Tuesday, August 31, 2021
In July of 2021, the Ukrainian embassy reached out on behalf of Olena Volodymyrivna Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, to inquire if Mount Vernon would be willing to be part of her initiative to expand audio tours in Ukrainian for leading museums and cultural sites around the world. As Mount Vernon already supported four languages besides English, it was indeed willing to add a new one in its Guide ID audio system. The Ukrainian embassy took the existing script, translated it, and produced audio files for Mount Vernon.
On August 31, a ceremony was held in the Ford Orientation Center at Mount Vernon to officially unveil the new audio tour. In attendance were Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Zelenska. Mount Vernon was represented by Regent Sarah Miller Coulson and Mount Vernon President & CEO Douglas Bradburn. As part of the Ukrainian state visit with U.S. President Joe Biden, the event was covered by members of the international press and received wide exposure.
