Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Russian term or phrase:
их связывали долгие годы дружбы и творческого сотрудничества
English translation:
They were bonded through the many years of friendship and creative partnership
Russian term
их связывали долгие годы дружбы и творческого сотрудничества
Не приходит в голову компактный, натурально звучащий перевод (на инглиш), - всё какие-то кальки с русского.
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Proposed translations
United States
On time, on target, on budget.
Native in: English 
, Polish
Works in: Polish to English, English to Polish, Russian to Polish, and 1 more.
They were bonded through the many years of friendship and creative partnership
Their relationship was cemented by the many years of friendship and creative partnership...
United Kingdom
Translator since 1953
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, German to English, English
They had been friends and cooperators in the arts for many years
Ukraine
a top-rank. native English-Ukrainian-Rus
Native in: English (Variant: US) 
, Ukrainian (Variant: Standard-Ukraine) , Russian
Works in: English to Ukrainian, Ukrainian to English, Russian to English, and 3 more.
being closely connected by their friendship and creative collaboration for many long years
no omissions
https://books.google.com.ua/books?id=fEFRDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA183&l...
they developed /enjoyed a lasting friendship
Through their (mutual) involvement with art, they had developed /enjoyed a lasting friendship and a successful business partnership.
Или так:
Based on their mutual passion for art, they had developed /enjoyed a lasting friendship and a successful business partnership.
Не надо здесь, на мой взгляд, никаких "link" или "connect".
Reference comments
Kyrgyzstan
Education, Legal, Technical & Medical
Native in: Uzbek (Variants: Samarkand-Bukhara, Khorezm, Tashkent, Ferghana valley) , Kirghiz
Works in: English to Uzbek, English to Kirghiz, English to Kazakh, and 26 more.
The bonds (ties) of many long years of mutually beneficial friendship and cooperation linked them.
OR:
The bonds (ties) of many long years of mutually beneficial friendship and cooperation linked them. (or existed between them)
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Note added at 12 hrs (2018-01-11 07:33:36 GMT)
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TYPO:
После many long year "of" не нужен,
The bonds of many long years mutually beneficial friendship and cooperation linked them.
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Note added at 12 hrs (2018-01-11 07:34:59 GMT)
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OR:
The bonds (ties) of many long years friendship and artistic cooperation existed between them (linked them).
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Note added at 12 hrs (2018-01-11 07:35:41 GMT)
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Or
Creative work related cooperation
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Note added at 12 hrs (2018-01-11 07:40:22 GMT)
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https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=sxRXWtr1DYjm6ATPt...
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