Days of Australia Festival Underway in St. Petersburg

An Australian delegation from Melbourne arrived in St. Petersburg on May 5 to participate in the city's first Days of Australia festival which will run until Friday. Deputy Mayor of Melbourne Susan Reilly spoke today at a roundtable event at St. Petersburg's House of Friendship and said, 'Melbourne is proud to be a sister city of St. Petersburg, and this year's jubilee celebrations have given our cities a chance to light the flame of partnership.'

This Wednesday, Melbourne City Council will formally present St. Petersburg with a jubilee gift of three park benches, and on Wednesday evening, a floral exhibition with native Australian flowers will open at the Variety Theater.

A highlight of the festival will be two concerts with the visiting Australian composer George Dreyfus. The first will be held on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the Sheremetev Palace on Fontanka.

Australia has seen five waves of Russian immigration since the nineteenth century, and Melbourne is home to the country's largest Russian community.

Bilateral trade between Russia and Australia is increasing and Australia is keen to promote its meat exports in Russia.