By Amy Goodpaster Strebe Russian America San Francisco Ever since the late 18th-century, when Russian fur trappers from Alaska first hunted along North America’s Pacific coast, there has been a Russian presence in Northern California. From the first Russian settlement at Fort Ross in 1812, through large-scale immigration during the Soviet period, Russians have made ittingly, the history of Russians in Petersburg on September 14. While jour- San Francisco begins with a love their influence felt in Northern neying through the wintry Siberian story. On April 5, 1806, Count Nikolai California, and particularly the expanses, however Rezanov was stricken Petrovich Rezanov, a Russian nobleman by a ferocious fever and died in San Francisco Bay Area. Fand representative of the Russian- Krasnoyarsk on March 1, 1807. American Company, sailed his ship, the The likelihood, if not all hope, for the Juno, into San Francisco Bay. California extension of Russian sovereignty on the was at that time a Spanish colony, Alaska exchanged pledges. Rezanov wrote of American continent died with Rezanov. a Russian dominion. Rezanov was desper- Concha in his report: Sixty years later, Alaska was sold to the ate to get relief supplies for the starving United States. The projected treaty with Russian colony at Sitka, Alaska. He met “Associating daily with and paying my Spain was never signed, and Rezanov with the commandante of the Presidio, addresses to the beautiful Spanish señorita, himself was largely forgotten by history. Don Jose Dario Arguello, and the colony’s I could not fail to perceive her active, ven- But what of his beloved “Conchita”? governor, Don Jose Arrillaga. They were ture-some disposition and character … dis- Her betrothed having failed to return, skeptical and curious about the Russian, satisfied with the land of her birth, she Concha entered the Dominican Sister- yet decided to help him. Rezanov, for his always referred to it jokingly as a beautiful hood, and spent the rest of her life as a part, hoped to build better ties and to country, warm climate, an abundance of teacher in St. Catherine’s Seminary, the LEFT: ARTTODAY. RIGHT: COURTESY RUSSIAN-AMERICAN CENTER secure a treaty with the local Spanish gov- grain and cattle—and nothing else. I first convent school in California. ernment for regular provisioning of the described Russia to her as a colder country, Russian outpost. but still abounding in everything and she IN THE FAMOUS CITY BY THE BAY, THE Through Arguello, Rezanov, a 42-year- was willing to live there … when I proffered Russian community is visibly concentrat- old widower, met and began courting my hand, she accepted.” ed in the outer Richmond District. This Arguello’s 16-year-old daughter, peaceful patch of pastel-colored apart- Concepcion, or “Concha” as she was Rezanov departed from San Francisco ments and quiet avenues is situated called. After several dances at the Presidio on May 21, 1806. After replenishing the between two of San Francisco’s best- and many talks together, the dashing settlement at Sitka, he sailed on to known landmarks—Golden Gate Park count and the young Spanish girl Kamchatka, proceeding on to St. and the Golden Gate Bridge. Strolling 56 • Russian Life down Geary Boulevard, the main artery of the bustling neighborhood, one Going Russian in the City by the Bay instantly notices the Cyrillic lettering on the windows of Russian shops and restau- rants, and feels transformed to another DELIS, BAKERIES place. & MARKETS Proceeding down Geary between Cinderella Bakery, 436 14th and 26th avenues, one comes across Balboa St. Phone: 415-751- a myriad of Russian delis, food markets, 9690 gift stores, restaurants, and bakeries. A The Tiptoe Delicatessen, typical Russian business is the Moscow 5423 Geary Blvd. & Tbilisi Bakery on Geary Boulevard Gastronom, 5801 Geary and 20th Avenue. Attracted by Russian Blvd. Phone: 415-387-4211 delicacies like pirozhki, bliny and Gastronom Sunset, 2801 Georgian khachapuri, as well as cakes, Judah St. Phone: 415-664- cookies and sweets with names like tri- 1835 Above: The Holy Virgin Cathedral on Geary Boulevard, as bochka, lamur, tbilisi and srekrobovino, New World Market, 5641 seen from the air, its golden cupolas standing in stark Russians and non-Russians alike can Geary Blvd. & 22nd St. contrast to the surrounding neighborhood. Opposite page: Phone: 415-751-8810 The Vodka Tasting Bar at the Annual Russian Festival, which often be found standing outside in the draws over 3,000 expatriate Russians and Russophiles to early morning hours, waiting in antici- Odessa Russian the district. pation for the bakery, with its inviting Delicatessen, 5427 Geary aromas, to open for business. Blvd. Phone: 415-387-8314 BOOKSTORES GIFT STORES Moscow & Tbilisi Bakery, There is no shortage of Russian food in Znanie, 4720 Geary Blvd. Babushka Perestroika 5540 Geary Blvd. Phone: San Francisco. In the neighborhoods sur- Near 17th