September, 26
Today we helped Rotary Club Baikal-Eco with repairing works in their new office. We hope that there will be a place for our meetings as well!

September, 25
Today we went to the orphanage #3 and spent about 1 hour with the children of 3-4 years old. The weather was really fine and we walked outdoors, played in a sand-box, rocked on the swings and had fun. While talking to the staff of the orphanage we found out that the children have enough clothes and toys, they are fed with good meals including fruits and sweets (we also came with sweets). The thing they are deprived of is alive communication, attention and cares. We'll try to help orphanage staff in this not easy matter.

September, 2005
In the beginning of September Katerina Frolova went to Ulan-Ude (8 hours by train to the East from Irkutsk) where she met with active young people who would like to organize a Rotaract Club in their city. Katerina brought a CD with about 20 Power Point presentations of Rotaract Club from District 5010 and other information about Rotaract. These presentations are from District Rotaract Conference 2004. We hope that in the nearest future there will be a new and strong Rotaract Club in Ulan-Ude.

July, 23-24
Those members of our club who could not go to District Rotaract Conference in Kemerovo went to participate in one of our main project - building Great Baikal Trail. The goal of this project is to build a trail around unique Lake Baikal. Total length of the trail will be more than 2000 km. Our Rotaract Club jointly with Rotary Club adopted a part of the train of 100 km (in honor of Rotary International centenary). So, this is the second year when rotaractors and Rotarians from Irkutsk as well as volunteers from all over the World come to Lake Baikal to build the trail that will allowed people to go safely along the Baikal shore.

July, 1
We celebrated New Rotarian Year! It became a tradition to celebrate New Rotarian Year on the open air :-)

May 15
This Sunday we celebrated the affiliation of 4 new members. But to become a member of our club is not easy. First, they realized a project (previous news). And only after several funny contests that they have got member cards and Rotaract pins.

May 9
Victory Day is a great day for all of us. Our club has also honored veterans and people who served on the home front. We invited a professional photographer to one of retirement homes of Irkutsk. He made pictures of 70 people. One of Irkutsk companies "Irkutsk Photo" agreed to print required number of pictures for free. Our club has bought photo frames and decorated a stand. In addition, each veteran has got a personal photo.

April 16-20
These days Olesya Dolgikh - Rotaractor from Kemerovo - visited our city. For the five days we acquainted her with the city, discussed Rotaract issues and next Rotaract Forum that will take plance in Kemerovo this year.

April 6
This Wednesday instead of our usual meeting we organized a presentation of our club in a dormitory of Siberian-American School of management. Unlikely the way we usually make our presentations this one was informal. We've just sit in one of the rooms and talked with one another. There were about 15 students which asked questions about Rotary and Rotaract for more than 2 hours. It was the most successful presentation - after it we've got 4 new members!

March, 12
This weekend we celebrated several holidays at a time: Rotary Centennial (February 23), Women's Day (March 8), Rotaract Day (March 13), and Defender's Day (February 23). We went to dacha on a bank of Angara river. The celebration was great! with games, contests and banya!

December, 31-January, 1
New Year!!! In Russia New Year is a more important holiday than Christmas. This New Year was very great for us - we invited rotaractors from Kemerovo and Krasnoyarsk Clubs to come to lake Baikal for mountain skiing and snowboarding! A lot of extreme and fun an the biggest lake in the world!!!

December, 27
It is already a tradition of our Rotaract club to arrange New Year holidays for the children from poor families. The parents (often there is only one parent) in such families can not afford a holiday for their kids. We look for the sponsors and ask them to help. So, we find money to buy sweets and toys; prepare games and riddles. Children also get ready for Santa Claus' coming. They learn New Year poems and songs to tell Santa and get sweet present.

December, 12
Rotaract Club of Krasnoyarsk was chartered today! Two our representatives Katerina Frolova and Anna Gordeeva went 1500 km by train to congratulate our friends!!!

