About the city and the twinning
About Vladimir
Vladimir is a historic city in western Russia and the administrative centre of Vladimir Oblast. It rose to prominence in the 12th century as a centre of the medieval principality of Vladimir-Suzdal. Its historic centre preserves some of the finest examples of the principality’s white-stone architecture, including the Cathedral of the Assumption, the Cathedral of St Demetrius and the Golden Gate. These landmarks form part of the White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992.
Twinning with Bethlehem
In February 2013 Vera Baboun, Mayor of Bethlehem, and Sergey Sakharov, Mayor of Vladimir, signed a twinning protocol between the two cities on the occasion of an official delegation visit from Vladimir. The aim was to strengthen the relationship between the inhabitants of the two cities, convinced of the need to develop cooperation in economic, social, cultural and educational fields. This agreement followed an initial approach of intent in 2011 in which a photo of Bethlehem’s Christmas tree and of the coat of arms was requested for publication in a calendar.
A visit was also made in January 2013 by His Excellency Mr Alexander Rudakov, Head of the Representative Office of the Russian Federation to the PNA in Ramallah in order to investigate the possibility for a joint project for the rehabilitation and development of the historic town of Bethlehem. The Mayor of Bethlehem, Dr Vera Baboun, accepted an invitation to visit Vladimir in August 2013 and while there was able to sign an agreement for the education of two students. Vera Baboun was invited to Vladimir on the occasion of its annual City Day 2014 and the best chief cooks of the city were invited to join in a workshop and presentation of national dishes. Mr Sergey Sakharov, Mayor of Vladimir, was invited to visit Bethlehem in January 2015 to join in the Orthodox Christmas celebrations. A letter was sent to the Mayor of Vladimir in November to express condolences from Bethlehem on the occasion of the Russian plane crash in the Sinai desert.