LYRA: Choral Group from St Petersburg Performing May 5 St. Michael's Performing Arts Series welcomes back this highly talented choral group from St. Petersburg, Russia. From the highest clear notes of their soprano to the really, really low notes that it seems only a Russian bass can sing - their performances are exquisite. The first half of their program consists of a selection of beautiful and powerful sacred Russian choral pieces, they then change into traditional Russian folk dress, and p...>>

The Orlando Russian Culture Society held it's 100th event on Sunday, April 11, 2010. The venue selected was a park where members could share food and cook "Shashlik" the Russian version of American shish-kabob. "This is our most requested activity, by far!", said Jef Gray, director of the Society. "It's the perfect way to commemorate 100 events since we started back in 2004." [nggallery id=13]...>>

A non profit organization (http://www.artfulgiver.org) has established an online art auction in an effort to raise funds for orphanages in Ukraine. The project came about based on the experiences of two American teachers who are working in an International School in Ukraine. Jessica and Keegan Tosser explain the story, “ We have lived in Ukraine for over a year. It has been a wonderful experience. While living here, we have fallen in love with the children at the orphanage in Krivoy Rog...>>

The Florida Film Festival starts Friday, April 9 until April 18 in Orlando, Florida at the Enzian Theater. This year there are a number of international films and some of the best, are Russian or have a Russian origin. Here are some that were recommended from the Film Festival for our Society or anyone with an interest in foreign film. I Am Love - starring Tilda Swinton, a fantastic film surrounding a tale of sexual and class politics, repression, and liberation, in which tradition and modern...>>

High school students began learning Russian as part of their regular classes at the beginning of the 2010 school year. This marks the first and only known high school class of it's kind in the Central Florida Public School system. But, before we tip our hat to the enlightened administrators at Winter Park's, Lake Howell High school, we need to give due recognition to the person behind this project-the school's Principal, Dr. Storch. The class is taught by Nina Toomey, a native Russian, who also ...>>

To most Americans the observation of International Women’s Day is an unknown and obscure event. However, in Europe and especially Russian speaking countries it is the most recognized holiday for sending flowers, gifts and recognition for women. Imagine a combination of Valentines and Mother’s Day and you' get the idea. For men who are married or dating a woman from these countries, it’s important to note that failure to recognize the day’s importance can be offensive. All women in Rus...>>

Here are the photos from today's event :-) [nggallery id=12]...>>

From Jef: I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas (which occurs today in Russian speaking countries) and also invite you to celebrate Stari Novi God, or Old New Year. For those unfamiliar with this custom, the differences in the Julian and Gregorian calendars present unique opportunities for us as we get to have two Christmas and New Year Celebrations each year. Now that everyone is finished traveling for the holidays we can  all welcome 2010 together. This will be a nice dinner an...>>

Get ready for something new and enjoyable. The Society is hosting “Mediterranean Night” at a locally owned restaurant in Orlando called Maraya at Sabrina’s. This will be more than tasty Mediterranean style food, the restaurant also features entertainment for the guests and we will have group seating so we can all chat and enjoy the evening. Dinner will begin at 7:00 and entertainment starts around 8:30. There will be a magic show and belly dancing plus they have asked us to bring some ...>>

The Society hosted an Ice Skating event at the RDV Sports Complex in Orlando. The photos from the event are below: Tip: These images are reduced in size to make them load faster. If you want a full size copy, right click on the image and select "Open image in new tab". This will allow you to view the full size version and save it to your computer. Enjoy! [nggallery id=10]...>>

It's time to celebrate the cooler weather (ok, pretend we have some), join us for an ice skating party at the RDV Sports Complex. Skating will be on Sunday, October 18, 2009,  from 2:00-3:45pm and will include a DJ. This is public skating so we will be sharing the rink with others. For those who just want to watch, there are places to sit around the rink. Afterward, if some wish to get together for coffee or a light snack, we can plan something quickly. Small children can also skate and w...>>