The Russians

Russian Matryoshka dolls, also known as “Nefertiti of Siberia”
The balalaika, a three-string musical instrument

The first traces of the Russian community in Rawdon date back to 1929, when a certain Mrs. Jacob Kaghinski opened the first Russian boarding house. Three years later, Dr Kozatchenco purchased a residence at the corner of Albert Street and 11th Avenue. The Russian community continued to grow in the Dollard Street area, near 11th Avenue and 13th Avenue. Finally, the end of the Second World War brought a new wave of Russian immigrants to Rawdon. Today, there are about fifty Russian families, mainly integrated into the English-speaking community. Of interest, the founder of Les Grands Ballets canadiens, Mrs. Ludmilla Chiriaeff lived for many years in Rawdon. She is buried in the Russian cemetery along with her mother, her husband Alexis Chiriaeff and their son Glieb.

The samovar is a coal-fired teapot. The coal is inserted and burnt in the central chimney which brings the water to the boiling point.
The Boyar costume was worn before the reforms of Peter the Great and then at the Imperial Court during balls and other festive occasions. The “kokochnik” (headdress) was worn at festivals and there was a simpler model for everyday wear
Replica of the Church of the Transfiguration. Built in 1714 on the island of Lake Onega north of St. Petersburg, this church, made entirely of wood, was assembled without the use of nails, and the pieces were all hewn with an axe
Traditional Russian costume