[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15775-15778]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 F_____
                                 

        AMERICAN RUSSIAN CULTURAL COOPERATION FOUNDATION EXHIBIT

  Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I wish to congratulate and 
commend the Honorable James W. Symington and the American Russian 
Cultural Cooperation Foundation on the success of their exhibit ``The 
Czar and the President, Alexander II and Abraham Lincoln.'' Housed in 
the magnificent Palace of Catherine the Great in St. Petersburg, 
Russia, and the State Archives of the Russian Federation in Moscow, the 
display included an impressive collection of documents, art, and 
personal artifacts of Czar Alexander II and President Lincoln.
  The exhibit debuted in St. Petersburg with great fanfare on April 26, 
2011, with representatives from the American Russian Cultural 
Cooperation Foundation, ARCCF, and Russian government officials in 
attendance. Russian Minister of Culture, Mr. Alexander Avedyev, and 
ARCCF chairman James W. Symington, presided over the ribbon cutting, 
while the Kremlin's Presidential Band provided entertainment. The 
exhibit was widely covered by the Russian media, and featured in the 
Washington Post and the New York Times.
  Timed to correspond with the 150th anniversary of the emancipation of 
the serfs and the beginning of the Civil War, the exhibit explored the 
commonality of Czar Alexander II and President Lincoln as liberators 
who ultimately met a tragic end. Although they never met personally, 
they exchanged warm correspondence, and shared a somewhat unexpected 
friendship. Through a study of these two leaders, visitors became 
acquainted with the often unexplored history of mutual respect and 
friendship during the Civil War era.
  ``The Czar and the President'' closed on July 31 after receiving rave 
reviews. Reviews of the exhibit can be read below. I hope my colleagues 
will join me in congratulating Mr. Symington and the ARCCF, and thank 
them for their continued dedication in preserving the cultural and 
historical ties between the United States and Russia.
  Mr. President, I ask to have printed in the Record a copy of the text 
of the guest book.
  The material follows.

    The Guest Book from the Exhibition, The Czar and the President, 
  Alexander II and Abraham Lincoln, The Liberator and the Emancipator


                                FOREWORD

       Years ago I came across an obscure amount of US-Russia 
     relations during our Civil War. Tsar Alexander II's favorable 
     disposition toward our Union and his friendly correspondence 
     with President Lincoln were pages missing from my school and 
     college

[[Page 15776]]

     textbooks. Even the goodwill visits Russian fleets in 1863 to 
     New York and San Francisco during our time of trial had been 
     erased from memory to say nothing of the eloquent dispatch 
     sent in 1861 by Russia's Chancellor, Prince Gorchakov to his 
     Minister in Washington, Gustav Stoekl which reads in part:

       ``For the more than eighty years that it has existed the 
     American Union owes its independence, its towering rise, and 
     its progress, to the concord of its members, consecrated 
     under the auspices of its illustrious founder, by 
     institutions which have been able to reconcile order with 
     liberty . . . In our view, this Union is not only a 
     substantial element of the world political equilibrium, but 
     additionally, it represents the nation towards which our 
     Sovereign and Russia as a whole, display the friendliest 
     interest. . .
       In all cases the American Union may count on the most 
     heartfelt sympathy on the part of the Sovereign in the course 
     of the serious crisis which the Union is currently going 
     through . . . ''

       These sentiments*, made manifest by the good will visits of 
     Russian fleets to New York and San Francisco in 1863, had to 
     be reassuring to a President rightly concerned over the 
     possibility of foreign intervention inimical to his cause.
       It was the purpose of our Tsar and President exhibit to 
     acquaint Russian citizenry and officialdom with this vivid 
     history of accord and mutual respect. I trust the attached 
     citizen reaction warrants the claim, ``mission 
     accomplished''.
       James W. Symington
       Chairman
       American Russian Cultural Cooperation Foundation
       *Translated from Russian by Dr. Jay Strickland Ryfa, 
     Counselor to the American Russian Cultural Cooperation 
     Foundation
                                  ____

       A wonderful exhibition from an educational point of view 
     and as a general idea. The parallel between the Czar and the 
     President is quite unexpected. It was very interesting with a 
     lot of wonderful exhibition items. Thank you from the press.
       Editorial staff of Rossiyskie Vesti
       Editorial staff of Min Novostey
                                  ____

