Tallinn is the capital of Estonia
Tallinn is the capital of Estonia
ДИАСПОРЫ
US Diaspora
ВСТУПЛЕНИЕ
Introduction
Русскоговорящие Общины
Russian-Speaking Communities
In the United States today, there are millions of Americans with Russian ancestry and just below 1,000,000 speakers of Russian, a demographic that has increased 443% since 1980, when there were fewer than 200,000 Russian speakers in the US. Russian is one of the most popularly spoken languages (varying from the third to fifth most spoken in households besides English) in the metropolitan areas of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. Most immigrants from the USSR left large cities and thus settled in such areas in the US, spreading across the country in cities such as Atlanta, Miami, NYC, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle. These areas and their suburbs are strongholds of Russian speaking populations.
The majority of Russian speakers in the US have a commanding grasp of English and have completed the equivalent to a bachelor's degree or higher. Many work in the spheres of information technology, management, education or medicine. Additionally, significant numbers have started their own businesses, an opportunity which attracted significant numbers of immigrants to American metropolises originally. In these occupations, more than half of immigrant families from the USSR make over $55,000 a year.
Throughout numerous waves of emigration starting in 1919, millions of Russian speakers have arrived in the United States due to anti-Semitism, economic instability, and suppression of freedom. Since 1991, hundreds of thousands have left the Russian speaking world for the U.S., which means today there is an emerging demographic of first and 1.5 generation Russian heritage speakers, meaning those who were the first in their family to be born in the United States or those born to immigrants who immigrated to the United States at a young age. This makes the United States Russian community relatively new and young, with many who still identify themselves with a dual (or treble) identity (e.g. Russian-American, Serbian-American or Russian-American Jewish). Descendants of these immigrants often understand Russian fluently, but speak, read and write at a lower level, as compared to native speakers. Many young adults have become interested in increasing their proficiency and connecting with their cultural roots, thus taking Russian language classes and involving themselves in their community.
ЗАПАДНЫЙ ГОЛЛИВУД
Western Hollywood
Вступление
Introduction
Лос Анджелес, расположенный на западном береге США, является одним из крупнейших русскоговорящих регионов США, вторым после Нью-Йорка. Западный Голливуд особенно известен многонациональной демографией, связанной с русской культурой. По оценкам, около 4,000 человек русскоговорящего наследия живут в Западным Голливуде, что составляет 11% населения города. Западный Голливуд, который также называется “Уе-Хо”/”WeHo” (сокращённый вариант “West Hollywood”), находится у подножия Голливудских Холмов и близко к бульвару Санта-Моника, где присутствие русскоговорящей общины чувствуется особенно сильно благодаря многочисленным магазинам, ресторанам, газетам и культурным событиям.
Los Angeles, located on the western coast of the United States, is one of largest Russian-speaking areas in the U.S. following New York. West Hollywood in particular is known for its diverse demographics regarding Russian culture. It is estimated that roughly 4,000 people of Russian speaking descent live in West Hollywood, making up about 11% of its population. West Hollywood also known as “WeHo” is located at the base of Hollywood Hills with a close proximity to Santa Monica Boulevard, where the Russian community’s presence is especially felt through Russian shops, restaurants, newspapers, and cultural events.
Город Западный Голливуд
The City of Western Hollywood
Since the early 1990’s, the City of West Hollywood has engaged with the Russian speaking community through civic projects, cultural events and services. In 1995, the city government created the “Russian-Speaking Community Outreach Coordinator” position, which is filled by a bilingual staff member to bridge the gap between the local government and the Russian speakers of the city. During the early years of this position, the Outreach Coordinator helped Russian speaking residents gain access to necessary services and provided translation of government materials. In 2000, this position was expanded to include an entire “Russian-Speaking Advisory Board,” which includes 9 appointed members. The Advisory boards meet publicly monthly with City Hall staff to encourage the Russian speaking community to engage in civic life and to hear the concerns or needs of the community. These meetings are conducted in both English and Russian with both consecutive and simultaneous translation.
The city also supports a ‘Conversation Cafe’ in one of the Russian neighborhoods, where English language learners can practice their English and meet others with immigration backgrounds. Furthermore, founded in 1992, the Russian Language Public Library has over 22,000 Russian books and is maintained by Russian speaking volunteers.
West Hollywood also strives to preserve the cultures of the former USSR countries as well as share it with the greater West Hollywood population. Since the early 2000’s, May has been recognized as the Russian cultural heritage month and this month features many celebrations, notably the annual Russian-Speaking Community Awards Presentation, Victory Day, and the Mishka Festival, which is a festival of cultural celebration, featuring Russian art, dance, music, and culinary traditions.
