The Burlington Yaroslavl Sister Cities Program is a non-profit group promoting the exchange of people and ideas between Burlington, Vermont and Yaroslavl, Russia.
Burlington,Vermont established its sister city relationship with Yaroslavl,Russia, in 1988. Since then, exchanges between the two cities have involved mayors, business people, firefighters, jazz musicians, youth orchestras, mural painters, high school students, medical students, nurses, librarians and the Yaroslavl Torpedoes (currently Lokomotive) ice-hockey team. In 1993, Champlain and Trinity Colleges in Burlington sponsored six students from Yaroslavl; since then, dozens of Yaroslavl students have attended Champlain College. Yaroslavl State University and the University of Vermont have sponsored programs for graduate and undergraduate students going both ways. During 20 years of the program’s existence 20 students from YSU have earned MBA degrees at UVM. In 1997, Burlington Sister City Committee members donated children’s books by Vermont authors and illustrators toward the creation of an English-speaking room at the Yaroslavl Children’s Library.
Yearly exchanges now take place, each trip focusing on a different group and connecting them with like minded people.
The Burlington/ Yaroslavl Sister Cities Program, in cooperation with its Russian counterpart, the Russian – American Friendship Society, facilitates exchanges and understanding between the two cities.
The Burlington/Yaroslavl Sister Cities Program, Inc., is a nonprofit organization with 501(c)3 status founded in Burlington in 1988