       A wonderful and a very interesting exhibition! Thank you 
     very much for a subtle approach toward these two individuals! 
     Many thanks to the organizers of the exhibition.
       S.M. Yemelyanova, the Museum of the Moscow Kremlin
                                  ____

       A remarkable idea of the exhibition and its realization.
       With gratitude, the Kokoshkin family
       Very Educational!
       Thank you!
                                  ____

       A very good exhibition, especially for our time, when anti-
     Americanism is on the rise.
       The exhibition is informative and well organized! It helped 
     us to compare what seemed to be different historical events 
     and filled the gaps in our knowledge of history. Thank you.
       The Kryuchkov family
                                  ____

       Thank you to the organizers of the exhibition. The best 
     gift one can think of in honor of the February 23 holiday is 
     not only to men but also to women, the Muscovites and the 
     guests of our capital city. To all of us who love history.
       February 23, the Timoshevsky family
                                  ____

       Thank you to the organizers if the exhibition and 
     congratulations on the day of Defenders of the Fatherland. 
     Everything was organized splendidly. I saw many new 
     documents, exhibits, and copies. Pity that the genius like 
     that of Alexander II and Abraham Lincoln is rare these days; 
     while a socio-political mechanism capable of removing tyrants 
     like Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi has not been 
     invented. Picturesque canvasses, sculptures, and photographs 
     are works of art. Thank you very much!
       Sincerely,
       S.I. Manuylov, engineer. February 23, 2011
                                  ____

       Thank you very much for this very interesting and 
     informative exhibition. The organizers succeeded in arranging 
     the exhibits in a very logical manner. Thank you for the idea 
     of comparing these two remarkable individuals.
       Yulia and Tatiana. February 23, 2011
                                  ____

       Thank you so much for an interesting and unusual exhibit!
       Bulat and Marina Guzairov
                                  ____

       A very informative exhibition.
       Sincerely, Anna and Victor Shakhmatov
                                  ____

       A splendid exhibition. Very informative. Thank you!
       Retired
                                  ____

       A unique exhibition. It is very informative and tastefully 
     executed. Thank you very much.
       A Candidate of Technical Sciences
                                  ____

       Very informative and interesting exhibition. Thank you very 
     much. 02.24.2011
                                  ____

       Thank you for the informative exhibition! I hope that the 
     links between Russia and the United States will continue to 
     grow, and historical parallels will be justified! 02.24.2011
                                  ____

       Thank you very much for the exhibition. I felt as if I had 
     visited another dimension, a different world. I felt proud 
     for once great Russia. Will we be able to bring it back one 
     day?
       Svetlana, a homemaker, 02.24.2011
                                  ____

       Thank you to the organizers of the exhibition for a huge 
     work. The exhibition is very enriching and instructive.
       Staff of the Museum of History of the Moscow State 
     University, 02.25.2011
                                  ____

       It was interesting to see personal belongings of Abraham 
     Lincoln.
       A student of the Sholokhov Moscow State Humanitarian 
     University
                                  ____

       A splendid exhibition!!! Thank you!
       Students of the 10th Grade, School No.: 875
                                  ____

       Thank you very much from a colleague, a graduate student at 
     the Department of History of the Moscow State University. 
     February 25, 2011
                                  ____

       Instructive, informative, professional! Deep gratitude to 
     the colleagues from the State Archives of the Russian 
     Federation and the museums participating in this project. The 
     exhibition is interesting, enriching, and timely. 02.25.2011
                                  ____

       I enjoyed the exhibition immensely. Once again I came in 
     close touch with Russian history. Thank you very much and 
     further successes! 02.25.2011
                                  ____

       A wonderful project and very timely for contemporary 
     Russia. 02.25.2011
                                  ____

       The exhibition is unique and emotional. It makes one think 
     about history of both countries, which one should know and 
     should not forget. Thank you to the State Archive and the 
     Museum of History.
       Tiutchev Museum in Moscow, February 27, 2011
                                  ____

       It would be nice if our stately rulers paid a visit to the 
     exhibition. Perhaps they might learn lessons from history and 
     hopefully understand it. 02.26.2011
                                  ____

