PYATIGORSK

PYATIGORSK. Sister city of Dubuque located in the Commonwealth of Independent States between the Black and Caspian Seas north of the Caucasus Mountains. Known for its healing mineral waters from as many as one thousand springs, Pyatigorsk annually attracts an estimated thirty thousand people seeking relief from a variety of ailments. Famous Russians such as poet Alexander Pushkin and writer Leo Tolstoy were visitors to the healing waters.

Dubuque and Pyatigorsk share several characteristics. Pyatigorsk, like Dubuque, is a center of education. The city also boasts a polytechnical institute, pharmaceutical school, and a nursing school. Like Dubuque, Pyatigorsk has become a favorite tourist site. Civic leaders of the two communities, during meetings on March 6, 1989, expressed interest in helping each other in areas of athletics, health care, and art. DUBUQUE STAR BREWING COMPANY produced private stock labels for "Pyatigorsk Star" and "Stavropol Star" beer bottled especially for the occasion. Cultural exchanges, including one in May 1989, have continued.