Russian Federation Ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Ivanovich Antonov was invited to speak by the World Affairs Council at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco on November 29, 2017, on the importance of diplomacy and Russia’s role in the world. He was also invited to speak at Stanford University to the students, faculty and colleagues and met with various Russian expats and the business leaders at Silicon Valley the next day.

Ambassador Antonov incorporated visits to various Russian-American community organizations, beginning with a visit on the afternoon of the 29^th, to the Congress of Russian American’s office with CRA President Natalie Sabelnik, Vice-President, Alexander Sinkevitch and CRA director, Victoria Sabelnik, where he also met with former Honorary Consul General of Sacramento (before then, Honolulu), Natalia Owen, who talked about the Sacramento Russian community.

During his visit to CRA, he was also invited to view the Museum of Russian Culture and the Russian Center. The next day following his Stanford and Silicon Valley visits, he also met with the Cossack Ataman of the All Kossacks Union of San Francisco, Nicholas Loukianoff and Kossack members of their board.

On Saturday, December 2, Ambassador Antonov went to Fort Ross to present a medal commemorating 200 years of the treaty between Kashaya-Pomo Indians and the Russian American Company to the Kashaya-Pomo leader and tribal members. On the way back, he stopped off at Russian River with a brief visit to the Vacation Beach Russian Orthodox Church of Our Lady of Kazan. CRA President was invited to accompany the delegation during some of the visits in the Russian-American community, including with the Cossacks and Fort Ross.