       I completely agree with your statement.
       A wonderful exhibition! Excellent staff. They deserve 
     bonuses.
                                  ____

       It is interesting to note that ever since then until today 
     the Americans and the Russians never fought each other with 
     guns. Let it be like this in the future! 02.27.2011
                                  ____

       I learnt many new things. I was impressed with the 
     exhibited items. The exhibition is interesting and expert. 
     Thank you.
                                  ____

       Thank you for expertly executed exhibition, rich, and 
     instructive. We examined the exhibition with great pleasure. 
     Thank you very much!
       I.P. Dobysh, G.
       Yu. Geatsintova
                                  ____

       02.27.2011 Thank you very much to the organizers of the 
     exhibition.
                                  ____

       Dear organizers of the exhibition! I would like to thank 
     you wholeheartedly for great pleasure to get in touch with 
     history. I feel privileged to write these lines into the book 
     created by true historians.
       Sincerely yours, F. Melentyev
                                  ____

       02.27.2011 To the organizers of the exhibition. It is very 
     interesting and informative.
                                  ____

       March 2, 2011. Thank you for the exhibition. Did they show 
     it in the United States?
                                  ____

       March 2, 2011. An interesting exhibition. I learnt a lot of 
     new things. What complicated lives! High professionalism of 
     the organizers of the exhibition. Thank you. It is strange 
     that the exhibition is free of charge--the Archive could have 
     used the money.
       Sincerely, Zvonareva
                                  ____

       March 2. The exhibition is interesting and informative. 
     What a pity that our contemporary czars in contrast to the 
     former do not treat Americans well, as well as their own 
     people.
       A. Kolokoltsev
                                  ____

       Thank you very much to the organizers of the exhibition. It 
     is a splendid idea to compare the lives of two remarkable men 
     and to demonstrate the role of an individual in history.
       A student of the Lomonosov Moscow State University
                                  ____

       03.02. Thank you very much for this exhibition. Many 
     genuine historical items. I liked it very much.
       Natalya
                                  ____

       03.02.11. While looking at this exhibition, one cannot help 
     feeling a special sympathy toward the world history of 
     humanity. This sentiment is caused by this wonderful 
     exhibition.

[[Page 15777]]

     
                                  ____
       03.02.2011. Thank you very much to the staff of the State 
     Archives of the Russian Federation and their American 
     colleagues for a wonderful and informative exhibition. Let 
     the relations between our countries be always friendly as 
     they were in the nineteenth century, thanks to the efforts of 
     the Emperor Alexander II and President Lincoln.
                                  ____

       Thank you for an interesting exhibition and the guided tour 
     by Tatyana Fedorovna.
       --Students
                                  ____

       A bow to all who care about history and glory of the 
     Fatherland. Thank you! 03.05.11.
                                  ____

       The exhibition is quite modest. Too many accents were made 
     by Mme. Zakharova on the so-called ``liberalism'' and 
     ``liberal idea.'' Down with them! A slave's collar is a 
     pinnacle of the exhibition. A replica for multimillion guest 
     workers. Hail to Russia! Carthage will be destroyed!
                                  ____

       Thank you very much! A very interesting, rich, and 
     informative exhibition. 03.05.2011
                                  ____

       The exhibition is well prepared and rich in content. I have 
     seen many items for the first time. The texts were very 
     helpful. Pity that the exhibition booklets were not 
     available. I wish the exhibition was covered by the central 
     TV and by the press so that more people would learn about it. 
     03.05.2011.
                                  ____

       Thank you very much! A very interesting exhibition. 
     Especially the display of items of the Russian Emperor 
     Alexander II.
       03.06.2011 Smirnov
                                  ____

       An interesting and well-presented historical exhibition. 
     Something to remember. 03.06.2011.
                                  ____

       Thank you very much for a wonderful exhibition. It is very 
     well arranged. The exhibition turned out to be rich and 
     memorable.
       Sincerely, Ylya and Irma 2011.03.05
                                  ____

       The exhibition is ``super''! I loved absolutely everything. 
     And very important, it was free. Thank you very much. =)
                                  ____

