Glen Cove Library Showcases Russian Heritage

The  is celebrating Russian Heritage Month through January.

The library is currently featuring artifacts of the Russian culture, art and history presented by professor Vera Von Wiren Garczynski, the president of the Slavic American Cultural Association.

The exhibit is showcased in the library's front lobby display cases and features colorful Russian icons, items of Russian fairytales and folklore, Russian nesting dolls, a balalaika, a samovar, Faberge style eggs, pictures of the opera Boris Godunov written by Pushkin, and of Peter the Great and his Black Godson.

The nesting dolls are the Dynasty of the Romanovs from Michael 1613 to Nicholas 1917. There is also a nesting doll of Boris Yeltsyn. The professor formed the Slavic organization in 1973 originally as a club for the students at City College of the University of New York.

The club has evolved into a non profit organization SACA Inc. which was officially registered in 1978.

The mission of the Slavic American Cultural Association is “to serve the American Community at large with culture  of American of various ethnic background, to share their customs, culture and history with each other, thus make them appreciate and respect each other’s culture, unity out of Diversity.”

This exhibit is not the first time the Slavic American Cultural Association has been involved with the City of Glen Cove: The Executive Director of the Slavic American Cultural Society Paul Wisniewski organizes an annual concert in in early September, featuring musicians celebrating Slavic culture, and saluting American Armed Forces and Veterans.