SISTER-CITY

On May 3, 2023 the mayor of State College, Ezra Nanes, and the mayor of Nizhyn, Oleksandr Kodola, signed the Sister-City Memorandum of Understanding

The Memorandum of Understanding in Ukrainian to be signed by Mayor Kodola. The commemorative pen was presented to Mayor Kodola after the official signing of the Memorandum. The identical pen was used by Mayor Nanes.
Signed Sister-City Memorandum of Understanding
After the official signing ceremony (from left to right): Svitlana Budzhak-Jones, President, Sister’s Sister; Ezra Nanes, Mayor, State College Borough; Gabriel Abraham, Head, USAID Governance and Local Accountability (HOVERLA) Activity in Ukraine; Oleksandr Kodola, Mayor, Nizhyn, Ukraine; Jesse Barlow, President, State College Borough Council.
Memorable souvenirs of this historic event from the mayor of State College, Ezra Nanes, on the desk of the mayor of Nizhyn, Oleksandr Kodola.

Ukrainian Multimedia Platform for Broadcasting, Ukrinform reported on May 8, 2023 about the Ukrainian city of Nizhyn becoming a sister-city of an American city. More details can be found at the following link (in Ukrainian):

https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-regions/3706135-nizin-stav-pobratimom-amerikanskogo-mista.html

Ukrainian Mayor is signing the Memorandum
The Sister-City Memorandum is now signed
State College and Nizhyn are now Sister-Cities.
Oleksandr Kodola presents a little pillow with the war-related design from the Nizhyn soft-toys factory as a memento of this historic event to Ezra Nanes, Mayor of State College.
A beaded wall decoration depicting the Nizhyn hero Oleksandr Matsiyevskyi who was taken prisoner by the Russian army and executed in front of the camera for saying “GLORY TO UKRAINE!” – a gift from Nizhyn to State College.
President of the Highlands Civic Association Mark Huncik with Oleksandr Kodola, Nizhyn’s mayor.
Mayor Oleksandr Kodola of Nizhyn, Ukraine addresses the audience.
Standing ovation for the Ukrainian mayor
State College Borough Council President Jesse Barlow addresses the audience
PSU Ukrainian Society President Maria Smereka addressed the listeners in two languages (English and Ukrainian).
Meeting and greeting the public.
Oleksandr Kodola meets the President-elect of the PSU Ukrainian society Igor Latsanych at the Woskobs family nightcap.

Images are courtesy of Dr. Suzanna Windon, Mark Huncik, Oleksandr Kodola, and Dr. Svitlana Jones.

On May 4, 2023 the Ukrainian mayor Oleksandr Kodola had several meetings, toured the State College area and the PSU campus. The highlight of the day was the picnic at the newly renovated East Fairmount Park pavilion where Mayor Kodola socialized with the Highlands neighborhood residents, the people who started it all.

Mayor of Nizhyn meets the CURAD team and the Ukrainian scholars currently at the PSU: (left-to-right): Dr. Natalia Voloshchuk, Food Science; Dr. Lyudmyla Kuzmych, Natural Resources and Reclamation; Dr. Deanna Behring, Assistant Dean and Director of Ag Sciences Global, State College Borough Councilperson; Oleksandr Kodola, Mayor of Nizhyn, Ukraine; Dr. Suzanna Windon, Assistant Professor, Youth and Adult Leadership, Penn State Extension; Dr. Lidiia Iavorivska, Entomology Research Assistant, Ag Sciences Global; Voloshchuk, Food Science;
Mayor Kodola explores the PSU campus with Prof. Yuliya Ladygina, Russian and Global Studies, and Prof. Michael Naydan, Slavic Languages and Literatures.
From the Highlands neighborhood to the Ukrainian mayor with love.
Sampling Nizhyn pickles at the picnic
(Video by Mayor Kodola)