       The exhibition was so-so, but I liked it even though I 
     hadn't read anything. I like the best the saber, the 
     cartridge, and the rifle. 10 years. 03.03.2011
       ``You are a young fool! Study more and get smarter!''
                                  ____

       A good exhibition. It would be nice to exhibit the entire 
     correspondence between Lincoln and Alexander II. 03.06.2011.
                                  ____

       The fate of both A. Lincoln and Alexander II was tragic. 
     Russia and the United States do not have friendship that the 
     President and the Czar Liberator were dreaming of.
                                  ____

       Unfortunately, state people of this scale do not exist. And 
     the liberated people are engulfed in wars, hypocrisy, avarice 
     and godlessness. Help them Lord, to wake up and be worthy of 
     the life on Earth!
                                  ____

       March 6, 2011
       In his speech in St. Petersburg in 1865, the Ambassador of 
     the United States to Russia, Cassius Clay, said remarkable 
     words: ``I want peace for the whole world and peace between 
     Russia and the United States for the longest time.''
       It would be nice for leaders and the government of the 
     United States to remember this ``precept of the ancestors'' 
     and adhere to it in today's policy. They should not interfere 
     in the internal affairs of other countries on other 
     continents and not impose their will to bring their 
     ``democracy'' on the bayonets. The bombardment of Yugoslavia 
     was a war crime. In Iraq peaceful people are dying even 
     today, and thousands and thousands are victims thanks to US 
     interference. Now they are bringing their ships to the shores 
     of Africa. Lincoln would have been ashamed of America today.
                                  ____

       The exhibition is wonderful, deep gratitude to its 
     organizers
       79 years old. March 6, 2011
                                  ____

       Deep gratitude and admiration to the authors of the project 
     and the organizers of the exhibition.
       Members of the Union of Friends of Bulgaria. 03.09.2011
                                  ____

       03.10.2011. A surprising exhibition about our history. I 
     wish it taught something to our ruling elite. We lost so 
     much, poor Russia! Thank you very much to all who had worked 
     on it.
       G.V. Guseva
                                  ____

       03.10.2011. Thank you very much for an interesting 
     exhibition to dear staff of the State Archives of the Old 
     Acts (and the State Archive of the Russian Federation). I was 
     especially impressed by the Emperor's signature, ``So Be 
     It,'' the nautical maps of the depths of New York Bay, and 
     the ``sand box'' of Lincoln's secretary.
       Thank you!
                                  ____

       A splendid exhibition! I cannot find words to express my 
     enthusiasm. Marvelous! Many thanks to all organizers of the 
     exhibition! All items are simply wonderful. We would not have 
     been able to see it anywhere else! So much knew and 
     previously unknown was revealed in these rooms. A deep bow to 
     all staff of the State Archives. I wish everyone good health 
     and happiness so that you would always bring us joy with such 
     exhibitions.
       Frequent visitor L.V. 03.10.2011
                                  ____

       One recommendation: the descriptions of the items are 
     printed in a very small font. Please, take these small flaws 
     into account for future exhibitions.
                                  ____

       03.11.2011.
       The staff of the Russian State Archive of the Photo 
     Document expresses deep gratitude to the organizers of the 
     exhibition and a wonderful guided tour.
       Sincerely,
       The Archive Deputy
                                  ____

       03.11.2011. Thank you for the exhibition, for knowledge, 
     and for your efforts to pass it to the visitors.
       State Archive
                                  ____

       Thank you to the organizers for the idea of the exhibition 
     and its implementation. Many interesting things, but the 
     historians love dates. The first stands lack the dates of 
     birth and death of Alexander II and Abraham Lincoln.
       Thank you, Kilmov
                                  ____

       Thank you for a wonderful exhibition, for your high 
     professionalism, and love toward history and great people. A 
     lot of interesting documents. I learnt a lot of new things.
       Thank you. Sincerely. . .
                                  ____

       Thank you very much to American and Russian organizers of 
     the exhibition for the opportunity to familiarize myself with 
     priceless relics of the dramatic period in history of the 
     United States and Russia, when the relations between two 
     great nations were so friendly.
       Sincerely,
       I.S. Kuryanova
                                  ____

       March 13, 2011. Thank you very much for the exhibition! 
     Very interesting and informative.
       O.V. Lipina
       L.I. Borzova
                                  ____

