Zelenograd, which means "green city" in Russian, is one of the autonomous districts of Moscow with a population of approximately 180,000 people, 40% of whom have advanced graduate degrees. Zelenograd is known for its educational institutions, research labs, and high-tech businesses. Blending technological advancement and environmental concerns, Zelenograd has created a green belt to preserve its natural surroundings. It is known across Russia as a prestigious, clean-air residential community with great infrastructure as well as a research-and-business hive strategically located minutes away from Moscow. Visit their site at www.zelaoeng.ru/en/

The Tulsa & Zelenograd Sister City Partnership

The Tulsa-Zelenograd Association (TZA) celebrates the Sister City relationship between Tulsa and Zelenograd, and has had several events to promote Russian culture, including:

• A Russian lecture and film, Meeting Gorbachev, hosted at Circle Cinema.

• With the support of TZA, two community volunteers (one of them traveled to Zelenograd through TZA as a high school student) began a monthly conversation club.

• A group of six journalists from Zelenograd visited Tulsa June 2019 through the U.S. Library of Congress Open World Program.

Friendship transcends war: Five friends (two from Russia, one from Armenia, one from Kyrgyzstan and one from Ukraine) all living in Tulsa have been friends for many years and stand together united at World In A Box Day in August.

During World In A Box Day, proceeds from the sale of souvenirs at the Zelenograd, Russia booth were donated to "Save the Children: Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund".

Runners from Tulsa’s Russian Sister City Run Route 66 Marathon Race“Remotely”

A group of five running enthusiasts from Tulsa’s sister city of Zelenograd, Russia, who traveled here in 2019 and competed in the Williams Route 66 Marathon races ran in their hometown on Sunday, Nov. 21, simultaneously with the event’s culmination in Tulsa. Dmitry (39) and Elena (41) Antonov, Alexey Chernyaev (34), Elizaveta Efimova (27) and Andrey Vasilyev (30) collectively ran the half-marathon distance, each covering an equal segment of 4.22 km (2.6 miles), starting at 8 a.m. Tulsa time, or 5 p.m. Zelenograd time–together with thousands of aspiring half-marathon and marathon finishers in Tulsa. The distance was “dictated” by rough weather conditions forecasted in their area: a near 100% chance of ongoingrain and snow mix, and temperatures hovering around freezing. Back in 2019, experienced runner Dmitry Antonov ran thehalf-marathon and finished in the top 8 and 1st in the 35-39 yo group. His spouse Elena also scaled the half-marathon, while Chernyaev, Efimova and Vasilyev ran the 5K.The runners’ 2019 visit to Tulsa, which included home stays with local families, a meeting with City Councilor Jeannie Cue, and a variety of cultural experiences, was organized by Tulsa Global Alliance.TGA has previously facilitated visits by runners from other sister cities, including San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and Tiberias, Israel, as well as trips by Tulsa-based runners to those destinations.