November, 2
We are 6 years old already!!! This birthday we celebrated like a family with our parents - Rotarians and a lot of presents:-)

October, 30
The representative of our club Anna Gordeeva has visited Rotaract Club of Novosibirsk in the occasion of their tenth anniversary!!! It was a great event - a lot of fun and meetings with old friends :-)

September, 12
Another part of clothes was handed to the villagers who live in Granovstchina village near Irkutsk city. In the nearest future we plan to present a computer to the only school of this village.

August 26 - September 2, 2004
It's marvelous to meet friends. It great to meet them in one of the most picturesque places of the world - Altai Mountains. It's splendidly if it's the seventh Rotaract Forum. Many thanks to everyone who organized that meeting and the conference. Thank you for sitting around the fire in the night, rafting, and many, many other things. See you next summer in Kemerovo - on the eighth Rotaract Forum.

August 25, 2004
Our club was included in the list of regional youth organizations that is supported by local government. We have already got some support in the form of tourist equipment (tents and sleeping-bags) to organize summer trips, for example, to Big Baikal trail.

July 31 - August 5, 2004
Yes! The second International Week on Baikal is over!! This means we made one more step on the way of international service. This time our guests were from Germany and Switzerland. We hope that those days spent on the lake and in Irkutsk will always be remembered by our new friends.

July 17-18, 2004
A group of hard-working Rotaractors and their friends helped to build Big Baikal Trail (BBT) these days. The idea is to build a tourist trail around the lake. Such trails are very popular in the world - they make trips safe and comfortable. We contributed to the construction of the trail not far from village Listvjanka. BBT project is realized due to the cooperation of local and American Rotary clubs, Association of Big Baikal Trail and hard work of volunteers from all around the world.

July 1, 2004
So, New Year has begun! New ideas, plans, and projects are coming!!

June, 26
This warm Saturday the members of Rotary Club of Irkutsk-Baikal celebrated New Rotarian Year and the president 2003-2004 delegated responsibility to the new president 2004-2005. We were invited as guests to this ceremonial event. The celebration took place in the Art Museum where we had an excursion before the ceremonial part.

June, 23
During our last meeting we affiliated a new member with our club!!! Natasha Bautina, we are happy that now you are an official member of our club!

May, 19
Today we invited participants of GSE (Group Study Exchange) to our club meeting. Five citizens of Canada told us about their system of education, medicine and social services etc. They arrived in Irkutsk 10 days ago and had an opportunity to explore our city and visit a lot of places of their interest. Among our guests there were teacher, journalist, operating nurse, pharmacist and social worker, so they visited Irkutsk schools, hospitals, publishing centre etc. During these 10 days our guests became tired and we decided to show them another side of the life in Irkutsk. We take them to the night club. Well, in spite of their weariness we had great time there!!! Next day our Canadian friends were to go further along their route to Ulan Ude, Chita and Novosibirsk.

May, 11
Today we organized one more action Day against smoking in Irkutsk school #19. Last time we organized this action in the form of lectures but this time we decided to be closer to the pupils. Now we can say that such a form of action is more successful! We put a table with lungs of a smoker and lungs of a non-smoking person in the hall of the school and during the breaks told to the pupils about damages that are caused by smoking. This is one of the results of this action which perfectly demonstrates its efficiency: a girl having heard us, looked at the lungs of a smoker run to call her mother who smoked to invite her to the school to have a look at the results of smoking!

April, 28
This Wednesday evening we decided to clean one of the Irkutsk parks instead of holding out Rotaract meeting. By the way it was a kind of meeting in the open air and with the help to the society.

April, 28
Celebration Week of Sister Cities took place in Irkutsk. In the framework of this Celebration Week Eugene City (USA) made a presentation, met with Irkutsk leaders and planned possible projects. Our Rotaract Club of Irkutsk-Baikal also made a presentation. We presented our projects and told about Rotaract movement in Irkutsk. Besides, Rotary Club of Eugene helped in organizing the very first Rotary Club in Irkutsk that is why it was a special honor for us to meet with Eugene representatives!