БРАЙТОН-БИЧ
Brighton Beach
Город Западный Голливуд
The City of Western Hollywood
Брайтон-бич, который ещё часто называют “Маленькой Одессой,” является самым большим русскоговорящим районом в городе Нью-Йорке. Там находится наибольшая концентрация русскоговорящих иммигрантов в западном полушарии - Брайтон-бич в Бруклине. Рядом с районом пляж и набережная кони-Айленд. Линии метро города, которые останавливаются в Брайтон-Бич, протянуты по мосту над улицами района. Благодаря близости к пляжу, многие жители Нью-Йорка приезжают в Брайтон-Бич по выходным. На самом деле, район называли “Маленькой Одессой” из-за пляжа, который напоминает переехавшим из Украины об Одессе и Чёрном море. Брайтон-Бич получил название в 1878ом году в честь курорта Брайтон-Бич, построенного за несколько лет до этого (но позже его месторасположение изменилось и потом он закрылся).
Brighton Beach, colloquially called “Little Odessa,” is the largest Russian speaking neighborhood in New York City, where the largest concentration of Russian-speaking immigrants in the Western hemisphere reside. Brighton Beach is located in Brooklyn, situated parallel to the Coney Island’s beach and boardwalk and underneath above ground services of the NYC subway, which both stop in the neighborhood. Given its proximity to Coney Island Beach, many of the city’s residents travel to Brighton Beach on the weekends. The beach is also where the neighborhood earned its nickname, “Little Odessa,” as the water is a reminder for Ukrainian immigrants of Odessa and the Black Sea. Brighton Beach was named in 1878, after the Brighton Beach resort, which was constructed there several years earlier (but later moved and then shut down).
Налева: улица на Брайтоне / Left: street in Brighton
Направа: набережная на Брайтоне / Right: boardwalk at Brighton
Примерно во время Великой депрессии, Брайтон-бич стал районом, состоящим из еврейско-американских в первом и втором поколении. На самом деле, первый театр на идише был построен там в 1919ом году. После нескольких десятилетий, в район эмигрировали многие уцелевшие люди концентрационных лагерей Холокоста, так много, что в 2011ом году большинство уцелевших Холокоста, живущих в городе Нью-Йорке, жило в Брайтон-Бич. На сегодняшний день существуют многие синагоги, еврейские учреждения и культурные центры. В второй половине 20го века, семьи среднего класса начали переезжать из города в пригород и многие дома района разделили на единственные квартиры для бедных, пенсионеров и психически больных. А к середению 1970ых годов, Брайтон-Бич стал популярным местом, куда пришли советские эмигранты, именно Евреи-ашкенази из России и Украины. После распада СССР в 1991ом году, произошёл еще приток русско-говорящих эмигрантов из бывшего СССР (например, из Грузии и Азербайджана). В последное время, количество мусульманских русско-говорящих эмигрантов из центральной Азии увеличивалось. Согласно переписи население 2010го года, в Брайтон-Бич живут больше 35,000 людей и меньше четверти них родились в США. Район имеет нижние уровни владения английским языком по сравнению с городом Нью-Йорком в целом, ниже 40%, и более высокие процентный состав жителей больше 65 на 10%. На улицах и проспектах есть двуязычные или русско-говорящие магазины, рестораны, ночные клубы и игровые центры. Многие считают Брайтон-Бич отправной точкой для русско-говорящих эмигрантов в США потому, что мигранты могут жить и работать в общине без владения английским. Некоторые выучивают английским и уезжают, а другие остаются там навсегда. Несмотря на религиозное, национальное и этническое разнообразие района, в Брайтон-бич есть сильно развито чувство общности. Его жителей связывает не столько национальная принадлежность, сколько тот факт, что все они русскоговорящие американцы.
Around the time of the Great Depression, Brighton Beach became a neighborhood of mostly first and second generation Jewish-Americans. In fact, the first Yiddish theater in the United States was constructed there in 1919. A few decades later, the neighborhood received many Holocaust concentration camp survivors, so many that in 2011, most of the Holocaust survivors living in NYC lived in Brighton Beach. Today, there are several synagogues, Jewish institutions and Jewish cultural centers. In the latter half of the 20th century, middle class families began moving out of the city into more suburban areas and many of the houses in Brighton Beach were subdivided into single rooms for the poor, elderly, and mentally ill. But, in the mid 1970’s the neighborhood became a popular place for Soviet immigrants to settle, mostly Ashkenazi Jews from Russia and Ukraine. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, there was another influx of Russian-speaking immigrants from the former USSR (for example, Georgia and Azerbaijan). In recent decades, there has also been an increase of majority Muslim Russian-speaking immigrants from Central Asia. According to the 2010 census, there are over 35,000 residents of Brighton Beach and less than a quarter of them were born in the United States. The neighborhood has lower English proficiency levels than New York City in general, below 40% and a higher percentage of residents over 65 by about 10%. The streets and avenues of this neighborhood are filled with bilingual or Russian speaking shops, restaurants, nightclubs, schools, and play centers. Many consider Brighton Beach as a starting point for Russian-speaking immigrants in the United States, as immigrants can live and work within the community without knowing English. Some learn English and leave, while others live there permanently. Despite the religious, national, and ethnic diversity of the area, Brighton Beach has a well developed community. What unites them is not their national identity, but their common identity as Russian speaking Americans.
