Taste of Russia 2011
"Taste of Russia" Festival in San Francisco The annual "Taste of Russia" festival at the Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco was held on Sunday, October 2, 2011. This Festival featured traditional Russian cuisine: pelmeni, golubtsi, beef stroganoff, borscht and piroshki, all homemade by the Sisterhood of the Cathedral, as well as a shashlik barbeque, headed by cathedral priest, Fr.Yaroslav Belikow. Guests were able to eat and drink in the warm Indian Summer Sunday in the yard, or in the two main halls of the cathedral. No-host bar served Russian flavored vodka, Baltika beer and other mixed and soft drinks. The dessert table was full of a variety of desserts, including napoleon, baklava, fruit pirogi and other tasty specialties . Numerous Russian souvenirs, giftware, collectibles and jewelry were sold by the Russian American Women's League, who donated all collected funds to the Cathedral.
Tours of the Cathedral were offered to showcase the numerous frescoes and icons by renowned late ArchPriest and Iconographer, Fr. Kiprian and the intricate carved work of the gilded iconostasis and the shrine of St.John of Shanghai and San Francisco by Bishop Stefan. A performance by the renowned Holy Virgin Cathedral Choir and church bell-ringing demonstration as well as an in-depth demonstration of the meticulous process of icon painting was also presented.
As one of the sponsors of the festival, Congress of Russian Americans, helped promote the event and organized a program of entertainment that was presented hourly and featured Russian singers, dancers and musicians, including the tiny ballerinas from First Russian Ballet School at the Russian Center, the Russian Center Folk Dancers, Cossack Children's Ensemble "Sivka-Burka" with honor artist of Russia, Vladimir Riazantsev and to the more professional singers, bass Gennady Badasov and mezzo-soprano Ivanna Taratula, violinist Cyril Kouznetsov and Balka Balalaika Orchestra. Natalie Sabelnik, CRA President, MC'd the program, and thanked the many volunteers, performers and guests who came to support this annual fundraiser for the Cathedral.
Natalie Sabelnik also presented on behalf of the Congress of Russian Americans, the annual CRA university scholarship to Anastassia Triantafillidis, who was selected by CRA from the other applicants, who applied for the CRA scholarship program this year. Anastassia Triantafillidis was also one of the graduates from Ss.Cyrill & Methody Russian School in San Francisco, who was acknowledged by CRA as the Gold Medal recipient from the school.
