Showcasing Dmitry Medvedev’s Gifts

When Dmitry Medvedev, then-President of the Russian Federation, visited Pitt on Sept. 24, 2009, he gave Pitt Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg three gifts for the University’s Russian Nationality Room. Thanks to the efforts and oversight of Joseph W. Fink, associate vice chancellor in Pitt’s Office of Facilities Management, and Park Rankin, University architect, a custom-made wooden curio cabinet was created to house the gifts, which are now displayed in the Russian Nationality Room. The presents included a samovar (a traditional Russian teapot); a matryoshka doll (a traditional Russian nesting doll); and a plate featuring the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, which is the tallest Orthodox church in the world.