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First of all, this is an instrument of the so-called "soft power": they generate curiosity towards our COUNTRY, encourage people to study its history and culture, warm people's hearts towards it.

For example, in 2011, Coventry decided to create a group of "Godiva's sisters", which would include representatives of all the nations living in the city. Lady Godiva herself is a famous native of Coventry (that is, an Englishwoman) who lived in the 11th century. Today, she is a living symbol of the city, and a lady is appointed to represent her at public events. The other sisters, respectively, should stand for famous women and national heroines from the other countries: Hua Mulan from China, Queen Jadwiga from Poland, Lakshmi Bai from India.

To add a "Russian sister" to their list, in honor of Volgograd, the Godiva Foundation enthusiasts had to do some reading about Princess Olga, Princess Anastasia, and Gulya Koroleva!

Secondly, joint initiatives with sister-cities help to promote our CITY, since the people who take part in its projects need to learn something more about it, and after the projects end – feel more inclined to see it with their own eyes. That is, such projects are good for attracting tourists.

For example, part of the International Youth Conference organized by Volgograd online in 2021 (during the pandemic) was a trivia quest about our hero-city. To complete it, participants had to search for the answers to the questions about the history of Tsaritsyn-Stalingrad-Volgograd, its iconic streets, monuments, and buildings.

Do you know, for example, which of the heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad was once played by Jude Law? Or where in Volgograd did the participants of the TV show "Battle of Psychics" go to do some ghost hunting?

Well, teenagers from China, Japan, Thailand, France and Germany had to find it out. Which means that they also learned about the life and heroic deeds of Vasily Zaitsev, and about the history of Old Sarepta.

Thirdly, cultural initiatives with sister-cities simplify youth, cultural and sports exchanges, result in interesting mass events for the RESIDENTS of Volgograd. And due to this, sometimes they bring to our city something new and interesting.

For example, now our Central Park of Culture and Leisure has a sculpture of a panda, gifted to Volgograd by the sister-city of Chengdu, and in Volgograd Regional Children's Art Gallery there is an exhibition of paintings dedicated to the life and work of artists from all over the world. Among its participants, there are young residents of Volgograd's sister-cities. Their works open to us the world of art that is very different from the Russian school of painting.

A drawing called "The Rhythm of Shrimp by Qi Baishi"? Qi Baishi is probably an artist's name? But what do shrimps have to do with it? Is it some kind of a translation error?..

...if you, too, have felt a momentary urge to google the name of the painting, it is a proof that soft power works both ways :)