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Rotary in Russia
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Speaker Vladimir Donskoi (L) with BBRC member Mike Hyodo.
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A Rotarian who timed his visit to the U.S. to include the recently-concluded Landmine Action Conference sponsored by District 5030 had a lot to say about his native Russia at Friday’s BBRC meeting. District 5010 Governor Nominee Vladimir Donskoi, University Professor in Irkutsk who teaches business communication, business ethics, and intercultural communication, is instrumental in establishing most of the Russian clubs in District 5010, including his own club, Irkutsh-Baikal. He has written a book that has become the training manual for newly founded Russian Rotary clubs, “Fundamentals of Rotary in Russia.”
Mr. Donskoi is a Paul Harris Fellow and received RI’s Service Above Self Award for his work pioneering Rotary in Russia.
He warmly engaged his audience by noting he was the first District Governor “in 100 years in Russia!” He told his audience it was a “great pleasure to be here. Rotary is just 12 years old in Russia. Our people have no idea what Rotary is about. There are mixed feelings, such as the rumor that Rotary is linked to the Masons. But now, we have 71 clubs in District 5010, which includes Alaska and the Yukon Territory. And, you know, Alaska used to be ours!”
Vladimir said that no one could imagine there’d be 36 clubs functioning in Russia east of the Ural Mountains, added to the 35 in Alaska and two in the Yukon Territory. In addition there are 22 Rotaract clubs in Russia, which is a pleasant surprise to everyone. “We are very united, despite the massive expanse of country we cover. Our district covers eleven time zones, and the District Governor can travel six months every year before he gets back home.”
Vladimir said he’s “happy to be in the same family. In a way, there was Rotary in Russia before 1905 … the country’s merchants have always helped the people of the country. What we’re doing now is reviving volunteerism, which had become unknown during much of the 20th century.”
In 1998 the Ruble collapsed. It has been a challenging time for everyone in Russia. “It’s difficult to love other people on an empty stomach.”
Getting back to Rotaract, Vladimir said the 22 Rotaract clubs – all in Russia – have been very successful, and some are doing better than their sponsors. He said that the younger generation is much more open to what Rotary stands for.
Donskoi said of Rotary in Russia, “We are now taken seriously. Eastern Russia is huge. But, we are growing new clubs. We are close to China, Mongolia, and Viet Nam. Because of our location, we will be able to reach out and bring Rotary to these countries. We recognize that bureaucratic hurdles prevent many things from happening. To the west of us, the mayors of Moscow and St. Petersburg are Rotarians.
“We depend on ourselves to get through our challenges. Education very important in Russia. I have translated Rotary’s Manual of Procedure into Russian and it is being used in all our clubs. We now use our website to communicate. We will invest in our website to help span the distances between clubs and to share projects. Our club has sponsored students to other countries. Most Rotary projects revolve around orphanages.
“Our plans? We have a great responsibility. We, in leadership in District 5010, need to learn more about how to provide leadership to our clubs. Therefore, we are going to Eugene, Oregon, for training for a couple of weeks. We are trying to become self-sufficient … to pay our dues … to prove ourselves in Russia as well as the rest of Rotary. We need know-how and to make our people understand what the 4-Way Test is all about. We need to learn to be community minded, so, when you have the opportunity, please share your wisdom with our people.”
With a twinkle in his eye, Donskoi closed his remarks by saying, “When you want to learn about ballet, go to Moscow. When you want to learn about Rotary, go to the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club!”
Thanks to Jeff Cashman for introducing Mr. Donskoi.
For his presentation, Vladimir received a certificate of donation of 240 doses of polio vaccine to be administered somewhere in the world. He also received a banner from the BBRC.
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