On Memorial Day Monday each year, the annual Fort Ross chapel liturgy is held, followed with a procession to the cemetery, where a large Russian Orthodox cross marks the site of the settlement’s cemetery. One hundred thirty-one people were buried in the cemetery during the Russian-American Company’s thirty-year settlement. This year, May 29 was no exception and the lunch (trapeza) which was held at the Our Lady of Kazan Church at Russian River was sponsored in part by the Congress of Russian Americans. A group of parishioners from the Holy Ascension Church in Sacramento provided the delicious meal of traditional kavkaz shishlik and shurpa with various salads and pies for dessert. Archbishop Kyrill and Bishop Theodosy along with V.Rev. Paul Volmensky, V.Rev Alexander Krassovsky, Archdeacon Peter Karakozoff, Deacon Alexei Baranoff and other clergy and nearly 75 guests were in attendance.
CRA News and Events
This Memorial Day, we remember those heroes who courageously gave their lives.
Memorial Day 2023 is commemorated on Monday, May 29. It is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Thank you to the men and women who served proudly and gave their lives to insure our freedom! Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.
One of CRA’s projects is the continuation of the list of names of Russian Americans who were in the US military and participated in any of the wars, including, but not limited to WW2. This list was started by CRA founders over 50 years ago. Many of the names, bios, photos appeared in CRA’s almanacs “Russian American”, as well as CRA’s biographical dictionary, published some 20 years ago. CRA has decided to continue this list, and hope you or who have had any members of the family or friends fill out the below form and send it to us at: crahq.sf@gmail.com. We feel it very important to acknowledge the Russian Americans, who living in the US, defended this nation for the right of freedom and many gave their lives to this cause! Should you have any questions, please feel free to send your questions to CRA email.
Picture attached: Monument erected in 1946, in New Jersey in memory of the the fallen Russian-American military service men. Memory Eternal.
CRA sponsored Russian Charity Ball in Los Angeles.
Annual Russian Charity Ball took place in Los Angeles on May 13, 2023. This year’s Ball was dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Russian Culture Museum-Archive in San Francisco. The funds raised during the Ball will be distributed between the museum and Russian Children Benevolent Society in Los Angeles.
History class presentation.
Members of CRA Los Angeles Chapter along with the Russian Los Angeles Research/Collective took part in presenting a presentation during a Russian history class at a parochial school in Los Angeles. School students currently studying history of the Civil war and evacuation from Crimea of the White Russian Army under the command of baron Wrangel. Members of the CRA Los Angeles chapter shared life stories of their parents who were part of that evacuation and students read poems written by poet Nikolai Touroverov. 
Christ has Risen! Happy Easter!
Wishing all our members, families, friends and supporters a Happy Easter!
Христос Воскресе! Воистину Воскресе!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Best Wishes to our members, families, friends and supporters!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wishing all our members & friends a Happy Thanksgiving.
Thank you for all of your support and contributions.
Commemorative event of the 100 year anniversary of the Russian Far East Evacuation.
On Saturday, October 15, 2022, the Congress of Russian Americans in collaboration with the Museum of Russian Culture SF and the Russian American Women’s League presented “100 year Commemoration of the White Russian Evacuation from the Russian Far East (1922-2022)”. The event began with a special memorial service (panihida) served by Bishop Theodosy. His Grace, is the Bishop of Seattle, Vicar Bishop of the Diocese of San Francisco and Western America (ROCOR).
The icon stand draped in black was adorned with two icons – one of St. Nicholas, patron saint of sailors and ships—offering safe voyage and protection from storms and the other of the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God, Pokrov (Feast Day was celebrated the day before, Oct.14). The Mother of God Herself keeps constant vigil over the Christian world and protects it. In addition to praying for the memory of those who were part of the Admiral Stark flotilla, Vladivostok and the Russian Far East, Bishop Theodosy included prayers for all the White Russians that were forced to leave their homeland during and following the end of the Russian Civil War.
The flag of the United States and Russia stood in each corner of the room with the Andreyevsky flag, the official Russian naval flag of the Navy of the Russian Empire centered between them. This flag was an actual flag that had been on one of the ships as part of Admiral Stark’s flotilla and is part of a permanent collection from the Society of Russian Cadets and Veterans of WWI, which was lent for display at this event.
A presentation in the Museum of Russian Culture on the 3rd floor of the Russian Center building where this event took place followed. Presentation were prepared by Olga Kachina on “Starkovtsy. 100th anniversary of the evacuation of the White Siberian Flotilla from Primorye” and Yves Franquein on “Commemoration of the end of the Civil War in the Russian Far East (June-October 1922)”. Included in the presentations were biographical reference and photos of some of the ancestors, whose descendants were attending this commemorative event.
