Russian sailors
take liberty on
Oahu’s shoresThe sailors will be guests at
events put on by local volunteers
At least 45 sailors from two Russian warships -- the first to visit Pearl Harbor since 1995 -- will get a little more from their brief weekend island visit than a typical sailor on liberty.
The Russians will be the guests of volunteers from the International Hospitality Center, which for the past 28 years has played host to foreign and exchange students and visiting foreign military members.
"This year alone, we have hosted 75 foreign high school students," said Barbara Bancel, the center's executive director.
In addition to playing host to 45 Russian sailors tomorrow, Bancel's organization also has 19 high school students from Russia and the independent states who live here and attend island schools for the current academic year.
The sailors are among the 300 from the Udaloy-class destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov and another 58 merchant mariners from the Dubina-class light oiler Pechenga who were to pull into Pearl Harbor this morning.
The last time the Russian Federation Navy dropped anchor at Pearl was in 1995 during a maritime disaster relief exercise. Today's visit completes a reciprocal four-day port call to Vladivostok that the San Diego-based guided missile destroyer USS Lassen and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry made in July. The U.S. sailors and Marines from the Third Expeditionary Force participated in a wreath-laying ceremony to pay tribute to Russian sailors who died in World War II, and toured a Russian naval ship.
More than two dozen host volunteers will first meet their Russian guests tomorrow morning at the center's headquarters at St. Andrews Priory, Bancel said. "Each host will make up their own itinerary."
Bancel said her organization is composed solely of 1,200 host family volunteers but is always seeking more volunteers. Events planned include sightseeing, hiking, shopping, backyard barbecues and beach picnics.
The Russians sailors are not the only ones Bancel's organization has hosted. Already this year, her group has shown the sights of Oahu to sailors from the French, Australian and Mexican navies.
And the last time the Russians sailed into Pearl Harbor, her group hosted a downtown reception that drew more than 300 people.
The two Russian ships leave on Tuesday.
