Julian MacKay

September 2009 - Bozeman Daily Chronicle How many people know exactly what they want to with their lives at the age of 11? And how many people are willing to move halfway around the world, away from their families, to spend most of every day practicing something that requires intense concentration and discipline at an age when most kids are riding bikes ... read more

Russian Heritage Festival - TV News Spots

June 2009: Various tv clips spotlighting the 2009 Russian Heritage Festival in New York City...
Watch video from New York 1 - Watch video from Channel 4 News - Watch video from New York 1 News All Morning

Dancing Duo

18 June 2009 - U.S. Weekly: Karina Smirnoff and husband-to-be Maksim Chmerkovskiy attended the 2009 Russian Heritage Festival in NYC Wednesday... read more

What's Up? Eastern Promises

06 June 2009 - New York Post: Kids carry on their parents' traditions at the Russian Heritage Festival, where colorfully costumed teens and tots demonstrate dances from Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, and other regions. Treats and crafts for sale too... read more

Kazakh Orchestra at Lincoln Center

December 2008 - New York Daily News: The Kazakh National Folk Orchestra "Otrar Sazy" performed last month at Jazz at Lincoln Center. The concert was sponsored by Erian Idrissov, ambassador of Kazakhstan to the UN and Byrganym Aitimova, permanent representative of Kazakhstand to the UN. It was organized by the Russian American Foundation... read more

Bolshoi Ballet Academy gives young dancer the chance of a lifetime

05 October 2008 L.A. Times: In his tough San Bernardino neighborhood, Matthew Leonardi doesn't talk much of his graceful pirouettes or evenings spent dancing with girls in pink tutus. He's not ashamed; he just doesn't need the grief. And the tights are completely off-limits.... read more

Five Weeks of Ballet Lessons, the Bolshoi way

27 July 2008 - New York Times: Passers-by outside the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center on a blustery morning in late March may have noticed a stream of women ushering girls into this unfinished building on West 60th Street. Keen observers might have noticed that the women came in two distinct sartorial categories: one marked by black leather, heels, fur, dyed blond hair and makeup, the other by carelessly thrown-on tops, loose jeans, flats and very little makeup... read more

Bolshoi Raises Barre for City Kids

July 2007 - NY Daily News New York City kids are saying 'Da' to ballet classes. A summer master class, taught through the Moscow based Bolshoi Ballet Academy, hopes to turn New Yorkers into dancing diplomats during a five-week course. Alden James, president of the National Arts Club in Gramercy Park, sees this program as a United Nations type endeavor... read more

Russian Heritage Fest

21 June 2007 - Staten Island Advance Sure you've heard of cabbage soup, Russian Ballet and Matryoshka Dolls - those colorful wooden figures that can be pulled apart to reveal smaller dolls inside. But that's just the surface stuff. The fifth annual Russian Heritage Festival delivers a fuller understanding of how diverse the regions and cultures of the former Soviet Union really are... read more

MetroCard Dress is the latest turnstile style

08 June 2007 - NY Daily News Model shows off Russian journalist Nina Vishneva's dress made of metro cards outside MetroDress exhibit... read more

Russian Pride Dances in

25 June 2006 - New York Daily News: Brooklyn's Asser Levy Park came alive with the sound of Russian music, the aroma of traiditonal cherry ravioli and the joy of hundred of footloose kids pirouetting and bopping on the stage. The green lawn of the park welcomed the diverse Russian Community ... read more

Salute to Russian Heritage

11 June 2006 - New York Daily News: Protected from wet weather by white tents, members of New York's Russian community flocked to Brooklyn's Asser Levy Park last week for a day of fun and education at the kickoff of the fourth annual Russian Heritage Week. Dozens of groups represented at the sprawling fair included hospitals and medical centers, as well as prominent cultural institutions, colleges, local press agencies... read more

Moscow game for plays

25 November 2005 - Variety: The Moscow Sovremennik Theater returned to the U.S. this month -- but not on Broadway, where it played in 1996-97 to rave reviews and substantial audiences. Instead, it nestled in among gaming tables and slot machines.... read more

Russian Drama Experiment

20 November 2005 - New York Daily News: All the world is a stage. For the Sovremennik Moscow Theater anyway. The premier Russian theater troupe came to New York this weekend to dazzle the audiences with two plays from its repertoire - all part of the theater's 50th anniversary celebration... read more

Tennessee Williams at Foxwoods - in Russian?

3 November 2005 - Hartford Courant: Strange but true. The Moscow Sovremennik Theatre will present Williams' "Sweet Bird of Youth" Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. It will present George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion" Nov. 20 at noon and 4:30 p.m. Both shows are performed in Russian at the 1,400-seat Fox Theatre. It is the company's only U.S. engagement.... read more

Mike woos Russian vote

30 October 2005 - New York Daily News: Several months ago, Mayor Bloomberg proclaimed himself the "Russian mayor" at a civic forum on Brighton Beach. After all, his grandparents emigrated here from Russian, he says. Now with the election just days away, Bloomberg is turning to his Russian roots for support... read more

A reel treat for moviegoers

23 October 2005 - New York Daily News: First there was Hollywood, then there was a Bollywood and last week, the best of new Russian cinema was presented in New York during the fifth annual Russian Film Week. Ten directors showcased their new films to the delight of Russian New Yorker audiences and American subtitle lovers... read more

Profile Marina Kovalyov

28 April 2005 - Newday: Founder and president of the Russian American Arts Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that sponsors the annual Russian Heritage Week celebration in June. Honored byt the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs during Immigrant History Week 2005... read more

New Arrival 26 years ago, dynamo now

17 April 2005 - New York Daily News: When Marina Kovalyov immigrated to New York from St. Petersburg, Russians were a new presence tugging at the pant leg of the city's Jewish community with no distinct pull of their own. That was 26 years ago. Last week, Mayor Bloomberg, whose own grandparents hail from Belarus... read more

Mover's and Shakers

1 June 2004 - New York Daily News: Behind any great community, there are exceptional people. Here's a sampling of Russian-speaking New Yorkers who have made a difference... read more

Celebrate Russian Heritage

6 June 2004 - New York Daily News:Tomorrow is the first day of the second annual Russian Heritage Week, but because the joyous celebration has already outgrown its format, this year's installment will last 13 days... read more

Grammys, Russian-style

9 May 2004 - New York Daily News: Ever heard of Alsu? You should have = she's as big as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. How about Philip Kirkorov, Tea For Two or Smash? They're just as big in the pop world - in Russia, that is... read more