Friendship transcends war: Five friends (two from Russia, one from Armenia, one from Kyrgyzstan and one from Ukraine) all living in Tulsa have been friends for many years and stand together united at World In A Box Day in August.
During World In A Box Day, proceeds from the sale of souvenirs at the Zelenograd, Russia booth were donated to "Save the Children: Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund".
A group of five running enthusiasts from Tulsa’s sister city of Zelenograd, Russia, who traveled here in 2019 and competed in the Williams Route 66 Marathon races ran in their hometown on Sunday, Nov. 21, simultaneously with the event’s culmination in Tulsa. Dmitry (39) and Elena (41) Antonov, Alexey Chernyaev (34), Elizaveta Efimova (27) and Andrey Vasilyev (30) collectively ran the half-marathon distance, each covering an equal segment of 4.22 km (2.6 miles), starting at 8 a.m. Tulsa time, or 5 p.m. Zelenograd time–together with thousands of aspiring half-marathon and marathon finishers in Tulsa. The distance was “dictated” by rough weather conditions forecasted in their area: a near 100% chance of ongoingrain and snow mix, and temperatures hovering around freezing. Back in 2019, experienced runner Dmitry Antonov ran thehalf-marathon and finished in the top 8 and 1st in the 35-39 yo group. His spouse Elena also scaled the half-marathon, while Chernyaev, Efimova and Vasilyev ran the 5K.The runners’ 2019 visit to Tulsa, which included home stays with local families, a meeting with City Councilor Jeannie Cue, and a variety of cultural experiences, was organized by Tulsa Global Alliance.TGA has previously facilitated visits by runners from other sister cities, including San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and Tiberias, Israel, as well as trips by Tulsa-based runners to those destinations.