April, 24
Rotary Club of Irkutsk-Baikal organized one more Health Fair and we as usually helped them in this important event! This time Health Fair took place in Granovtchina village, not far from Irkutsk. About 130 persons were registered there. Well, it was a kind of experience for us, as this village is in a very bad condition: almost all the pupils smoke, are ill with psora etc. Parents of these pupils are mostly alcoholics and unemployed. However there is a Cultural House which exists thanks to the director. This Cultural House is a retreat for the children and place for their hobbies. Surely there are a lot of problems and this Cultural House really needs help (like sport equipment for the children, articles for painting, just anything what can be interesting for the children as nobody shows any attention to them and they are so lonely). We will do our best to help!

April, 17
Rotary Club of Irkutsk-Baikal and Rotaract Club of Irkutsk-Baikal in cooperation with Rotary Club of Homer, Alaska plan to take part in creation of a part of Great Baikal Trail. The extension of this part will be 17 km while the whole Great Baikal Trail will be more then 2000 km. The part which will be under Rotary patronage is located not far from Irkutsk city and is very famous among Russian and foreign tourists. The purpose of Great Baikal Trail is to make the world-renowned Lake Baikal accessible for different tourists including invalids. On the 17th of April members of Rotary Club of Irkutsk-Baikal, Dave from Rotary Club of Homer, Alaska, Anna Gordeeva from Rotaract Club of Irkutsk-Baikal and representatives of Association of Great Baikal Trail went for prospecting to Lake Baikal. By the end of the day the team had a plan of activities for summer 2004 and responsible persons for this project. The next outdoor meeting at Lake Baikal was designed on the beginning of June.

April, 2-4
A very important event took place on these dates in the North capital of Russia - city of St. Petersburg. It was Rotary in Russia conference which gathered more then 70 rotaractors from Russia and the Ukraine. Among them there were 4 members from our club at the conference. Rotaractors had their own program separately from the Rotarian one. Two honored speakers addressed a speech to us: RI President-Elect 2004-2005 Glenn Estass and RI General Secretary Ed Futa. Rotaract Clubs made the presentation of their activity then broke up at 4 panel discussions: 1) developing Russian Rotaract web site www.rotaract.ru, 2) VI Forum of Rotarian Youth, 2004 in Barnaul, 3) plan of the activities, 2004-2005 of D5010 Rotaract Committee, 4) interaction between Rotaract Clubs from different Districts. The conference had a success !

February, 4
In the framework of the events organized by Irkutsk Rotarian Wealth Center and with the assistance of Rotaract Club of Irkutsk-Baikal antismoking action take place in Irkutsk school #44. 1200 pupils from 5th up to 11th classes participated in the talk with post-graduate student of Medical University Andrey Shapkov and doctor-surgeon Vladimir Sobotovich who is an active member of Rotary Club of Irkutsk-Baikal. The highlights of the action were two lungs - one of a healthy man and the second one of a smoking man. These lungs visually demonstrated smoking damages and exerted influence upon the pupils.

December, 26
Our Club together with our elder fellow Rotarians carried out one more fashionable New Year party for 160 orphanage children. The party took place at the puppet theatre, so, the orphans had an opportunity to see New Year performance.

December, 25
At the instance of Irina Philippova, the secretary of Rotary Club of Irkutsk-Baikal, we organized a New Year party for the pupils of the 2 class of one Irkutsk school. A student of Irkutsk State Technical University who is not a member of Rotaract Club but our big friend played a role of Santa Claus. This is a good example of participation in Rotaract activity of non Rotaract Club members!!!

December, 20
This winter day Santa Claus knocked at 25 doors where children are not provided for. A lot of such children have parents-alcoholics who do not take care of their children. Rotaractors played the role of Santa Claus, and to tell the truth there were 5 Santa Clauses :-) More...

December, 4
During the second visit of District 5010 Governor Al Fedoriak in Irkutsk our Club organized a presentation of Rotaract movement and of our Rotaract Club Irkutsk-Baikal in Irkutsk State University Siberian-American Faculty, where the Governor gave a speech. The goal of the presentation was to acquaint the students with Rotaract movement and to interest presumptive members in our Club's activity.

