Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 02/00) - A Yellowknife architect recently returned from touring one of the most remote areas of Russia.

Julia Burrill went to the country on a Rotary Group Study Exchange to learn about the Russian take on her profession.

"When I first heard about it I had quite a lot of misgivings," she said. "I felt in terms of architecture there wouldn't be anything there but I am so glad I went."

Haberovsk, a city she spent 10 days in, has a population of about two million. A far cry from the communities of the North, but the area has just recently woken from the secrecy placed on it by Russia's former communist regime.

"It's a very beautiful late 18th century town," she explained from the office of Ferguson, Simek and Clark where she is employed.

"Under communism much of the detail in the buildings was destroyed and they are currently in the process of re-building them."

The month-long journey in June was largely a personal one for Burrill, in which she explored architectural interests, but she also experienced eastern Russian culture along with four other successful candidates from Alberta -- a recreational therapist from Vermillion, a job-placement worker from Peace River and a pulp and paper mill worker from Grande Prairie.

"It was trying to understand each other's business as well as what they do in Russia as architects," Burrill explained. "People are not paid a lot of money but are so interested in their professions, they work very hard in the hopes that things will get better for them one day.

"The Russians are extremely kind and are very nice people."

Burrill actually met a Russian who had visited Yellowknife, and said he was very excited to find out where she was from. He was a carpenter who came to Yellowknife to do some training.

"They don't really have a lot of carpenters in Russia," Burrill explained, "because they don't have a lot of materials."

For the month, Rotary exchange members visited hospitals, city halls, orphanages and schools.

Burrill said a highlight was visiting a military disarmament factory in Konsomolsk-On-Anur near Habarovsk, saying it was fascinating to see. Much of the military establishments in that area, during the Cold War, were used as communication monitoring facilities and "a lot was hidden" previously.

Burrill spent the remainder of her stay in Russia in Kamchatka where, along with other communities she visited, schools were interested in contacting other students in Canada. Burrill said she plans to approach the school board in Yellowknife and provide them with addresses.