‘Sad day’ as Russian ties severed after decade-long link
Stirling’s former Provost says local ties are being severed with Russia more than decade after he set up a friendship link.
Fergus Wood told the Observer this week that long traditions of having official Russian speakers, including the Russian Consul General, at the annual Burns Supper organised by Trossachs and Teith SNP, have come to an end.
Instead Dr Yuriy Zaderaka, a Ukrainian scientist now living in Scotland, will propose the Toast to Scotland at an event scheduled for Friday, March 25.
And it is hoped the Ukrainian Consul General for Scotland will also be in attendance.
Former provost Mr Wood, a
Kinlochard farmer, said that, despite friendships made, the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin in invading Ukraine had left no choice.
Now the focus will be on raising funds to help Ukrainians, with around two million having poured into neighbouring countries so far looking for refuge.
Mr Wood, a Trossachs and Teith SNP committee member, said: “Given the long tradition of Burns and St Andrew which we share with Russia, this is a sad day.
“But our sadness is for the people of Ukraine and the ordeal they are going through. We intend to raise financial support for the embattled nation at the event.”
As provost of Stirling, Mr Wood arranged a twinning between Stirling and the Russian city of Vyborg.
In 2011 he was sent on a factfinding visit to Russia for the council leading a four-strong team to Vyborg, which is 100km from St Petersburg.
He was joined at the time by business representative John Stein, business and education representative Lesley Stein and the then Forth Valley College depute principal Ken Thomson, now principal of the college.
The trip was in response to a visit to Scotland by officials from the Russian town in May 2010. The Stirling team hoped to use their expertise in education, business and tourism to build stronger international links.
The feedback from the Vyborg trip at the time was said to be very positive, with group visiting the town’s castle and several factories and business sites as well as a library, folk museum, rural farm and the national park also proving to be of great interest. They also toured the local college and an English teacher training campus belonging to the University of Russia.
In 2011 Fergus said: “We must remember that we live in a global economy and must look at every opportunity to promote Stirling and its assets worldwide.”