When the Continental Congress created a naval force on October 13, 1775, it launched more than a fleet—it launched a tradition. For 250 years, immigrants have become shipmates, and the U.S. Navy has become their proving ground. Among them, Russians and people from the lands of the former Russian Empire—and “White” émigrés of the 1920s—found a home in the sea service. They stood watches in engine rooms and on windswept decks, healed shipmates as corpsmen and doctors, cracked codes, built ships, led research labs, and, in one case, re-invented the Navy in the nuclear age.

The Navy’s first legend, John Paul Jones, ended his sea career as a rear admiral in Catherine the Great’s Imperial Russian Navy (1788–1789). That unlikely bridge foreshadowed centuries of crossings—by people, ideas, and ships—between Russian and American sea power.

Arriving by way of Harbin, Riga, Odessa, Sebastopol and Shanghai, Russian émigrés brought languages, technical skill, and resilience. In peacetime they learned new ratings; in wartime they kept gray hulls moving across blue water. They crewed destroyers and escort carriers, taught Russian to allied crews at Cold Bay during Project Hula, and later helped the Navy master nuclear propulsion, sonar, and systems engineering.

No story better symbolizes that ascent than Adm. Hyman G. Rickover, born in the Russian Empire (then Congress Poland), whose relentless standards created the Nuclear Navy and set a culture of accountability that still defines the Fleet.

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Honor Roll: Russians and Russian-Americans in the U.S. Navy. Congress of Russian Americans maintains the list. If anybody would like to share a biography to be adeed to the CRA Honor Roll please email bio at: crahq.sf@gmail.com (few entrees from the honor roll are below)

World War I

• Alexis Eshounin (1893–1952) — U.S. Army & Navy, Garrison 297 (WWI).
  Resting place: St. Vladimir Russian Orthodox Cemetery, NJ.
  • Nicholas Terrence Gansa — Russian Imperial Navy officer who remained in the U.S. (1918) after serving aboard the Russian Volunteer Fleet ship Omsk; in WWII served on—and as LCDR commanded—USS Antares; present at Pearl Harbor, 7 Dec 1941.

World War II

• Vadym Victorovich Utgoff (1917–2002) — Captain (CAPT), USN (WWII & Korea).
  Resting place: Arlington National Cemetery, VA.
• Victor Utgoff (1915–1955) — Lieutenant Commander (LCDR), USN (WWII & Korea).
  Resting place: Arlington National Cemetery, VA.

Korea

• Victor Bakunoff (1930–2015) — U.S. Navy (Korean War).
  Resting place: Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, FL.
• Igor Senokosoff (1926–2004) — U.S. Navy (WWII & Korea).
  Resting place: Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, FL.

Vietnam & Cold War to Present

• Boris Elia Pogre (1945–1966) — KIA (Vietnam). Name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, DC.
  Resting place: Serbian Cemetery, Colma, CA.
• Oleg P. Pogre (1920–1979) — U.S. Navy (WWII, Korea, Vietnam).
  Resting place: Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, CA.
• Alexey Vladimirovich Avdeev (1970–2011) — served as Electronics Technician, Third Class (ET3) during the Persian Gulf War. He is buried at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington.

Pictured below:
Leo (Leonid Beloblotsky) Block (1920–2016) — U.S. Navy; USS MacDonough at Pearl Harbor; later Guadalcanal & Iwo Jima; USNR after war; engineer/inventor (7 patents).
Community: Los Angeles & San Clemente, CA. Legacy: Dana Point Harbor Youth Club sailing scholarship.

Please follow the link: https://holyvirgincathedral.com/sip-and-support-2025?ss_source=sscampaigns&ss_campaign_id=68f6ba84009b066215407251&ss_email_id=68f6bd47cde6f1630119968e&ss_campaign_name=Bring+the+whole+family%21+Bonus%3A+order+frozen+cocktail+piroshki%21&ss_campaign_sent_date=2025-10-20T22%3A53%3A10Z

Join CRA members, many of whose ancestors, came with the Great Exodus w/Wrangel (1920) from the Crimean Peninsula or w/Stark from Vladivostok & Far East (1922) via the Philippines or across the borders after the Russian Revolution and Civil War or in 1949 via Tubabao, Philippines (thanks to Ataman Gregory Bologoff & Archbishop John of Shanghai and San Francisco.   Join the Cossacks’ Union members and friends to an unforgettable event that will go down in history.

You are invited for this once-in-a-lifetime historical event – Friday, October 17th at 7:00pm at the Russian Center of San Francisco (2460 Sutter Street).  

Discounted parking at the Sutter Street garage across from the building will be available.

Start the evening with tasty appetizers, view the exhibit of Cossack history that dates back to Shanghai, China with photos through the years in Shanghai, Tubabao and San Francisco.   The evening continues with a bountiful, delicious buffet, entertainment, dancing, souvenir program brochure and other surprises!!!

Please use the QR code below to order your tickets with discounts for All Cossacks’ Union of San Francisco paid-up members and for tables of 10.   Most info available in the QR code or for additional questions, please email cossacks100gala@gmail.com or phone no:  650-291-7289

Don’t delay in ordering your tickets before the deadline as space is limited!!! 

