Historical Timeline
Boulder-Dushanbe Sister Cities was initiated in 1982 when two Boulder women, Mary Hey and Sophia Stoller, decided they’d had enough of the rhetoric and unease of the continuing Cold War. By-passing bureaucrats unwilling to consider a proposal for friendship, they stubbornly made one overture after another until, in 1987, the city of Dushanbe became Boulder’s Sister City.
1983
Soviet Sister City Project is Founded
1984
Monthly Programs on Soviet Culture Take Place
1985
Project Representatives visit Dushanbe and Soviet Embassy to lobby for a Sister City.
1986
First Annual Boulder Festival of Soviet Film
1987
Mayor Ikramov visits Boulder with Dushanbe delegation and signs sister city agreement with Mayor Jourgensen
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First Boulder-Dushanbe Sister Cities -sponsored tour goes to USSR
Project is renamed Boulder-Dushanbe Sister Cities
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1988
Official delegation from Boulder visits Dushanbe.
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Boulder Views, an exhibit of 40+ works donated by local artists and photographers, is sent to Dushanbe for permanent display.
1989
21 Boulder area high school students participate in their first exchange visit to the USSR.
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Four Dushanbe physicians visit Boulder in first phase of Physician Exchange.
1990
Ten Dushanbe high school students visit Boulder
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The Tajik Teahouse, the magnificent gift from the people of Dushanbe, arrives in Boulder.
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Four Boulder physicians visit Dushanbe
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Dedication of Peace Garden along Boulder Creek to honor all of Boulder’s sister cities.
1991
16 Boulder area students visit Dushanbe for two weeks and stay with Tajik families.
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Boulder’s Kuhiston Foundation organizes US-USSR ecological expedition to Shirkent area; findings are presented to Tajik Parliament in order to establish a National Park.
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Tajikistan becomes an independent nation following the break-up of the Soviet Union.
1992
Local ham radio operators ship equipment to Dushanbe colleagues
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Civil war breaks out in Tajikistan
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First humanitarian aid shipment to Dushanbe
1993
Boulder-Dushanbe Sister Cities sponsors twoDushanbe ophthalmologists at post-graduate seminar conducted by Orbis International
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Dedication of Teahouse site on 13th Street
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Second humanitarian aid shipment
1994
Third humanitarian aid shipment
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Equipment sent to Tajikistan’s Mountain Rescue organization
1996
Micro-lending/village banking program is launched by Kuhiston Foundation
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“Hearth to Hearth” Tajik dance and arts events presented by Helander Dance Theater
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Six young adults from Dushanbe who had hosted our student delegation visit Boulder
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Seven high school and post-graduate students from Dushanbe enroll in Boulder schools and the University of Colorado.
1997
Construction of Teahouse begins.
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Boulder Rotary Club assists in forming the first Central Asian Rotary Club in Dushanbe
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Five high school and post-graduate students from Dushanbe are enrolled in Boulder schools and the University of Colorado.
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Sponsorship of several sessions of Donish, summer environmental camps for Dushanbe secondary school students
1998
Grand opening of the Teahouse.
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Five workshops presented by Teahouse artisans are held.
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Participation in Boulder Sister City Festival at Jr. Academy.
1999
Boulder Flatirons Elementary School initiates “Sister School” project with Dushanbe School
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BDSC delegation of 12 visit Dushanbe to participate in celebration of the 1,100th anniversary of the Samanid heritage
2000
Start of reciprocal gift effort
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Planning and concept development for reciprocal gift
2001
Delegation from BDSC visits Dushanbe, meets with mayor, initial site chosen for Cyber Café
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Schematic design for Cyber Café completed
2003
Annual Tajik New Year Celebration at Teahouse
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Commencement of fundraising effort for Cyber Café reciprocal gift
2004
2005
Delegation visits Dushanbe and is given new site for Cyber Café
Annual Tajik New Year Celebration at Teahouse
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Fashion Tea fundraising event
2006
Annual Tajik New Year Celebration at Teahouse
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Signing of decree by Mayor of Dushanbe for construction of Cyber Café
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Official Groundbreaking for construction of Cyber Café
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Commencement of final push of fundraising for Cyber Café
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3rd Annual Fashion Tea fundraising even
2007
BDSC celebrates 20 years of sisterhood with Dushanbe
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May 28 Cyber Cafe construction begins in Dushanbe
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Fashion Tea Fundraiser for Cyber Cafe
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Annual Navruz celebration at the Teahouse
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Artisan Kodir Rashkimov works on Teahouse ganch restoration and carvings.
