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Russian Resources
Community Resource Guide
* The information listed below was accurate & functional during the course of the pilot. Inevitably, as time goes on, some links to other websites may become out of date. *
Most Russians (about 70%) live in Brooklyn, NY, and 20% in Queens.
Therefore most Russian stores, medical facilities and other institutions
are located in Brooklyn, NY. Since as many as 90% of so-called Russians
(i.e. people from the 15 republics of the former USSR) in NYC are Jews,
many organizations are specifically Jewish..
Community and youth group centers:
The biggest community centers (all have Youth programs):
American Jewish Committee (AJC)
165 East 56th St., New York, NY
(212) 751-4000
Website: www.ajc.org
UJA (United Jewish Appeal) Federation of NY
130 East 59th Street, New York, NY
(212) 980-1000
Website with hundreds of links: www.uja.org
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)
333 Seventh Ave., New York, NY
(212) 613-1300
Website: www.hias.org
JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Council of NYC)
New York, NY
NYANA (New York Association for New Americans)
17 Battery Place, New York, NY
(212) 425-5051
Center for Russian Jewry
240 Cabrini Boulevard - #5B, New York, NY
(212) 928-7451
COJECO (Council of Jewish Émigré Community
Organizations)
119 Fulton St., New York, NY
CAMBA (Church Ave. Merchants Block Association)
1720 Church Ave., Brooklyn, NY
Shorefront YM-YWHA
3300 Coney Island Ave., Brooklyn, NY
(718) 646-1444
Kingsbay Y
Nostrand Ave. and Ave. U, Brooklyn, NY
Borough Park Y
4912 14 Ave., Brooklyn, NY
Central Queens Y
Queens, NY
JCC (Jewish Community Center) of Bensonhurst
7802 Bay Pkwy., Brooklyn, NY
JCC of Greater Coney Island
3001 W. 37 St., Brooklyn, NY
Coney Island Y Development Program
2866 W. 17 St., Brooklyn, NY
Council of Jewish Organizations of Flatbush
1550 Coney Island Ave., Brooklyn, NY
Russian Community Life Center
125 Brighton Beach Ave., Brooklyn, NY
The Educational Center for Russian Jewry
66 Ave., Rego Park, Queens, NY
Bronx Jewish Community Council
2930 Wallace Ave., Bronx, NY
Organizations helpful to all immigrant communities — click here
Religious institutions in the community:
Various Conservative, Reformed and Orthodox synagogues, mostly in the
Bensonhurst and Eastern Parkway areas of Brooklyn. There are also a few
Russian Orthodox Churches and/or Ukrainian/Belorussain/Polish
Roman-Catholic Churches.
Congregation Beth Abraham (Orthodox)
2997 Ocean Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY
(718) 373-4533
Ocean View Jewish Center
3100 Brighton 4th St., Brooklyn, NY
(718) 891-5050
Guardian Angel Roman Catholic Church
2978 Ocean Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY
(718) 266-1561
New Brighton Jewish Center (Orthodox)
184 Brighton 11th St., Brooklyn, NY
(718) 332-9689
Jewish Center of Brighton Beach (Orthodox)
2915 Ocean Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY
(718) 769-7400
Sephardic Temple Torah Israel
60 Brighton Ave., Brooklyn, NY
(718) 648-0100
(Russian) Orthodox Church of America-NY
340 E 71st St, New York, NY
www.oca.org
St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral
15 E. 97th St., New York, NY
(212) 289-1915
St. George's Ukrainian Catholic Church
33 E. 7th St., New York, NY
(212) 674-1615
St. Michael's Russian Catholic Church
266 Mulberry Street, New York, NY
(212) 226-2644
Medical facilities including hospitals and clinics:
There are a lot of comparatively small Russian pharmacies, medical and
dental centers on each corner in Brooklyn, especially on: Brighton Beach
Ave., Ocean Ave., Kings Hwy., Coney Island Avenue, West 8 St., Bay Pkwy,
and 86 St., Bay Ridge.
