Russians in Minnesota
- Russian immigration to the United States has come in waves. In Minnesota, 84% of Russian immigrants arrived during the 1990s, while 9% arrived in the 1980s, and 7% in the 1970s. The most recent wave came after the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991. Most Minnesotans probably didn’t think about how events in Moscow, 5,000 miles away, would affect our state -- but they have. In recent years, Minnesota’s Russian population has grown to more than 12,500, and more than 2,300 public school students speak Russian at home. People from Belarus, Ukraine, and other former Soviet Republics also have immigrated to Minnesota since the fall of communism. (Sources: The Minnesota Center and The Amherst Research Center's Survey of Hispanic, Hmong, Russian, and Somali Immigrants in Minneapolis-Saint Paul)
Art and Culture
- Russian Seasons in Minnesota - Each year, Russian Seasons puts on a festival showcasing performances by well-known artists alongside emerging musicians, dancers, and singers. (The painting shown above, by Vladimir Dikarev, was the backdrop from Russian Seasons' 2007 show.)
- Museum of Russian Art - The only non-profit museum in North America dedicated solely to the preservation and presentation of educational exhibitions and related events pertaining to Russian art and artifacts from the 19th and 20th centuries
- Minneapolis International Film Festival - Each spring since the 1980s, the festival has presented a range of new and notable films, and typically includes a selection of contemporary Russian films by directors such as Sokurov and Mikhalkov
- Russian Cultural Center - The Russian Cultural Center is committed to promoting the ethnic Russian cultural and artistic heritage through research, presentation, and outreach programs, as well as serving as a liaison between the Russian-speaking community and the broader community of the Twin cities
- Festival of Nations - Since 1932, this annual event has brought Americans of 90 different ethnic groups together to share foods, crafts, and traditions. There will be Russian exhibits, souvenir shops, and music/dance performances
- Minnesota Choral Theater - This choral group, founded by Russian-born conductor Dr. Albert Grotell, sings Russian and Slavic songs at a variety of venues
- Twin Cities Chekhov Festival - Come for the food, stay for The Seagull, then bowl late into the night. Bryant-Lake Bowl, the restaurant-bar-bowling alley, is fond of staging new interpretations of Chekhov plays. You can also check out the Guthrie Theater, which stages major productions of the plays and is also adorned with a massive portrait of the playwright
- Klub Samodeyatel'noj Pesni - The Midwest Amateur Song Club
- Academy of Russian Ballet - Classes and an annual performance of "The Nutcracker"
Community and Education
Minnesota Zoo
- Minnesota Zoo: Russia's Grizzly Coast - The Russian Far East is one of the last great wilderness areas on earth, home to an amazing diversity of animals, including some of the world's largest predators. The Minnesota Zoo—and the Russia’s Grizzly Coast exhibit—play an important role in educating and promoting conservation of this region. The exhibit features bears, sea otters, boars, and other creatures
- Another reason to visit the exhibit -- if grizzly bears weren't enough -- is to see an actual Russian izba (a log farmhouse) that craftsmen painstakingly built, dismantled, and then shipped from the Republic of Karelia.
Restaurants, Bookstores, and Groceries
- Russian Piroshki and Tea House - 1758 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55104
- St. Petersburg Restaurant - 3610 France Ave, Robbinsdale, MN
- Moscow on the Hill - 371 Selby Ave St Paul MN 55102
- Kiev Foods - European Grocery and Deli - 2509 W. 7th St, St. Paul, MN 55116
- Kramarczuk East European Deli - 215 E Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55414
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