Сообщество
Community
Brighton Beach is often viewed as a place where time has stopped, allowing visitors and residents to step into an image of life in Russian speaking countries of the recent decades given the number of Russian speakers and the abundance of characteristically Eastern European, Russian and Central Asian enterprises. This aspect forms a significant part of the community culture. In the nearby park, senior citizens can be seen playing chess or traditional Russian games such as doorak (дурак, fool), along the streets, vendors sell ornate Slavic trinkets, house slippers, and newspapers from Russian speaking countries and signs advertising businesses are written in both English and Russian for business catering to both residents and those visiting, and only in Russian for those catering towards residents only (such as dentists, travel agencies, etc), given that the majority of this population knows only Russian. There are numerous traditional European and Central Asian businesses such as supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, spas, salons and boutiques. Their services, products and food resemble those which you can find in this part of the world. NetCost, Tashkent and Goldlabel are the major grocery stores in Brighton Beach. These stores feature traditional Russian and international food and products such as frozen dumplings (пельмени) or candy. At local restaurants, patrons can get a Russian style night out, with many restaurants both serving traditional dishes and providing entertainment such as night clubs. Brighton Beach is also home to cultural centers such as the Master Theater (previously called the Millennium Theater or Oceana Theater) where both American and Russian actors have performed and the Brighton Ballet Theater, which was established in 1987. This school is one of the most famous Russian ballet schools in the United States, where thousands of children have been trained in ballet, modern, character and folk dances. Residents attend local mosques, synagogues and Russian Orthodox churches.
Each summer, Brooklyn gathers to celebrate cultural diversity at the Brighton Jubilee. The majority of attendees are Russian speaking immigrants who reside in Brighton beach. At this festival, cultures from around the world (and especially those from Eastern Europe and Central Asia) represented through live performances, booths of local business, rides for children and a plethora of cultural food options. At the 2023 Brighton Jubilee, the NYC-local Russian language radio show ‘Freedom FM’ was featured as the main music event. The cultural significance of Brighton Beach is incorporated into many media works consumed inside and out of the Brooklyn neighborhood. In Brother 2 Brighton Beach is depicted as a safe-haven for Russian speaking travelers and the film Little Odessa is set in Brighton Beach. This area is also mentioned in literature (such as Vector by Robin Cook), plays (Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs) and television shows (Russian Dolls, which shows the lives of Russian-Americans).
Брайтон Джубили фестиваль / Brighton Jubilee Festival
Брайтон Золотая Этикетка / Brighton Gold Label
Брайтон гимнасттика балета / Brighton ballet school
Украинская ярмарка вакансий / Ukrainian job fair
Украинская школа наследия / Ukrainian Heritage School
Сообщество
Community
In recent years, Brighton Beach has received an influx of Ukrainian immigrants. Given that many residents do not learn English and exclusively watch Russian TV networks, not knowing how to navigate the internet, not all of these immigrants have been welcomed with open arms since the beginning of the Russian annexation of Crimea. Even within the Brooklyn Ukrainian population, Russian speaking Ukrainian immigrants have been reprimanded for speaking Russian instead of Ukrainian, even when they identify Russian as their native language.
However, numerous community initiatives paint the state of the Ukrainian community itself and its relationship to the greater Brooklyn area in a different manner. In February of 2023, 80 companies were represented at Edith and Carl Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst in Brooklyn for a job fair dedicated to Ukrainian refugees. Refugees flooded the community center looking for new opportunities. Multiple cultural events have been put on to celebrate the Ukrainian identity and unite the New York-Ukrainian community. This August, Brooklyn residents came together to celebrate Ukrainian Independence Day with choir and dance performances and food. Additionally, the local Brighton Beach branch of the Brooklyn Public library, which already houses a large collection of media from Eastern Europe and Russia, has begun free Ukrainian language classes for all ages and levels. This initiative is called “Brooklyn Speaks Ukrainian.” Furthermore, the “Ukrainian New Wave Heritage School” has been dedicated to the preservation of the rich culture and history of the country and has served as a place of cultural pride and strength. The idea for the school was developed in 2006, with multiple branches across the North-east. The Brooklyn branch opened in 2019 with 150 junior and high school students, which came three years after the school of Ukrainian Studies in Brooklyn was founded. This school is a Saturday school with art, history and language lessons focusing on the transmission of Ukrainian to students from preschool to 12th grade.
ИСТОЧНИКИ
Resources