Russian Book Store

Book World, Russian Book Store, in Brookline, Massachusetts

Russian Orthodox Resurgence in East New York

East New York has long been a hotbed of crime, one of Brooklyn's most dangerous and run down neighborhoods. Yet East New York's Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity is experiencing a resurgence after decades of decline, due to a new wave of Russian immigrants in the city.

Russian Radio in New York

Corporate take overs and consolidations have made the New York radio dial pretty dull in the last few years. That's why it's so refreshing to find Danu Radio.

Formerly known as "Radio Pozitiv", Danu Radio is a Russian language radio station broadcasting out of Brooklyn that air music and talk shows.  While the music is Russian language, there's an international sensibility to programs like the dance music show that transcends any language barriers.

The talk shows function as an important outlet for the Russian immigrant community.

Programs include a morning show, listener call in programs like Почти дома, an Armenian language program titled Армянское Радио, and a talk show featuring Seva Kaplan, known as the founding father of Russian radio in the US. Danu Radio's website compares Kaplan to the outspokenness of shock jock Howard Stern, although that description is hard to validate as there are so few Russian speaking Howard Stern fans available to judge.
 

Where Russian-Americans live

The Russians are coming

Neighborhood demographics change: it's part of the evolution of neighborhoods. A community that fails to attract newcomers is a community that is stagnant.

The latest chapter in the drama of ethnic change is Staten Island. The New York borough is now experiencing growing pains as Russian-Americans flock to the area.

Russian immigrants have long settled in Brooklyn, particularly neighborhoods like Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay. As their children come of age, many are now branching further out, especially to Staten Island.

The move does not come without resentment from long time Staten Island natives. The tension recently peaked over a community center proposed for a neglected  property in South Beach. The center was perceived as something for the Russians, instead of a project that would benefit the whole community as a whole. Locals were not shy about expressing their displeasure at a recent civic meeting.

As is often the case, natives seem quick to forget that they too were once the newcomers. Surely there was a previous generation of Staten Island "natives" who didn't care for the influx of Italian-American and Irish-Americans who now see themselves as Staten Island's long time residents.