The Museum had also prepared several exhibit stands: 1. Тhe end of organized confrontation during the Civil War in the Russian Far East (1921-1922); 2. The evacuation of ground-based military units in the Russian Far East in 1922 and 3. The departure of the Siberian Flotilla. Another stand was prepared by the Congress of Russian Americans, which was a memory board with various congratulatory letters sent by some of the descendants who were unable to attend, as well as some photos of Vladivostok and prominent figures of that time. CRA also made a memory board of various greetings and photos sent by some of the descendants that could not attend, as well as photos of Vladivostok of the 1920’s.
Guests were invited to take part in the hors d’oeuvre & champagne reception in the Bar Area on the 2nd floor organized by CRA, RAWL & MRCSF. Russian American Women’s League took great care in preparing a buffet table of various food and desserts and donated champagne to commemorate this page in the history of White Russians.
St. John Benevolent Fund Virtual Fundraiser Oct 1, 2022
Please register to join us for a ZOOM fundraising event on Sat Oct 1, 2022 from 11 am to 1pm (PDT).
The event will feature presentations by His Eminence Bishop James of Sonora, by Mother Maria, the Administrator of the Orthodox School in Bethany, and by Archpriest Serhii Ekshyan, the Head of the Synodal Department of Social Services, representing Peace to You, a foundation under the auspices of Metropolitan Onuphry, Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
A prize drawing will conclude the event.
Your donation is tax deductible and goes entirely toward the cause you choose. Your name will be included in the prize drawing.
Sincerely,
the Board of Trustees
CRA Scholarship & Youth conference.
Congress of Russian Americans (CRA), was a proud sponsor, along with the Russian American Women’s League (RAWL) of the recent week-long Orthodox Youth Conference 2022. With the blessing of Archbishop Kyrill of the Western American Diocese of the ROCOR church, the conference and camp was organized by V. Rev. Paul Volmensky of the Holy Ascension Church in Sacramento, CA the week of July 17 through 23 at the Russian River Orthodox church of Our Lady of Kazan in Guerneville, CA. Nestled amongst the California majestic redwoods and on the shores of the Russian River, named Ashokawna by the Southern Pomo Indians and renamed Slavyanka when the Russian American Company (RAC) came to Northern California in 1812 and established the settlement of Fort Ross. RAC established three ranches near Fort Ross, one of which, the Kostromitinov Ranch, stretched along the Russian River near the mouth of Willow Creek. The Russian River is the second-largest river (after the Sacramento River) flowing through the nine-county Greater San Francisco Bay Area. According to the USGS, variant names of the Russian River include Misallaako, Rio Ruso, Shabaikai, and Slavyanka.There were over 50 participants at the conference that included youth of various ages and several parents who came to help supervise and oversee some of the activities. With a full daily schedule of prayer, speeches, workshops and projects, the group did have some time for special outings, including a trip and special supper at Fort Ross, Armstrong Redwood Forest, the Petrified Forest and pilgrimage to the Holy Assumption Monastery (both in Calistoga), as well as a day at the beach at Bodega Bay with seal watching at Goats Rock and kayaking on the Russian River.
The camp was broken down by 8:30am on Saturday, July 23 when the liturgy began in celebration of the Feast Day of the Our Lady of Kazan church. The potluck lunch was coordinated by Victoria Sabelnik with a core group of Russian River residents and guests bringing food, salads, desserts, drinks to add to a delicious barbeque of ribs and chicken. After a speech by Bishop Theodosy to thank the clergy, nuns and over 100 guests that attended the festal luncheon, the sponsors, CRA and RAWL were thanked. Bishop Theodosy thanked CRA for the continued work in the community, especially with the youth. Natalie Sabelnik, CRA president took the opportunity of the youth conference and Feast Day to present Daniil Vorobiov-Wilson with this year’s CRA scholarship. The Vorobiov-Wilson family have been CRA members and volunteers for many years and when Daniil turned 18 he joined CRA himself. His exemplary grades in both English and Russian school, coupled with his many years of volunteering in the community made him an excellent candidate and recipient of the CRA scholarship.
CRA invites all of our Russian-American youth to become members, not just to be eligible for the scholarship, but to participate and volunteer in our numerous projects and programs, which help build work and life skills, promote teamwork and cultivate future leaders in our community.
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