Hello Sapporo! I am Maxim Sazonov and I will be working in the Sapporo International Communication Plaza as a coordinator for international relations from August 2011.

　　In 2009 I graduated the Siberian Institute of International Relations specializing in Japan Region Studies. In 2008, I visited Japan in a first time through the Japanese-Russian students exchange program. It was only two weeks, but it was a great experience. I worked under the "Siberia-Hokkaido" Cultural Center in 2009 as a teacher of Japanese language and culture. 2010 was 20th anniversary of Novosibirsk and Sapporo sister-city relation. That year I was working in "Siberia-Hokkaido" Cultural Center as a senior interpreter and visited Sapporo as a chief of the Novosibirsk youth delegation group. Sapporo's citizens welcomed us very kindly and I was quite impressed.

　　As a coordinator for international relations I want to do my best to make relationships between Sapporo and Novosibirsk, Japan and Russia stronger. I want to introduce Russian history, culture, and lifestyle to the Japanese people. I was born in Novosibirsk and I like it so much, so I will be very glad if Japanese people would like it to.
　　If you have any questions about Novosibirsk or Russia I will be happy to answer all of them for you!

Russian Blog "Привет из Саппоро!"