"Russian April" in New York

Russian American History Month in New York State was celebrated April 2012 for the first time ever. The Russian American Cultural Heritage Center (RACH-C) was the lead group in a coalition of 20 organizations that succeeded in encouraging the New York State Senate to pass a resolution recognizing “Russian April.”

This year the coalition stands at over 50 organizations committed to commemorating “Russian April” each year and once again, Senator Adriano Espaillat introduced the resolution supporting it in the NYS Senate. He was joined by Senators Bonacic, Felder, Golden and Skelos as co-sponsors.

Russian American History Month will highlight a host of historic anniversaries:

• 400 years of  the Romanov dynasty.

• 140 years since the birth of the great Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff.

• 70 years of the siege of Leningrad.

• The half-century anniversary of the space flight of the first woman cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova.

• 130-year anniversary of the birth of one of the spiritual leaders of the Russian emigration, writer George Grebenshikov.

• 90th anniversary since the establishment of the aircraft corporation (in New York State) by the inventor of helicopter, Igor Sikorsky

• 115 years since the birth of the great Russian and Soviet poet Vladimir Mayakovsky.

One of the events will be the 7th annual International “Children's Festival of Russian Culture” organized by RACH-C, to be held at Symphony Place Theater on Broadway. And, in conjunction with the festival and the month, a Russian Street Fair will again be held in New York City, for the first time in decades, next to the Symphony Space theater on 94th & Broadway.

During the Month the Sikorsky family will donate archival materials in honor of their father, the inventor and aviator Igor Sikorsky.

For more  information about "Russian April" and a complete event listing, go to web-site.

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