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the Centennial, for those who want to share in a unique historical opportunity or simply have a good time.

This year, the CRA scholarship was awarded during the luncheon after the liturgy at the Our Lady of Kazan church at Russian River in Guerneville, CA to David Nadelson-Dubinsky by CRA President, N. Sabelnik.    David joined CRA as a junior member along with his family many years ago and took out regular membership when he turned 18 years old.  He had volunteered for CRA’s numerous events, including the 40th and 45th anniversary conferences, festivals and other events in the Russian-American community.  He served in the altar at the All Russian Saints church in Burlingame, CA, graduated from their Russian School as a gold medal recipient and performed Ballroom dancing along with his sister for frequent festivals and other cultural events.  His exemplary grades, along with his active participation in the Russian American community made him an excellent recipient of the CRA scholarship this year.  

It is important to note that the scholarship, as well as participation in Russian School graduations are as important to our Russian-American youth, as they are to CRA, as we continue to congratulate and recognize our Russian American community youth.  This is another platform for visibility and awareness.  Russian School graduates are given proclamations (gramoti), congratulatory letters, honorary CRA membership for the current year and for Gold or Silver medal recipients, a stipend, as well.   The CRA scholarship recipients are also acknowledged with a proclamation, congratulatory letter and a $1,000 check.  They are eligible to post for the scholarship again the following year if they are still continuing their college or university education.   

Congress of Russian Americans congratulates all graduates this year, especially those who have attended Russian School in addition to their American school system studies and graduated.  This year graduates of the Sts.Cyrill and Methodious Russian High School at the Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco had 2 graduates, but included 4 other students who graduated during the Covid pandemic and had no official ceremony.   CRA 2nd V-P, Marina Soboleva, presented a congratulatory letter with honorary membership to CRA for this year along with a monetary stipend, gifted to the Gold Medal recipient, Alexander Wren.   The presentation took place at the school’s graduating AKT.  CRA President, Natalie Sabelnik presented both graduates 2025, as well as the other prior year graduates with congratulatory letters and proclamations at the White Ball ceremony..   CRA Los Angeles representative, Ivan Podvalov, presented congratulatory letters, honorary membership and proclamations to the six graduates from the St. Transfiguration Russian Orthodox Cathedral parish school, including one Gold Medal recipient, Rosanna Foss.  Gold Medal recipients are those who have achieved high marks (equivalent to straight A’s in the US school system) throughout each year of attending Russian School.   There were no Silver Medal recipients this year, but all receive congratulations and proclamations, as CRA supports all Russian-American youth who attend Russian Schools throughout the U.S. for their completion and achievements in Russian studies – language, literature, history and scriptures.  If any of your Russian schools have graduating classes (or graduates from Universities with a degree in some kind of Russian studies), please let CRA know well in advance, so that we can prepare and send your school for your students the letters and proclamations in time.    Students who are an honorary member can extend their membership (by sending in an application form, payment is waived if they are still attending school) and be eligible after 3 years for a CRA scholarship. 

The Congress of Russian Americans (CRA) — a national non-profit organization headquartered in San Francisco — continues a project started by one of its founders, Colonel Oleg Pantyukhov. Whenever possible, the organization adds new names to the Golden List of Russian Americans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. If you have relatives who served, or if you would like to share the biographies of friends or acquaintances, please send their names with brief biographical information to CRA. You can email to: crahq.sf@gmail.com

Today, the United States observes Memorial Day — a day dedicated to honoring the memory of members of the armed forces who lost their lives in service. On this day, it is especially important to remember and pay tribute to all who gave their lives defending the country — and in particular, to our compatriots of Russian descent. Attached are few biographies of the Russian Americans killed in combat. Memory eternal!  

Eugene R. Luri (Евгений Лури)

Eugene was born to Maria K. Luri, a well-known figure in San Francisco’s Russian community who was several times chosen as the Queen of the Russian Invalids Ball. Eugene served as a medic in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was killed in action in Germany on March 2, 1945, at the age of 20. Initially buried in a U.S. military cemetery in Belgium, his remains were brought home to San Francisco in 1948 at his mother’s request.

Vladimir Boldyreff (Владимир Болдырев)
Vladimir was born into a Russian Don Cossack family in Yugoslavia. His father, Colonel Sergej Vladimirovich Boldyrev (1890–1957), was a noted writer and professor at the Don Cadet Corps. The family immigrated to the United States and settled in Ohio in 1950. Vladimir enlisted in the U.S. Army and was killed in action during the Korean War on October 18, 1952.

Valentine N. Barsoukoff (1928–1953) (Валентин Барсуков)

Valentine served in the Korean War with the 1st Marine Division and held the rank of Private First Class. He was killed in combat in 1953. He was awarded the Purple Heart and a Gold Star. His final resting place is the Serbian Cemetery in Colma, California.

Alexander Fedoroff (Александр Федоров)

Alexander was born in 1944 in California. He served in the Vietnam War as a Staff Sergeant with the 17th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Squadron. He was killed in combat in 1968 and was awarded the Purple Heart. He is buried at the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California. See photo taken from the Wall of faces.

