, Southern Oregon history was made when Grants Pass City and Josephine County
officials signed a Sister City agreement with Rubtsovsk, deep in Soviet Siberia. In order to better
understand what might have changed in the past three years, we made the trip back.

The information and video we gathered will appear in a three-part series on Channel 12 on
November 2,3, and 4.

On the surface, it doesn't appear that a lot has changed since we were there three years ago. But you
soon notice that even in Moscow there are fewer lines for commodities, and that the stores are
stocked with more foreign-made goods than before, and that there are many more cars on the road.

We were interested in talking with in-dependent business people, and in seeing how some of the
industries that are the foundation of the Rubtsovsk economy are faring. So we will take another
look at the Altai Tractor Company, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary last year. We will also
see a state-owned ice cream company that seems to be doing well. And we will look at a
couple of other small businesses that have popped up in the past year.

We will also take a look at life in general…from garden houses to the city fire department, and
we will take a trip into the country for the opening of duck hunting season, and ride the train from
Rubtsovsk to Barnaul, the regional capitol.

We will also see what impact last year's project has to put sewing machines in the hands of the
Blind Training School.

And, since last year was the city's centennial, we will look a little more in depth at the history of
Rubtsovsk, including an interview with one of the city's oldest residents.

We found that there seems to he general disillusionment with the seemingly endless political
wrangling in Moscow, but also hope that... with time... the future will be better than the past.

It was great to see old friends, and to make new ones.

 

HOME

History         Exchange Highlights         Member Application         Sister Cities International

Heart-to Heart Project        Grants Pass Chamber of Commerce          Photo Album

A Visit to Rubtsovsk       Official Exchange May 1993