The last Sunday of April is the International day of twin cities

Twin cities’ movement began in the years of the Second World War. In 1943, the English Coventry, after a devastating bombing by the German Luftwaffe, and the Soviet Stalingrad, which didn’t surrender to the enemy, decided to get into contact in the interests of peace and future well-being of citizens. This intention demonstrated aspiration of both nations, suffering from fascism pressure, for solidarity. This was a significant event in the framework of political dialogue between the USSR and the UK, because it was still far from the opening of a second front in Europe.

The noble goals of the first twin cities were generally recognized by progressive public all over the world. On April 28, 1957, the international non-governmental organization, called the World Federation of Twin Cities (WFTC), headquartered in Paris. In 1956, the International sister cities organization was created, which nearly 1800 American cities and their partners joined in all countries. In 1964, Soviet twin cities united in the Association of Soviet and foreign cities. The Association was included in the Union of the Soviet societies for friendship and cultural relations with foreign countries and became a member of the World Federation of Twin Cities. In 1991, on the basis of the Union of Soviet friendship societies was established the International Association “Twin Cities”.

In 1962, the World Federation of Twin Cities decided to celebrate the International day of twin cities on the last Sunday of April every year since 1963.

Friendship is the only right road from one city to another – this is a cities twinning’s slogan in the whole world. All the nonprofit civil organizations deal with connecting and strengthening relations between the communities in order to increase global cooperation at the municipal level, to promote cross-cultural understanding and to stimulate economic development. These organizations implement programs for development of local communities and increasing volunteerism by means of encouraging private citizens, officials and business leaders to conduct long-term profitable campaigns.