Uzbekistan follows a now well-established custom since its independence in 1991. Every year on December 8, the Day of the Constitution, the guiding theme for the coming year is announced. For example, 2014 was the year of the “Healthy Child”, 2004 the “Year of Love and Compassion.”

The Uzbekistan government has declared 2015 to be “The Year of Attention and Care for Elder People.”

The Ellison Center is pleased to announce that graduate alumnus Taylor Zajicek was awarded the ASEEES Graduate Student Essay Prize for an outstanding essay by a graduate student in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies for his paper “Modern Friendship: The ‘New Turkey’ and Soviet Cultural Diplomacy, 1933-1934”.

On April 23, 2014 a Seattle based troupe of self-producing actors their director and a production manager flew to Tashkent, Uzbekistan to present their production of Chekhov’s The Seagull at the renowned Ilkhom Theatre of Mark Weil.

by Ilse D. Cirtautas The Seattle-Tashkent Sister City Association celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Throughout the years, the association has followed its mission “to foster international understanding and goodwill.” The association has promoted exchanges of teachers, school children and university students, artists, exhibits and health care providers. Currently, the Sister City Association is cooperating