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| Today, with the opening of the new SOS-Vologda, there are six SOS Children's Villages in Russia. |
November 9, 2011: On October 27, the first eight children arrived at the new SOS Children's Village in Russia. Located in the pretty historical town of Vologda, 300 miles north of Moscow, the newly opened SOS Children’s Village is the sixth in Russia.
The children, most of them siblings from different parts of the Vologda region, were given a grand welcome and birthday presents to mark the first birthday, and official opening, of SOS-Vologda.
Vologda refers to a region in northwest Russia as well as to the region’s central town on the Vologda River. The area serves as a transportation hub between Russia’s European and eastern regions. The town of Vologda is known for its beautifully preserved cathedrals and monasteries.
On site to greet the children and their SOS mothers and present them with gifts were Viacheslav Pozgalev, governor of the Vologda region, and Evgeny Shulepov, mayor of Vologda.
Mr. Pozgalev visited one of the family homes, where SOS mother Olga had prepared a birthday cake. More than fifty official guests and journalists attended the celebration.
SOS-Vologda was built with the financial support of Children's Foundation Victoria, a local SOS partner. Six family homes have been completed and six more are underway. In the near future the new SOS Children’s Village will provide loving homes for sixty children.
SOS in Russia Since 1996
Tomilino, a district in the Russian capital of Moscow, is the site of SOS’s first Children’s Village, opened in 1996. Other locations include Orjol, Pushkin (near St. Petersburg), Kandalaksha, and Pskov.
Besides its SOS Children’s Villages, counseling centers, and youth facilities, in Russia SOS also offers financial support to foster families to ensure that children in need find temporary foster placement. In addition, SOS offers skill enhancement to teachers and educators in order to help improve the quality of public schools.
You can help children find security and a loving home in Russia and around the world. Learn more about sponsoring a child or SOS Village with SOS Children's Villages.