A Comment from Dan Clark

I date my Russia experience from Nikita Khrushchev's visit to Iowa in 1959. Whatever I grasped of our Cold War world at age 8, I knew this was the "enemy" leader coming through our town, and I was keen to see him and understand what it all meant. I got a good look at him and his motorcade from my Dad's shoulders as we stood just a few feet away on the curb of the Lincoln Highway in West Boone. It's a memory still strong after 50 years. As an adult, I've been fortunate to welcome many visitors from the former Soviet Union in Iowa, to have had some as house guests, and to have helped many Iowans with their exchange efforts as well. I visited Estonia and Ukraine in 1984 and traveled in Russia eight times, 1984-1998, especially Stavropolski krai, Iowa's sister state. My wife visited Russia twice, and our daughter Becca lived more than a year in Kislovodsk. In the course of all these adventures, we have made many, many friends, some for life. For us, all this makes sense because we're Iowans, and this is what Iowans do.

A Comment from Alexander Rytov

My name is Alexander Rytov, I am a son of Marina Rytova who worked for many years for the corn project and was a very good friend of Roswell Grast and Nikita Khrushchev. Unfortunately, my Mum died in May this year. But during her life (she was 84) she told me a lot of very warm stories about her visits to Iowa, her life among American farmers and the corn project itself, which could help Russia and U.S. to build a strategic economic basis for friendship and cooperation in the future. Corn could become a material foundation for earlier economic reforms and political changes in Russia, earlier and wider than in China. Especially after denouncing by Khrushchev Stalin's repressions against its own people. Roswell Garst understood this perspective very well. My mam has many photos of her stay in the U.S. and Iowa. She knew by heart the hymn of the state: "We are from Iowa, where the tall corn grows..." I am the director of Stella Art Foundation, which is one of the leading Russian organization in promoting contemporary art in Russia. I travel often to the U.S. as I have a lot of relatives, friends and partners. Maybe once I could visit your Foundation and pass you absolutely unique photos from our collection about Roswell Garst Farm, Iowa farmers and etc., which could enrich this fantastic story to which my family has so close and touching relation.
My warm wishes,
Alexander Rytov