Journey Of Faith Overcoming Our Differences Letter To Spokane

Dear Spokane:

I am a refugee from the ex-USSR. I found that there is a certain reserve among different nationality groups and separation from Americans in Spokane. I write this letter to do something to decrease this mutual isolation.

In Spokane live about 5,000 Russians. Most of them belong to the Protestant denominations of Baptists and Pentecostals. They strictly follow the directions of the Bible, frequently attend church, sharply condemn smoking, drunkenness and abortions. Their women never appear trousered in churches and they always cover their heads with light scarves. Usually, a Russian family has many children and buys or rents a separate house.

At leisure time Russians like cooking, fishing, gardening and playing chess. They read the popular Russian-language newspapers such as Novoye Russkoye Slovo (New Russian Word, published since 1910), Panorama and Our Days, all published in America.

Russians are handy men. They repair their houses, cars and domestic appliances themselves. Many of them have good professions, skills and experiences. Many arrive in America with proposals concerning joint American-Russian businesses, not realized yet because of unsufficient knowledge of local conditions.

I like Spokane. I think the differences between new and old citizens aren’t vital. We have many common interests. We should fortify friendly mutual relationships in our city, in spite of spy games by the CIA and KGB. I call the readers to develop this topic.

Yuriy Perelkhov

MEMO: Yuriy Perelekhov, 54, a scientist and business owner in the Crimean region of Ukraine, moved to Spokane with his wife in 1993. Perelekhov works at Columbia Lighting in the Spokane Valley, assembling lamps and other parts. His wife Ludmilla, a newspaper proofreader in Ukraine, helped translate this letter.