Ave. Phone: 415- Store, Pier 39, P214A. 415-668-6959 rounding the Richmond District, there 752-7555 Phone: 415-788-7043 Europa Express, also sells are plenty of Russian restaurants to Globus Slavic Bookstore, Russian Treasure, 2801 Russian music, literature and choose from. From Russian Renaissance, 332 Balboa St. Phone: 415- Leavenworth St. Phone: 415- postcards, 750 La Playa St. with its fanciful murals on the ceilings 668-4723 346-1104 Phone: 415-751-1551 painted by local artist Sergei Smirnoff, Arlekin, also sells Russian Regina, 5845 Geary Blvd. European Food and walls featuring dressed-up dolls and CDs, videos, audio tapes, & 23rd Ave. Ph: 415-386-8577 Wholesale, 3038 Clement St. 5909 Geary Blvd. Phone: Russian chochkes, its décor is a stark con- Phone: 415-750-0504 415-751-2320 CHURCHES trast to the simplicity of Katia’s Russian Quality Market, 1342 Holy Virgin Cathedral, Tea Room on 5th Avenue at Balboa Street, Irving St. Phone: 415-759- RUSSIAN LANGUAGE 6210 Geary Blvd. Phone: which comes recommended by many 6500 Russian-Americans in the area for its cre- NEWSPAPERS 415-221-3255 Russkaya Zhizn, at San St. Nicholas Cathedral, ative and Russian-inspired menu (see RESTAURANTS Francisco Russian Center, 2005 15th St. at Church St. Russian Cuisine, page 54). Mad Magda’s Russian Tea 2450 Sutter St. Phone: 415- Phone: 415-621-1849 Across the street from Katia’s is the Room, 579 Hayes St. Phone: 921-5380 Holy Trinity Cathedral, Globus Slavic Bookstore, and located not 415-864-7654 New Life, at Jewish 1520 Green St. at Van Ness. far away on Geary Boulevard near 17th Russian Renaissance, Community Center of San Phone: 415-673-8565 Avenue is Znanie, the best-known of the 5241 Geary Blvd. Phone: Francisco, 3200 California St. 415-752-8558 city’s Russian-language bookstores. Phone: 415-346-6040. MISCELLANEOUS Katia’s Russian Tea Opened in 1958, Znanie carries a large San Francisco Russian Room, 600 5th Ave. Phone: selection of Russian authors, children’s ART GALLERIES Center, Museum of Russian 415-668-9292 books and sheet music, as well as gifts and Turov Ceramic Gallery, Culture, 2450 Sutter St. Russia House souvenirs from Russia. 3654 Sacramento St. Phone: Phone: 415-921-7631 Restaurant/Nightclub/Bar, San Francisco has several Russian gift 415-474-9999 Museum of the Society of open Fri/Sat for dinner only stores peppered throughout the city, Light Opera Gallery, 460 Russian Veterans of WWI: 2011 Bayshore Blvd. Phone: like Babushka Perestroika at Pier 39, Post St. Phone: 415-956- Sviatoslav Zabelin, “Sven” at. 415-330-9991 near Fisherman’s Wharf, and Russian 9866. Phone: 415-386-8463 Traktir Restaurant, 4036 Treasure, also located at the Wharf on Sokoloff Art & Framing Slavyanka Men’s Russian Balboa St. Phone: 415-386- Leavenworth Street. Russian Treasure Company, 150 San Marcos Chorus, 9 Tioga Ave. Phone: 9800 features matryoshka dolls, lacquer Ave. Phone: 415-566-8177 650-365-1363. Russian Bear Restaurant, Consulate General of the boxes, Baltic amber, books, religious 939 Clement St. Phone: 415- Russian Federation, 2790 designs, chess sets and painted eggs. 752-8197 Downtown, on Post Street (between Green St. Ph: 415-929-1035 Powell and Mason streets), the discrim- GARY L. STREBE MARCH/APRIL 2002 • 57 Russian America inating Russian art collector can find a Church, which has 20 churches in the Bay in 1909—the original church having been large selection of lacquer boxes and Area. In the heart of the Richmond destroyed by the earthquake of 1906. miniatures from Russia at the Light District, the imposing, Byzantine-style Holy Trinity features seven bells in its Opera Gallery. The store’s owner, Eric Holy Virgin Cathedral is a notable land- belfry, five of which were gifts from Tsar Sinizer, is a noted expert on the minia- mark, with its five onion-shaped domes Alexander III in thanksgiving for the tures. On an average day, more than 500 covered in 24-karat gold. Over the door, emperor’s and the Imperial family’s res- Russian lacquered boxes can be found the mosaic tympanum represents the cue following a train accident near the on display here. Virgin Mary floating on a background of town of Borki, Ukraine on October 17, According to the Consulate General of tiles, also covered in pure gold leaf. Inside 1888. Another unique feature of the the Russian Federation, headquartered the cathedral is the resting place of St. cathedral is a grand chandelier donated on Green Street, the San Francisco Bay John Maximovich, archbishop of San by the last tsar of Russia, Nicholas II. Area counts approximately 200,000 Francisco, who died in 1966. Miracles According to tradition, the Emperor also Russian “compatriots.”“As a very friend- were attributed to St. John before his donated a richly-decorated icon of his ly and multi-ethnic city, San Francisco death, and in 1994 it was found that his patron saint—Nicholas of Myra and historically was the first in which body had not decomposed.