Two trips. Two destinations with very different accents. Serge Grouard, the various right-wing mayor of Orléans, stayed in Ukraine at the beginning of January. A little earlier, at the end of September, the deputy for culture, William Chancerelle, traveled to New Orleans to strengthen ties with this twin city. The details of the joint projects were presented on Tuesday, January 14, during the municipal council.
Travel to Ukraine
The Orléans delegation headed to Ukraine on January 6. She remained there until January 10. Among them, the various right-wing mayor Serge Grouard and the deputy Romain Roy.
In September 2024, the Ukrainian ambassador to France spoke in the mayor’s office; he had proposed a collaboration with a city in Ukraine. It will be Sumy, 260,000 inhabitants in 2021, located around twenty kilometers from the Russian border.
Meeting with Vitali Klitschko
Serge Grouard therefore went there last week to sign the act of cooperation. “We were struck by the desire to live as if there were no conflict. We saw a city which, in appearance, lived normally. It’s admirable. We were able to measure the determination of the Ukrainians. » Particularly during the interview with the charismatic mayor of kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, former world boxing champion.
The Orléans delegation left Ukraine with initial prospects for 2025. The aim will be to present Sumy to economic stakeholders to discuss possibilities for cooperation, to define avenues for collaboration with the University of Orléans, the Grandes Écoles but also the University Hospital. Cultural bridges will connect the two cities with support to Sumy for the restoration of works by French artist, Aristide Croisy, and plans to establish links with the Museum of Fine Arts.
Twinning with New Orleans
The distance between Orléans and New Orleans was reduced last September during the trip (September 25 – October 1) of the assistant for culture and twinning, William Chancerelle. “2025 will be the year of New Orleans in Orléans,” he announced during the city council meeting.
In what forms? Three artists from New Orleans will arrive at the Grand PianO Festival next June. “With the New Orleans Festival and the Antibes Jazz Festival, we are going to organize pools of artists and pool tours,” explains William Chancerelle.
Culture, always, with urban arts. A wall dedicated to the Twin Cities exists in New Orleans. “People from Orléans will go there. And we will undoubtedly bring artists from New Orleans for the next Loire Art Show at the end of 2025.” This summer, the Joan of Arc 2025 of New Orleans is expected in Orléans.
Martin-Pouret at the Super Bowl?
Gastronomy has not been forgotten. William Chancerelle had slipped a bottle of Martin-Pouret vinegar into his suitcase. “I offered it to the mayor of New Orleans, specifying that the vinegar pleased the Élysée. She was sensitive to it. This vinegar could end up on the tables of the Super Bowl final (February 9, 2025). »
