1999: A Space Odyssey

In conjunction with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the Alliance has recently celebrated Space Week in the Capital Region. In addition to numerous American space experts, two Russian cosmonauts from the Tula Region, Yevgeniy V. Khrunov and Aleksey S. Yeliseyev, were out special guests. Now retired from active duty, both Khrunov and Yeliseyev were true space pioneers. They worked on theoretical principles of space travel as well as participating in several "Soyuz" missions.

"The most precious gift which people receive from nature is life. A view of life forms differently for different people and creates for each a unique internal world, a unique psychology, his or her own vision of the world. Wise people accept this diversity with understanding, the silly ones believe that all people should be like them. The most valuable thing we have in life is time. Unfortunately we, as a rule, realize this too late and waste this time on unimportant things. The most interesting thing in life is gaining new knowledge. For this people are spending nights near telescopes, are passing winters in Antarctica, are flying into space ......"
Aleksey S. Yeliseyev

Additionally, there was a gala dinner and art show honoring the cosmonauts, held on Saturday, April 10 at the Albany International Airport.

"For the whole of my life I have dreamed of flying, and only during space flights did I feel I was my own master, that the space flight was the summit of my dream."
Yevgeniy V. Khrunov

One part of the visit and dinner was exhibitions and sales of "space art" created by the children of Tula art program of the Alliance. The Yasnaya Polyana Ensemble, a quartet from Tula, Russia, returned during April for its third tour of the Capital Region, offering free concerts at a number of schools and performance halls. Sample their wonderful music.