Board of Directors

The Russian American Cultural Center (RACC) is a non-profit educational corp. devoted to the historical research and the cultural activities that promote mutual understanding and appreciation between Russians and Americans.

For over ten years the Russian-American Cultural Center has played a significant role in the cultural life of Boston's vibrant and diverse Russian-speaking community. Tireless director Margaret "Peggy" Coleman has almost single-handedly built the center from a modest room on Atlantic Avenue's historic Russia Wharf to a busy, multi-resource center on Chinatown's Tyler street. The Center welcomes everyone-from people in the community and tourists to the city to Russians who are visiting or residing in this country and need a cultural refuge, a place where their traditions, values and language are understood. The Center is a place where the samovar is always warm and visitors are treated to Peggy's unique brand of Russian-American hospitality.

The roots of the Center go back over 40 years to 1961, at the height of the Cold War, in fact, when the very notion of a Russian-American Cultural Center would have seemed absurd. Peggy Coleman, then a college graduate, made her first trip to the USSR and has been a devoted supporter of Russia's colorful and rich culture ever since. Her love affair with Russia has lasted over forty years and Russian authorities have stamped her passport over twleve times.

The RACC is a much-needed nerve net for the community and local residents who are interested in Russian culture. On any given day, the Center hosts language classes, live performances by Russian musicians and dancers, narrations and recitations of poetry or talks on Russian life or issues effecting Russians, and small-scale exhibitions of work by Russian artists and photographers. Visitors can review books from the extensive library on the second floor or admire and purchase Russian souvenirs like lacquered boxes (palek), hand-painted nested dolls (matryoshka) or amber jewelry.

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