“They are a cultural symbol—the design, pattern, and even the choice of colors represent certain things,” explains Karina Mandell, chairwoman of the Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee (BOSCC), which facilitates a partnership between Baltimore and its Ukrainian counterpart. “Life and hope, or marriage, or a joyous occasion, or different colors and patterns can even be representative of different towns or neighborhoods.”
Mandell was born in Ukraine, and still has several family members living in different parts of the country.
Part of the Baltimore Sister Cities Program, which was established by former governor William Donald Schaefer in 1974, BOSCC’s original goal was to be a “mutually beneficial partnership,” according to Mandell, “that was part of the narrative at the time of improving international diplomacy and collegial partnerships.”
This year, BOSCC…
