Rotary In Russia East Of The Ural Mountains
There was no Rotary in Russia in the days of the Czar..However the concept of Rotary is not at all foreign to Russian Culture writes PDG Steve Yoshida in his first report to then President Bill Huntley in July 1994.
He said;" The whole Communist philosophy was based on service to those in need!"
Even in the days of the Czars, the Russian merchants had a history of public service which they as the merchant class were expected to carry out for the poor. The Russians had a very good understanding of "service!"
It is interesting to compare what Steve had to say in 1994 with the progress that has taken place in Russian Rotary five years later.
Steve mentions then the Khabarovsk R C and the Irkutsk R C, both of which then no longer then required financial sponsorship. He also mentions the Magadan Club, Steve established the Yakutsk and Vladivostok provisional clubs and Steve had his eye on a 4 year old "friendship" club in Novosibirsk. That makes 6 clubs in July 1994.
There sure were problems originally. There was the language problem, which through appointing and training of Russian deputies was quickly made easier.
There was a problem in that Russian rubles could not be transferred into US dollars, which ingenious Clubs fixed by paying bills for tourists and thus getting the equivalent in US funds to remit their dues to Evanston
Already in 1994 Steve established that although the needs in Russia were huge, Russians were willing to give as well as take from Rotary A Magadan surgeon and a Magadan R C teacher member had signed up as Rotary volunteers.
Steve concluded his first message by saying;" I have now travelled to Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, Magadan, and Vladivostok … I also met "friendship" club members from Yakutsk, Novosibirsk, and Petrapavlovsk…." I now believe that there are no serious obstacles to establish Rotary in Russia …I am convinced Rotary will flourish in Russia "
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