       Thank you very much for an informative and well-organized 
     exhibition!
       A. Ignatov
                                  ____

       The originals! I am very happy to see them here. I received 
     aesthetic pleasure. Thank you! 03.13.11.
                                  ____

       Many thanks for such a remarkable exhibition.
       Elena, Dmitry.
       March 13, 2011
       The Anniversary of the death of Alexander III
                                  ____

       ``Yes, there used to be people in our time. . .''
       Retired. Moscow. 03.13.11.
                                  ____

       We are grateful to the Exhibition Hall of the Federal 
     Archives for the opportunity to get acquainted with the 
     history of Russian and American relations. A remarkable 
     exhibition, very informative.
       O.I Likhomanova
       M.V. Klochkov
                                  ____

       03.13.2011. One of the best exhibitions held by the 
     Archives. Thank you very much.
       Philatova, retired.
                                  ____

       Thank you for a well prepared exhibition and the 
     opportunity to refresh in our memory the great history of 
     Russia.
       Oleg and Olga Mikhaylov
                                  ____

       I would like to express big gratitude to the organizers of 
     the exhibition. The very idea of the exhibition is brilliant, 
     and its implementation opens for the visitors a plethora of 
     interesting facts from history of two great nations.
       E.M. Spirina
                                  ____

       Let the foundations of cooperation and friendship built by 
     these two great leaders of our countries live and strengthen 
     despite all. Thank you to the State Archives and the American 
     side for the contribution to this noble affair.
       Yu. F. Blochkarev,
       retired in 1967-70
       USA Department of the Ministry of Foreign Trade
                                  ____

       The exhibition once again confirms the Universal Mission of 
     Russia and the inevitable retribution for the sin of 
     regicide.
       With gratitude and respect to the organizers, E.A. Rusanov, 
     03.16.11
                                  ____

       Thank you for a very good exhibition.
       03.16.2011, Atlanta, GA, USA
                                  ____

       A very interesting exhibition. Thank you very much! 
     03.17.2011.
                                  ____

       I am a frequent visitor of your exhibitions. I leave this 
     exhibition with a feeling of deep gratitude to the organizers 
     of this exhibition. It is splendid and arranged with great 
     taste. Carry on!

[[Page 15778]]

       I.K. March 17, 2011
                                  ____

       I liked everything. It was very interesting!
       Thank you for an interesting exhibition!
       Students of the Lomonosov Moscow State University express 
     their gratitude to the organizers of the exhibition for the 
     opportunity to get familiar with the heritage of two key 
     figures in the history of the United States and Russia.
       03.19.11
                                  ____

       A wonderful exhibition!
       The US Club at the Moscow State University, 03.19.11
                                  ____

       I learnt a lot. Thank you!
       Student from Kazakhstan, Moscow State University
                                  ____

       Thank you very much for the exhibition. It was interesting 
     to learn about such outstanding state figures. I am looking 
     forward to future exhibitions!
       Svetlana Abashina
                                  ____

       Thank you very much for such an interesting and well-
     organized exhibition, for your contribution.
       Sincerely . . .
                                  ____

       I am grateful to the staff of the Archives, and the 
     organizers of such monumental historical tours into the 
     history of our country, including world history. ``The 
     Revolution always devours its children. New progressive ideas 
     and the practical steps toward new life meet the resistance 
     of reactionaries with the personal imperative of a master. A 
     Russian person is always looking for a master.  .  .''
       A.M. Gorsky ``Master''
                                  ____

       A very remarkable exhibition! Unique items from American 
     Museums that rarely come to Russia. Interesting parallels 
     between two statesmen. Thank you to the organizers for 
     pleasure!
       03.11.11.
                                  ____

       Interesting! 03.20.2011
                                  ____

       A staggering exhibition! I am used to good exhibitions at 
     the State Archives, but this one is above all praise. One 
     should bring here all schoolchildren. It is an exhibition 
     like this that one should teach civil pride and not at phony 
     classes at schools that teach patriotism. Having seen the 
     exhibit, I understand that the United States and Russia have 
     nothing to fight over; we are destined to peace and 
     friendship by the historic destiny. If only everyone 
     understood this! I will use the catalog of this exhibition in 
     my classes. Thank you very much!
       03.20.2011
                                  ____