Other facilities visited by Russian patients are:
Midtown Medical Center
30 East 40 St., New York, NY
Lenox Hill Hospital
100 East 72 St., New York, NY
Coney Island Hospital
2601 Ocean Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY
(718) 615-4000
Sheepshead Bay Primary Care Center (Maimonides Medical Center)
3121 Ocean Avenue at Shore Parkway, Brooklyn, NY
(718) 283-1633
Staten Island University Hospital
3009 Ocean Pkwy., Staten Island, NY
Family Health Center, Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, NY
Interfaith Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY Jewish Division
Special events including ethnic festivals, parades, etc.
NYANA (New York Association for New Americans)Summer Festivals in
Battery Park, New York, NY
Call (212) 425-5051 for information.
Brighton Beach Summer Fair
Favorite restaurants:
Russian restaurants have hundreds of various dishes and hors d'oeuvres
(zakuska.) All are well-described in the menus which often include
photos.You may ask the waiter for recommendations as well. It is permitted
to bring wine, vodka, etc. with you. Almost all Russian restaurants present
grand dinner shows. Dance and listen to songs and music (mostly Russian)
performed by live bands. Russian restaurants are loved by people of all
different backgrounds because of the great food, the excellent
entertainment, and value for money spent. You will spend $40-100 per each
person, including tax — but it's well worth it!
Rasputin
2670 Coney Island Ave., Brooklyn, NY
(718) 332-8111
Decadence is the name of the game at this French-Russian spot that boasts
ice-cold Absolut and a glitzy floor show. Although you technically have to
go to Coney Island to experience the fun, the ornate costumes alone are
worth seeing.
Rafael
116-33 Queens Blvd., Queens
Millennium Theatre/Atlantic Oceana
1029 Brighton Beach Ave., Brooklyn, NY
Odessa
1113 Brighton Beach Ave, Brooklyn, NY
(718) 332-3223
The granddaddy of Brighton Beach supper clubs, Odessa is also
perhaps the hardest place to get a table. Those who book early will be
rewarded with authentic Russian cuisine and a high-energy crowd celebrating
everything from cousin Yuri's new job on Wall Street to Grandma's passing
her citizenship exam.
The National
273 Brighton Beach Ave., Brooklyn, NY
(718) 646-1225
Get ready for glamour and excitement. Everything here is deluxe, and the
dancing is nonstop.
Café St. Petersburg
223 Brighton Beach Ave, Brooklyn, NY
(718) 743-0880
A hot spot for young Russians, featuring live music every night. More
intimate than The National and Odessa but still extremely
energetic and fun.
Firebird Russian Restaurant
365 W 46th St., New York, NY
(212) 586-0244
Veselka (Ukrainian restaurant)
144 2nd Ave. (@10th St.), New York, NY
(212) 228-9682
Ukrainian East Village Restaurant
140 E. 2nd Ave. (@9th St.), New York, NY
(212) 529-5024
Premiere
428 Kings Hwy., Brooklyn, NY
Apsheron
3501 Quentin Rd., Brooklyn, NY
Primorski Restaurant
282 Brighton Beach Ave., Brooklyn, NY
(718) 891-3111
This classic, spacious Brighton Beach haunt has been around for almost 20
years. The difference here is that the menu also features traditional
Georgian dishes, such as a rich chicken stew called chakhombili. On
weekends, there's a bustling daytime scene where one can feast much more
frugally.
Black Sea
4029 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY
Specialty stores:
Le Monti — clothes, furs.
2070 McDonald Ave. @ Kings Highway, Brooklyn, NY
Boris Productions — books, films, CDs
64-49 108 St., Forest Hills; Queens, NY
Book House "Petersburg" — books, films, CDs
Brighton Beach Ave.; Brooklyn, NY
Mosfilm (Moscow Film) — books, films, CDs
Brighton Beach Ave., Brooklyn and also other areas in NY
Kiev Bakery — pastries, cakes, cookies
Brighton Beach Ave. in Brooklyn, and in other areas of New York as well.
Mona Lisa — pastries, cakes, cookies
1476 86 St., Brooklyn, NY
Golden Age Antiques
143 East 57 St., New York, NY
Victor Kamkin — Books
925 Broadway. New York, NY
(212) 673-0776
Russian House — art, books, etc.
