Annual Kalinka Russian Festival set for June 13Date: 6/10/2009 WEST SPRINGFIELD - The Russian-speaking community of Western Massachusetts will share its food, music, dance and other cultural events with each other and with members of the general population at its Kalinka 2009 festival on June 13 at West Springfield High School, 500 Amostown Rd.
The fourth annual festival is organized by the Russian Community Association of Western Massachusetts (RCAM) and will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free.
The RCAM expects attendance to exceed the 3,500 who attended Kalinka 2008. Vendors of food and merchandise will feature their products at the festival, which takes its name from a Russian berry and the name of a popular Russian song.
"One of RCAM's major goals is to help integrate the local immigrant community into American society while still preserving the diversity of that community and promoting multiculturalism," said Mila Dubinchik, regional director of the community association. "Kalinka brings together local businesses and the Russian community and others interested in Russian culture."
Sponsors of this year's Kalinka include Baystate Medical Center, BMC Health Net Plan, Bertera Auto Group, Century 21 Realtor Ivan Karamyan, and florist Marina Kostenko.
Churches that will participate with music, dance and other activities include Church Nadezhda, the Russian Pentacostal Church of West Springfield, the Church New Generation of Springfield and Church of New Covenant of Chicopee. The Turkish Cultural Center will also participate in the event with the presentation of traditional Turkish dancing, music, ethinc costumes and crafts.
Vendors include Womanshelter Companeras, the Turkish Cultural Center, Language Bridge, Monzari Fur Shearling Leather of NYC and Vietnamese Organization Boat People SOS. Wares will include Russian made goods including fur and leather and souvenirs.
Manzari Fur Center of Brooklyn, N.Y., will have an exhibit at Kalinka 2009, as will Parus, a local Russian-Turkish store.
The festival stage will feature performances by Russian musical groups and vocalists and the Russian band the Top Hat. It also will feature "jazzical" arrangements of Russian songs by jazz and classical pianist Joel A. Martin, the husband of Lyuba Kurbanova, program director of the Russian Community Association of Western Massachusetts.
There are about 30,000 Russian-speaking immigrants in the Greater Springfield area, who came from Russia and other Russian-speaking republics in the former Soviet Union. The RCAM's services include English language lessons, translation and interpretation services, help with naturalization and immigration questions, help with access to health care and help with the elderly.
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