15 November
This Saturday the Health Fair took place in Angarsk city (50 km from Irkutsk). The action was organized in grammar school #1 by Rotary Club of Irkutsk-Baikal and Rotary Club of Irkutsk. Our Rotaract Club helped in organization and carrying out the Health Fair. More...

1-2 November
This weekend our club celebrated its birthday - we are 5 years old now! On the 1st of November the official part of the celebration took place. The members of two Rotary Clubs, the members of Interact Club, exchange students, representatives of local mass media, our sponsors came to congratulate us. And the most pleasant present was from those whom we helped all these years - children from the orphanage #2 and special correctional school #3. The children presented us two wonderful dances and a beautiful poem! Our club presented a report on the 5-years activities and our coming projects, and not to make the celebration look like boring reports we added some very non-official games and jokes! After the official part the members of our club went to a country house of our secretary - Victor Antonov, where we had a party.

October 29
Tonight there was a very beautiful event "Fall Party" in one of the best nightclubs of Irkutsk. Our club was a coorganizer and a participant. More...

13-14 October
These days District 5010 governor Al Fedoriak visited our city and our clubs. He could not stop admiring Rotaract movement in Russia. Al called up all rotaractors for taking a very active part in Rotarian Conference, which will be in St. Petersburg on 2-4 of April.

October 13
We have some new photos in our photoalbum. The Fifth Forum of Rotarian Youth, District 5010, Nakhodka, 2003

October 11
Today we visited the first and that is why historical meeting of Interact Club in our city!!! We wish the new-born interactors prosperity, interesting ideas and successful projects. We surely will help them.

September 26
District 5010 Governor 1994-1995 Steve Yoshida came to Irkutsk. And today he had a meeting with two Irkutsk Rotary clubs, Rotaract club and the representatives of non-profit organization "Great Baikal Trail". The questions about Rotary participating in the project "Great Baikal Trail" were discussed.

September 21
As children from orphanage #2 will celebrate the Harvest Holiday soon we brought a lot of vegetables for them. So, the children have enough natural material for their hand-made articles.

September 18
Our club continues its tradition to make presents for the children from the orphanages at the beginning of a new studying year. Today we visited the special correctional school #3 and presented irons, fabric for labour classes and sweets for the children. The children were happy to see us and treated us hot coffee.

September 17
Today we had a very tasty meeting! And it was thanks to our friend Vladimir Glouhov (Rotarian from Yuzhno-Sahalinsk) who had sent us a present - 1 litter of caviar! Thank you so much, Vladimir for those unforgettable minutes!

15-19 August
The Fifth Forum of Rotarian Youth, District 5010 took place in Nakhodka (Russian Far East, not far from Vladivostok). About 50 rotaractors came to the most important event of our District. During 5 days we had a lot of trainings and workshops. And surely a lot of fun and parties! Next the Sixth Forum will be in Barnaul in August 2004. Photos are available here.

August 7-12
This should be an international month of our club. Just after (in one hour) the last participant of International Week flew back home we got the message from Krzysztof Iwanowski. More...

August 7
Having seen our guests of International Week off we started a new project - repairs of the Center of English language for the children. The whole day we were paining, changing the wall-papers etc. And at the end of the day the Center became more beautiful, clean and light. On the 1st of September children will come into the repair room.

August 1-6
What is the best way to know the country and the people for the short time? To go on a business trip? To make a tourist tour? Tastes differ:but, in any case, what is needed is willingness and enthusiasm of the two sides: the hosts, willing to meet the guests, to organize the program, to show, to tell, and to care, and the guests, willing to travel, to keep interest, to ask, and to share. More...

July 1
Today our club celebrated Rotarian New Year. This is one of the advantages of Rotary - the possibility to celebrate New Year twice :-). This year we decided to go to the share of Lake Baikal and have a holiday on the open air. We discussed the results of our activity of the last year and two coming events - International Cultural Week on Lake Baikal and The V Forum of Rotarian Youth in Nakhodka. We are preparing heartily for these two events.