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Citizen Delegation Visits Kotlas

On July 7, six brave sojourners sallied forth to Greater Waterville's Russian sister city. We have been sending such delegations to Kotlas every three years. The last group went in August 2005.

This time, Waterville Mayor Paul LePage, Mary and Earl Coombs of Winslow and their daughter Renee Coombs of Chicopee, Mass., John Engle of Waterville, and Gregor Smith of Belgrade made the journey. All have previously visited Kotlas.

While in Kotlas, the delegates viewed the exhibits at the city's museum, had a meeting with the mayor in his office, enjoyed a sumptuous sit-down meal at a local restaurant, toured the city's 600-bed hospital. They also made field trips to the nearby towns of Krasnoborsk, Solvychegodsk, and Velikiy Ustyug, visited churches, museums, other historic sites, and a country craft fair.

Most of the travelers were in Russia for two weeks altogether; Paul LePage could only come for the first week. After leaving Kotlas, the Coombs family spent a few days in St. Petersburg, while John Engle and Greg Smith spent 4½ days on the Solovetsky Islands, a scenic and historic archipelago in the White Sea, a mere 100 miles south of the Arctic Circle. These last five voyagers returned to the United States on July 22.

Check back later this fall for pictures and written reminiscences from the trip takers