Dance, Music, Etc. Featured in Russian Heritage Festival

The 5th annual Russian Heritage Festival-- a month-long celebration of the arts and culture in the New York metropolitan area's vast and vibrant Russian-speaking community -- will take place throughout the month of June in New York City, starting with the enormously popular "Together in NY Community Festival" Sunday, June 3, 2007 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Asser Levy Park (Ocean Parkway &Surf Ave.) in Brooklyn. Visitors to this free kickoff event can enjoy a full day of traditional music and dance performances rarely seen in the U.S., each a testament to the tremendous diversity of the Russian-speaking community in NY. As well, the "Together in NY Community Festival" features a wide variety of savory ethnic foods and Russian arts and crafts.

The Russian Heritage Festival-- the only event of its kind in the U.S. -- routinely attracts 200,000 people to its month-long presentation of contemporary and traditional Russian music and dance performances by local Russian-American arts groups, art exhibitions, health and sports fairs, business expos, "A Night of Jewish Dancing Under the Stars" and other events.

A new feature of this year's Russian Heritage Festival will be a daylong festival on Staten Island at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center (1000 Richmond Terrrace, Music Hall) on Sunday, June 24 from noon to 5 p.m., as well as a performance at 2 p.m. that day of the beloved Russian children's ballet "Dr. Aj Bolit" presented by the Leonid Farber Children Ballet School at Kingsborough Community College (2001 Oriental Blvd.) in Brooklyn.

Also, the Russian Heritage Festival will present the U.S. debut of opera star Nurzhamal Usenbayeva, a soprano from Kazakhstan , in a one-night-only recital on June 16 at 8:30 p.m. at Weill Recital Hall (57th St &7th Ave.) in Manhattan.  Usenbayeva, named the People's Artist and State Prize Winner of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has performed on opera stages worldwide and is the leading soloist with the Kazan Academic Abay Theatre of Opera and Ballet. Her June 16 program will include selections from her repertoire of Gounud, Verdi, Rachmaninov, Puccini, Gershwin, Herbert, along with Kazakh classical composers and traditional folk songs.

One of the final events of the Russian Heritage Festival will be a "Spirits of Russia" evening at the Copacabana Club (560 W. 34 St.) on Wednesday, June 27 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. This one-of-a-kind evening will celebrate the best in Russian cuisine, drinks and entertainment, with food provided by some of the city's leading Russian restaurants, authentic Russian beer, wine, vodka, and Las Vegas style floor shows presented by the city's most popular Russian clubs.

Presented by the Russian-American Arts Foundation, the Russian Heritage Festival- co-founded by Marina Kovalyov and Rina Kirshner - is manifold in its purpose, that is, to showcase the breadth and significance of the Russian-speaking community throughout the metropolitan area, as well as to join people from all regions of the former Soviet Union - Russians, Armenians, Georgians, Ukrainians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Kazakhs, et.al. -- in a celebration of their great Russian heritage and culture.

In a citation presented to the Russian Heritage Festival last year, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg commended the Festival for "showcasing the vitality and success of the flourishing Russian community." The Russian-speaking population has become an important, indispensable voice in New York City. In fact, Russian is now the 3rd most-spoken foreign language - after Spanish and Chinese - in New York City.

Festival co-founder and president of the Russian-American Arts Foundation, Marina Kovalyov, who was an art historian and museum curator in St. Petersburg, Russia before coming to New York with her family in 1979 says, "The Festival helps create a dialogue between the Russian-speaking community and all New Yorkers. We are a proud and powerful part of the American population, and we want people to know more about our culture."

Prior to creating the Russian Heritage Festival, Ms. Kovalyov and Ms. Kirshner produced the phenomenally successful Moscow Arts Festival on Broadway in 1996 and 1997. They have presented the acclaimed 1998 and 200 Russian Musical Galas at Radio City Music Hall, along with many other events throughout the city

For additional information about the Russian Heritage Festival, call 212-687-6118 (ext. 201)