Gifts are presented with poetic tribute and song. Since Slava has clever people at his Center for Science and Engineering, I presume that the tributes were done with wit and style. Fortunately they were also done with broad humor, which I could appreciate, even if I couldn’t get the nuances of language.

One tribute started off with a poem by the beloved Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, and then had verses added for today. Another person mimicked the stiff Soviet leader Brezhnev, and gave Slava a hero’s medal. A group of people announced that they were part of Chinese Children’s Radio (recalling Slava’s childhood in China), and to get high sing-song voices they inhaled balloons of helium.

A good time was had by all.