Following the return of Vladimir Il'ich Tolstoy's from his visit to Castlegar in April of 2004, the renovation on the Bakery/Café building picked up momentum at Yasnaya Polyana.

In July, 2004 Friends of Tolstoy Committee were informed that the building would be in position to receive the equipment this September. This being the case the Committee pursued to finalize the formal agreements between the Friends of Tolstoy Bakery/café project and the International Foundation "Heritage of Leo Tolstoy", investigate the best method in procuring the necessary Bakery/Café equipment as well as making arrangements for a representative of the Friends of Tolstoy to make the trip to Yasnaya Polyana.

We are pleased to inform that by the beginning of September the preparation were completed. The Grant Agreement documents finalized with the input of legal council; the equipment procurement methods confirmed that to purchase the equipment in Russia was the most practical and financially advantageous method, as well the Core Committee chairman Alex Jmaeff took advantage of another CESO assignment to Russia to oversee the final preparations at Yasnaya Polyana.

Upon returning to Yasnaya Polyana, Alex was instrumental in working out the final details on lay out of the interior of the building and its relationship to the equipment and its function, Alex informed as follows:

New plans as to the location and placement of each piece of equipment, racks, worktables etc. have been professionally drawn up for both the bakery and café. The availability of all services to the facility and to all equipment has been carefully calculated and entered into our plans; such as water, electricity, telephones and sewage disposal.

The building that will house the Bakery/café is ready, the working area walls and floors are finished with a light colored ceramic tile, easy to keep clean. This will result in bright and sanitary working conditions. The target date for the opening of the bakery/café is 15th of July, 2005 with a grand opening on September 21st 2005.

Several major baker/café suppliers were visited in Russia, two mixers were purchased and delivered to Yasnaya Polyana. YP building director Mikhail Yur'evich Volkodav will keep Alex informed by Email.

The Friends of Tolstoy Committee wishes to express our gratitude and thanks to all fund raisers, the contributors past and future and volunteers that have worked so tirelessly toward the realization of this project.

Friends of Tolstoy Steering Committee