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Boulder city dedication of Boulder’s Sister Cities Plaza
2008
Boulder physician visits Tajikistan with "Physicians with Heart"
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Boulder architects visit Cyber Cafe construction. Shipping containers from Boulder arrive in Dushanbe with solar electric and hot water components for Cyber Cafe and with children’s clothes and play equipment.
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BDSC hosts first Open World delegation from Tajikistan.
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Tajik Independence Day celebration with Tajik Ambassador to the United States.
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Official presentation of Cyber Cafe to Dushanbe at opening celebration, September 23.
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BDSC sponsors “Silk Road Tour” to Tajikistan and Cyber Cafe opening.
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Boulder financial gift presented to Dushanbe Parenting Center.
2009
BDSC hosts Open World Potable Water delegation.
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Annual Navruz celebration at the Teahouse
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Fashion Tea Fundraiser
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BDSC receives “Innovation, Sustainable Development" award from Sister Cities International.
2010
Annual Navruz Celebration at the Teahouse
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Fashion Tea Fundraiser
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FLEX student attends Boulder High School
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BDSC on State Department Grant in Dushanbe
2011
BDSC hosts Tajik coaches
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Boulder resident a Fulbright Scholar in Dushanbe
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BDSC board members visit Dushanbe
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Teahouse tours
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Video completes about Cyber Cafe, now called Friendship Center
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Fort Wayne Gazebo Project
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Open World delegation of secondary school administrators.
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Annual Navruz celebration
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BDSC hosted Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant Zeboniso Murodova for a welcome dinner at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse in November 2011
2012
Tajik TV crew visits Boulder for Power of Youth Service doc
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Cyber Cafe/Friendship Center reopened with new director Olim Makhkamov of MBO Language Schools
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BDSC board members visit Tajikistan
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Annual Navruz Celebration
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Boulder History Traveling Sister Cities Trunks
2013
BDSC hosted Open World Volunteer Service and Administration group
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BDSC board members cost CyberCafe/ Friendship Center and sponsor bbq for past Tajik exchange participants.
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Annual Navruz Celebration
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Hosted Artisan Haydar Mirahmatov to work on exterior Teahouse restoration and interior ganch
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BDSC hosted Tajik professional working with families with disabilities.
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4 Boulder professionals working with people with disabilities visit Tajikistan
2014
BDSC hosted Women Entrepreneurs
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BDSC sponsors CU student to teach at Friendship Center
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Annual Navruz Celebration
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Boulder delegation visits Dushanbe for its 30th Anniversary.
2015
BDSC hosted Open World delegation of gynecologists and obstetricians.
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BDSC hosts Tajik TV crew
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Annual Navruz celebration
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Hosted Friendship Center representative Kamila Tovbaeva
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BDSC board members Noah and Adam Amir produces two folk films with local Tajik communities.
2016
BDSC delegation to Friendship Center and Dushanbe City
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BDSC host US Ambassador to Tajikistan at Teahouse reception
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BDSC donates Tajik cultural items to CO governor’s mansion.
2017
Annual Navruz Celebration at the Community Plaza
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BDSC hosted Open World delegation of Tajik professionals working in the tourism industry
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BDSC collected English language books and shipped them to Tajikistan
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BDSC partially sponsors CU student awarded Fullbright to study Tajik language in Dushanbe
2018
BDSC hosted Tajik artisan Maruf Mirahmatov sponsored by CU CEDaR program and ENVD to work on Teahouse restoration and co-teach Central Asian Design and restoration at ENVD
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20th Anniversary celebration of Teahouse opening
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Tajik Independence Celebration in Boulder
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BDSC hosted Open World delegation studying NGO development
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BDSC sponsored tour of Tajikistan and Central Asia with visit to Roof of the World Festival
2019
October. BDSC hosted Open World delegation of Tajik educators with a focus on innovation in education
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September. Tajik Independence Day/ Harvest Celebration in Boulder
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BDSC sponsored board member visit to Tajikistan regarding Friendship Center and future Sister City programs.
2020
A new employee joined BDSC as a Communications Assistant - Itgelmaa Chavgaa
Open World 2020 cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
Peter Kleinman and Anton Relin joined BDSC as new board members
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New social media and website efforts - created Instagram, Linkedin accounts and established a BDSC website
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Donation relief campaign for those affected by COVID-19 in Tajikistan
2021
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2022
A new intern joins BDSC - Lauren Nida
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Sports for At-Risk Youth Delegation in Boulder
2023
Annual Navruz Celebration
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25th Anniversary of the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse and Museum Exhibition