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Aleksandra Efimova with Dr. Yury Zaitsev, director of the Russian Cultural Center, and his wife.

One of my greatest passions is to increase the awareness of Russia’s grand cultural heritage to the world. So it was a tremendous honor to receive an invitation recently to tour the Russian Cultural Center, which shares a similar vision.

Housed inside a gorgeous mansion in Washington, D.C., the Russian Cultural Center is dedicated to providing a forum where Russians and Americans can learn about and enjoy each other’s culture. Run by the Russian government, the center hosts dance and music performances, lectures, fashion shows, art exhibitions and more.

The mansion itself was built in 1895 as a private residence. In the 1950s, the Russian Embassy bought the building and used it first as a school for Russian children and later as part of the embassy itself. In 1999, the building underwent extensive renovation to turn it into a museum, and today it holds an impressive collection of paintings and artifacts, including two large portraits of Peter and Catherine the Great.

Dr. Yury Zaitsev, director of the Russian Cultural Center, personally showed me around the gorgeous building, and we discussed ideas for promoting Russian culture in the United States.

Both of us look forward to working together and to continue strengthening relations between the United States and Russia!