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The event in question was initiated and organized by the UK Twin Towns & Sister Cities Foundation; Coventry & Volgograd Bond of Friendship Committee; Coventry Association for International Friendship (CAIF); and Positive Images Festival. Let us be reminded that it was the friendship link between Stalingrad and Coventry that became the start of the international twinning movement, - and it was to the International Cities Day designated by the UN that the Summit was timed to coincide.

In "live" attendance were the friends and colleagues of the Volgograd regional branch of the Russian Peace Foundation led by its Chair Yury Starovatykh. On behalf of the Honorary citizens of Volgograd, it was joined by Ms. Helvi Lattu, on behalf of the "Volgograd – Ostrava" Friendship Society – its President Lidia Kotova. A pleasant surprise was the arrival of the British producer, philanthropist and businessman Graham Kentsley who had previously organized in his native St. Albans the exhibition "Stalingrad in the history of Great Britain", as well as of the scholars behind the exhibition – the Head of the "Stalingrad Battle" Foundation Mr. Alexander Bunin and the institution's representative in Great Britain Ms. Yana Fedorova.

Among those who joined the Summit from their office, were the Volgograd State University's Vice-Chancellor for International Relations Ms. Natalia Alshuk and the Director of the Regional Economics and Social Engineering Institute Ms. Marina Voronova. Right now, they are working at a trilateral project (between Volgograd, Turin and Coventry) – and we are keeping our fingers crossed for its success in competing for a Presidential Grant. Technical and linguistic support was provided by the International and regional relations directorate of Volgograd Mayor's Office.

Virtual invitations to the Summit had been dispatched to all 27 Coventry's twin-cities. AS a result, greetings (live or pre-recorded) were extended to the event's participants by Dresden (Germany), Belgrade (Serbia), Ostrava (Czech Republic), Jinan (China), Windsor (Canada), the city's namesakes from the USA: Coventry (Connecticut) and Coventry (Road Island)… And, of course, the two co-founders of the twinning movement. Volgograd's music groups and the city's Mayor Vitaly Likhachev had prepared creative video addresses, and the Lord Mayor of Coventry Ann Lucas joined the Summit personally.

Yet, what was a greater joy for the event's organizers than all the warm words and best wishes, was the active involvement of youth in the event. The young Summit participants are currently engaged in creating a digital version of the famous table cloth on which, during WWII, the Coventry women raising money for the restoration of Stalingrad would be sewing their names.

Let us be reminded that the beginning of friendship between the two cities, made "official" in 1944, can be traced back to the 6^th of October 1941, when the "Coventry Telegraph" newspaper published an article on the message of friendship and support sent by the residents of the British town to a far-off Stalingrad.

The Summit concluded with the announcement of the Twin2Win Award being established – to be handed out to the organizations and singular persons for their outstanding work on the promotion of international friendship. The awards ceremony has been planned for October 2021.

The 80^th anniversary celebrations of the first contacts between Coventry and Volgograd are only beginning.