For nearly thirty years Robert Alexander has been traveling to Russia, where he has attended Leningrad State University and worked for the U.S.Government. Since 1990 he has been a partner in a St. Petersburg company that operates a warehouse and customs clearance center, dental clinic, and Barabu, a chain of espresso-wine bars with locations at The Hermitage and the Fortress of Peter and Paul. Born and raised in Chicago, Alexander now lives in Minneapolis.