L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE L uba Mitnik-Gankin, creator and owner of Primavera Dreams, is a true citizen of the world: she grew up in Saint Petersburg, Russia most splendid jewel; she lived, studied and worked in Paris, epitome of European art and culture, then moved to the US, to the old- school charms of Boston, where she recently entered the arena of event organizing. Her business. though, has something different from the others, as she special- izes, alas, in organizing events in both New England and Italy. What strikes the most about Luba is how polyhedric her per- sonality, her skills and, indeed, her professional path are. An art lover with a sensible soul, who pursued a scientific career and ended up making of her ability to put together creativity and organizational skills the key to her own success. And then, of course, there's her love for Italy: born when she was still in Russia, she ended up making of Italy not only a home away from home, but also a huge part of her own business success. We had the pleasure to chat with Luba a while back, and to ask her some questions about her life, her love for Il Bel Paese and her unique manner to make peo- ple's Italian dreams come true. What brought you from the world of scientific research and academia to that of event organization and wedding planning? I have been organizing events since my childhood, from inti- mate gatherings to 200+ crowds including charity events, global school reunions, concerts with internationally-renowned musi- cians and poets, bar/bat mitz- vahs, milestone birthday parties in Russia, France, Portugal, the US, and in my beloved Italy. This has been a hobby of mine my whole life and after a long scientific career, I decided to pursue my passion full-time and help people plan events that they will remember forever. Wh en w as you r love for Italy born? I grew up in the beautiful city of S aint P eters burg, Rus s ia, known as the "Venice of the North" and have been in love with Italian culture since I can remember: the most breathtaking architectural ensembles of my city were built and decorated by Italian masters. My generation grew up watching great Italian movies by Fellini, Antonioni, Visconti, and we were reading Cipollino by Gianni Rodari. We listened to the music of Celen- tano, Al Bano e Romina Power, Ricchi & Poveri, Toto Cutugno, but also Neapolitan songs and Italian operas  – I have loved and have been listening to Italian music ever since. I then went onto a scientific career in Paris. My French lab collaborated with another lab in Italy (Milano Polytechnic): both were the first European labs to participate in the H uman G enome P roject to decipher human DNA. At one point dur- ing this project, I went to Italy to learn s ome new techniques . What can I say? It was love at first sight! After travelling to Italy countless times, studying the language, forming friend- ships with Italians and exploring different regions of the country on my own and with friends, I conceived and organized a big gathering of family and friends from all over the world to cele- brate a milestone birthday of mine in this beautiful country. It was a wonderful celebration, which lasted several days. You live in New England, an amazing place, of great beauty and filled with fantastic loca- tion s . Let's s ay it w as an "easy" choice, but what made you pick Italy in particular, among all other countries? I live in Boston, and enjoy my life here. I sincerely think that New England is beautiful and that there are great places one could use to have a spectacular w edding. H ow ever, nothing compares to Italy from my point of view: it is the cradle of West- ern culture, a beautiful country, and an open-air mus eum. In addition to its great ancient histo- ry and the Roman Empire, Italy gave us the Renaissance, and I couldn't be more grateful for this. Italy is also a well-developed modern country with established infrastructures. Italians have a unique understanding of beauty, rich traditions of organizing cele- bratory events. They excel in culinary creations and decora- tions , and offer all kind of venues and natural locations: there is something for every taste, really. Tell us about your services: what should a bride expect from Primavera Dreams? In terms of services, I offer fully customized packages to every bride and groom, based on their preferences, ideas, and bud- get. My goal is to bring their vision to life in the most creative and enjoyable way, to ensure that the experience is unforgettable and that everyone walks away from the event feeling invigorat- ed, fulfilled, and happy. I pretty much take care of everything, as it is explained on my website, w w w . p r i m a v e r a d r e a m s . c o m , from the choice of the location itself, to the handling of all the details with Italian vendors and venues, making sure my clients get the most while staying within their budget. What's the most outstand- ing or striking of all the wed- dings you have organized? Honestly, I am new on the wedding arena and I believe that the most striking wedding has yet to come. However, I partici- pated in the organization of a 3- day celebration for a milestone birthday on Lake Como for a friend from Russia. It was an exquisite event at the Casta Diva resort, packed with activities for the guests, sumptuous dinners, and different entertainment every night. We enjoyed a tour of Bel- lagio, cooking classes, perfor- mances by famous Russian and Italian entertainers and musi- cians, a helicopter excursion, a Ferrari race and an impressive fireworks display during the gala night. I was truly honored to be part of the organization of such an amazing event. And the most curious? The most curious or, maybe, the most touching, was the wed- ding of two widowers, both over the age of 80. They had known each other for many years and their families were colleagues and friends. They fell in love in the truest sense of the word. We had a charming, intimate wed- ding at Taj Boston, and I have to say that this couple was one of the mos t beautiful I've ever seen! Luba Mitnik-Gankin, the woman that can make your Italian dreams come true Luba organizes weddings in Italy and New England (Photo: Jules Bower) FRANCESCA BEZZONE

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