Patricia Ann Polansky, a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa librarian, was presented with Russia’s Medal of Pushkin during a presentation ceremony at on November 11. Receiving the medal is a rare honor for an American.
Polansky has served as Russian bibliographer for the housed at Hamilton Library since 1970. From 1988 to 1992, she also served as director of the Center for Russia in Asia in the .
The Honorable Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov, minister of foreign affairs, presented the medal to Polansky. Also in attendance was His Excellency, Ambassador of Russia Sergey I. Kislyak.
The Medal of Pushkin is awarded for achievements in the fields of culture, education, human sciences, literature and art. It recognizes great contribution to the study and preservation of the cultural heritage of that country or for the promotion of cultural exchange. There is only one other U.S. awardee among the 650 previous Medal of Pushkin recipients.