Paul Kassatkin (Павел Касаткин)
Born in 1947, Paul enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on October 21, 1966, in New York City. He served in Vietnam with Company A, 3rd Platoon, 3rd Engineer Battalion, attached to H&S Company, BLT 3/1, 9th MAB, FMFPac. In early April 1968, during Operation LANCASTER II near Camp J.J. Carroll in Cam Lo District, Quang Tri Province, he was wounded by a hostile explosive device. He died from his injuries aboard the U.S. Naval Hospital Ship USS Sanctuary on April 9, 1968. See photo taken from the Wall of faces.

175th Anniversary of the Birth of Peter Demens — Founder of St. Petersburg, Florida.

This May marks the 175th anniversary of the birth of Peter Alexeyevich Demens (Dementieff) (1850–1919), a Russian émigré who made his mark on the history of the United States as the founder of the city of St. Petersburg in Florida.

In the final years of his life, Peter Demens lived in Los Angeles, where he managed an orange plantation in the Rancho Cucamonga area. He was laid to rest at the historic Angelus Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles. Just recently, representatives of the Congress of Russian Americans (CRA) visited his gravesite to honor his memory.

Descendants of Peter Demens now live on the West Coast of the United States and in Canada.

We are pleased to share several archival photographs from “The Russian American” magazine, which was published by the CRA. The images depict the 1979 unveiling of a memorial plaque in honor of Peter Demens. The ceremony was attended by his grandson Pyotr Tolstoy, CRA representatives, and the mayor of the city of St. Petersburg, Florida.

In 1994, another commemorative plaque was installed in Rancho Cucamonga, California, to honor Peter Demens’ legacy. The estate where his daughter and her husband lived was affectionately known among Americans as “Yasnaya Polyana in California” — in reference to Leo Tolstoy’s famous family estate in Russia.

Radonitsa in the Russian Orthodox Church is a commemoration of the departed, observed on the second Tuesday of Pascha (Easter) or, in some places (in south-west Russia), on the second Monday of Pascha.

The Slavs, like many ancient peoples, had a tradition of visiting family members’ graves during the springtime and feasting together with them. After their conversion to Christianity, this custom transferred into the Russian Orthodox Church as the festival of Radonitsa, the name of which comes from the Slavic word “radost'”, meaning “joy.” In Russia, a local name is “Krasnaya Gorka” (Красная горка, “Beautiful Hill”), and has the same meaning.

This year, 2025, Radonitsa fell on the 29^th of April.However, eachyear, for those who work during the week and cannot attend Radonitsa on the Tuesday, 9 days after Easter, the community comes together at the Serbian Cemetery in Colma on the prior Sunday and priests from different parishes serve at the grave sites of the many Orthodox Christians buried there.

A large panihida is served annually at the Cossack Monument with a potluck pominki at the Cossack tent. Orthodox faithful send in their “In Memoriam” slips in advance (up to 10 people) with their donations, and the attending priest reads the names of the reposed at the panihida. This is not necessarily limited to Cossacks or local people, many are sent from other cities or states to commemorate and pray for their departed family members and friends. The panihida was performed by Father Gyorgyi Kaplanov of the Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco and sung by the cathedral choir, under the direction of Vladimir Krassovsky.

Each year, Congress of Russian Americans sends 10 names of the deceased CRA past presidents and active directors, including Alexandrov, Pribytkin, Budzilovich, Avisov, Cytowicz, Anissimov, Foster with a few of the newly departed, such as George Lavrov, Yura Korobkov (St.Petersburg representative) and Sergey Timashev (one of the CRA founders) added this year.

This year was an exceptional turnout at the Cossack tent. Nearly 100 people came together and celebrated Radonitsa with Cossack members and friends. With a large assortment of appetizers, salads, meats, cheeses, desserts and fruit, prepared by the Cossack directors, there were vodka shots and wines to spread Paschal cheer, as well as commemorate family and friends who were remembered at the panihida and pominki.

This year, especially, marks the 100^th anniversary of the Cossack Union, founded in Shanghai in 1925, as well as in San Francisco (initially as the All-Russian Cossack Unit, then renamed and registered as the All Cossacks Union of San Francisco). While a big Gala Banquet is being planned for October 17 by the All Cossack Union of San Francisco at the Russian Center (www.allcossacksunionsf.org), the Cossack Board members laid a red carnation with a Russian flag ribbon on the grave sites of each of the Ataman that headed the ACU in the past.Many of the Atamans (Presidents of the Cossack Union), familiar and active community leaders, such as Kolchev, Bologoff, Mamontoff, Ponomarenko, Protopopoff, Shikaloff, Metlenko and others are buried at the Serbian cemetery. Their contribution to preserving the Cossack Union, the traditions and lasting legacy remain invaluable, as witnessed by so many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren that remain dedicated to the history of their Cossack ancestors.

CRA is one of the sponsors of this year’s 100^th anniversary commemorative event and wishes the All Cossacks’ Union of SF great success for the Gala Banquet and for the future of their organization.

Congratulations to all our friends and fellow Orthodox Christians on the feast of Easter. Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!