       Thank you very much for an interesting and informative 
     exhibition. Pity that the catalog is too expensive. I wish 
     there was one less expensive. Good luck and have more 
     visitors!
       03.20.2011
                                  ____

       Thank you. As always, everything is very interesting and 
     lucid. I wish there was an exhibition dedicated to Russian 
     Empresses, beginning with Catherine the Great and ending with 
     Alexandra Fedorovna and the Great Duchess Elizaveta 
     Fedorovna, the wife of Great Duke Sergei Alexandrovich 
     assassinated by a terrorist.
       They were all from the European royal families, German, 
     Danish.
       Where does this tradition come from? Why? In the end, it 
     did not bring prosperity to the Russian royal family, or the 
     country.
       Retired
                                  ____

       Many interesting unknown data that slightly changed my 
     opinions about the Northern States for the better. Thank you.
       P.S. I would like to visit the Federal Archives to see more 
     documents about it.
       V.V. Smirnov
                                  ____

       Thank you very much for the exhibition! As soon as I heard 
     about it, I wanted to come and see it at once. I was not 
     disappointed. I learnt a lot of new things. And I not only 
     learnt but also felt of these two heroes as human beings. I 
     felt that they lived not a long time ago, next to us. It 
     turns out that even czars thought of people. I was surprised 
     to find out that the Manifesto was being prepared by a whole 
     team. It was not just a gesture. Thank you for bringing 
     history alive.
       03.24.2011, M.V. Zvereva
                                  ____

       We need more exhibitions like this one!!! 03.24.2011
                                  ____

       No words how tastefully and tactfully this exhibition is 
     presented. Brilliant. Thank you very much.
       R.D., 03.24.2011
                                  ____

       Thank you very much for a wonderful exhibition! 03.24.2011
                                  ____

       We express our sincere gratitude for this small, but bright 
     and informative exhibition. We saw and learnt something new 
     that we had not known before.
       Chritina, 03.24.2011
                                  ____

       Thank you very much for this exhibition!
       Students of the Department of History of the Sholokhov 
     Moscow State Humanitarian University
                                  ____

       We express our gratitude for the interesting and 
     informative exhibition!
       Students of the Moscow Institute of International 
     Relations, 03.24.2011
                                  ____

       Accept my gratitude for a wonderful exhibition. 03.24.2011
                                  ____

       Thank you very much for the exhibition and a guided tour.
       V.A. Deyneka, Chief Curator of the Exhibition Hall of the 
     Moscow Archives, 03.24.2011
                                  ____

       I pass my gratitude to staff member Larisa (that is how she 
     introduced herself) who knew the material well and gracefully 
     presented it. Special thanks to the organizers for their 
     skillful arrangement of exhibits and documents, for the 
     elegant design, not to mention the precise choice of the 
     material for the exhibition.
       Sincerely, Alekhina, the Moscow State Archive
                                  ____

       The students of School No. 169 express gratitude for the 
     guided tour and the wonderful exhibition!
                                  ____

       The staff of RGANMD thank the tour guide Anna Sidorova for 
     an informative and warm guided tour of this very interesting 
     exhibition. 03.25.2011
                                  ____

       I have already seen it three times. Well done! Great 
     pleasure. Thank you very much.
       03.25.2011, V.N. Akinin
                                  ____

       A wonderful and noble idea, a timely exhibition. Maybe it 
     will plant seeds of reason in our souls. Thank you.
       Pokrovskaya
                                  ____

       I attended the ceremonial opening of this remarkable 
     exhibition in February, but resolved to return to visit it 
     again to be able to spend as much time as possible examining 
     the priceless exhibits and documents that have been collected 
     here in one place. My sincere congratulations to the Russian 
     and American organizers and curators, whose cooperation in 
     this is a contemporary illustration of the spirit of common 
     cause that the relationship between Lincoln and Aleksander 
     exemplified. All of this is an inspiration to me in my daily 
     work to forge a more constructive and productive relationship 
     between our two great nations.
       John Beyrle, U.S. Ambassador to Russia
       12 March 2011

                          ____________________