The Tale of Two Sister Cities : Education: As part of an ongoing exchange program, Orange is hosting a group of 11 teachers and students from Novo Kosino, Russia.

ORANGE —  Had Russian ultranationalists succeeded in toppling President Boris N. Yeltsin’s government earlier this month, Claudia Padula of Orange and Stasya Hodatskaya of Novo Kosino, a small municipality on the outskirts of Moscow, might never have been able to play tag.

And for the two 8-year-olds, the simple children’s game--or salochki, as it is called in Russia--bridged an otherwise formidable language barrier and helped forge a new international friendship.

“I just started playing tag, and she already knew how to play,” said Claudia, whose family hosted the Russian youngster, one of 11 students and teachers from Novo Kosino to visit Orange for the past two weeks. “It was fun.”

“It’s the same game as at home,” Stasya said through a translator. “So I feel like I’m at home.”

Orange and Novo Kosino became sister cities nearly two years ago. So far, the intercontinental relationship between the two cities has spawned four group exchanges. But this trip marks the program’s first educational exchange.

“Most of the Russian students speak just a little English,” said Vlad Dubrovsky, a 23-year-old Russian studying economics at Cal State Fullerton who helps out with Orange’s Sister City Assn. “But the children don’t need any language to communicate with each other. It’s just the parents that do.”

But this was a trip that nearly did not happen. With a scheduled Oct. 5 departure, the Russian students and teachers anxiously monitored the bloody parliamentary rebellion that was being waged in the nearby streets of Moscow.

“I was watching TV for 24 hours trying to follow events,” said 12-year-old Artyom Seroshtan. “I was very nervous.”

By Oct. 4, the day before the group was to leave Moscow, forces loyal to Yeltsin had quelled the rebellion, and the children, ages 6 through 12, were able to depart.

But as the Russian children joined students in singing John Lennon’s “Imagine” and Michael Jackson’s “Heal the World” at the Primanti Montessori School here Friday afternoon, the adults seemed hopeful about the next generation’s relations.

“Yeltsin and the rest of us adults have had our chance,” said Orange Councilman Fred L. Barrera, who attended Friday’s performance. “Just like the song (‘Heal the World’) says, it’s these kids that will have to make the world a better place.”

With Primanti Montessori School acting as primary host, the Russian students were treated to the tourist sights of Southern California--Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm and Sea World in San Diego. But the private elementary school balanced the fun with trips to museums and classes about American culture.

Members of the Novo Kosino group, who will return home Tuesday, said they will be sad to leave their new friends--a sentiment was shared by their American hosts.

“It’s going to be hard to see him go,” said Susan See of Orange, who hosted 9-year-old Timoor Matsaev during his stay. “He’s turned into our little son.”

But as for apprehension about more turmoil in Russia, the teachers and students said they were not especially worried.

“Politics is not our problem,” said Juliya V. Zommer, who teaches English in Russia. “The prices in the stores--that’s our problem.”