253 Fifth Ave, New York, NY
(212) 685-1010
Chyornoye Mope
Black Sea Bookstore
3175 Coney lsland Ave., Brooklyn, NY
(718) 769-2878
Shoroshim — books
1566 Coney Island Ave., Brooklyn, NY
Surma: The Ukrainian Shop
111 E. 7th St., New York, NY
(212) 477-0729
www.surmastore.com
Russian Department Store
Russian groceries, gifts, videos, etc. via the Web. A wonderful site.
(212) 421-0017
www.russianfoods.com
Levine's Judaica
Judaica, including books, supplies, etc.
5 West 30th St., New York, NY
(212) 695-6888
outside NYC: (800) 553-9474
www.levinejudaica.com
Recommended books, periodicals and rentable films:
Besides classic Russian writers such as Pushkin, Lermontov, Tolstoy,
Dostoyevskiy, and Solzhenitsyn it is difficult to find anything else in
English.
Especially suggested are all the comedies of Leonid Gaiday, of Diamond
Hand, Operation "Yi" and Other Adventures of Shurik, Ivan Vasilievich
Changes His Profession, Kavkaz Prisoner, and Gentlemen of Luck.
They contain "pure Russian humor" and a lot of funny expressions known by
everyone. These comedies are also well known by great Russian actors.
Community newspapers and magazines:
Kurier (Courier or Messenger)
1090 Coney Island Ave., 2nd floor, Brooklyn, NY
(718) 421-9100
Russkaya Reklama (Russian Ads)
2705 Coney Island Ave., Brooklyn, NY
(718) 769-3000
Novoye Russkoye Slovo( New Russian Word — Russian/English)
111 Fifth Ave., New York, NY
(212) 387-0299
Russkiy Bazar (Russian Bazaar)
Forwerts (Forward — Russian/English)
45 E. 33rd St., New York, NY
(212) 889-8200
Vecherniy New York (Night New York — Russian/English)
V Novom Svete (In a New World)
(212) 302-8769
Novy Meridian (New Meridian)
2403 65th St., Brooklyn, NY 11204
(718) 376-3048
AiF (Arguments and Facts)
Alef
78 Pearl St., New York, NY
(212) 943-9690
Russian Websites and Information — Many links to things
Russian, for all Russians.
www.du.edu/langlit/russia
n/websites.html
Russian New York
A comprehensive Russian-language website for Russians in New York.
(Note: In order to read these pages you will need to have the Cyrillic font
installed on your computer.)
www.russianny.com
Special-interest radio stations and Cable-TV Stations:
Most of the radio and TV stations below are accessed by private subscription only.
RTN — Russian TV & NTV
1095 East 45th St., Brooklyn
www.cablevision.com
Radio Nadezhda (Hope)
Main office: (800) 824-1388
Brooklyn: (718) 743-7740
Radio WMNB
Radio Narodnaya Volna (People's Wave)
Radio RTN
(800) 222-2786
(888) 301-2655
Jewish Radio
(718) 438-2626
Museums featuring specialty exhibits and interests:
Museum of Jewish Heritage A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
18 First Place, Battery Park City, New York, NY
(212) 968-1800
The 20th century Jewish experience before, during, and after the Holocaust
as described through personal accounts, artifacts, photos, and film. Audio
tours, gift shop, café. Can be rented for private events. Closed
Saturdays and on major Jewish holidays.
www.mjhnyc.org
BRIC/Brooklyn Information & Culture
647 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY
(718) 855-7882
Information on Brooklyn's museums, parks, arts, cultural institutions and
sites of special interest by mail and on website. Free quarterly calendar.
Closed Saturday, Sunday. Oversees Brooklyn Tourism Council.
www.brooklynx.org
Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th St., New York, NY
(212)294-8307
Extensive collections related to Jewish history, culture, and languages.
Accessible through a public reading room and exhibition halls. Genealogy
services. Public lectures, films, and music programs.
www.centerforjewishhistory.org
Eldridge Street Project
12 Eldridge St., New York, NY
(212) 219-0903
A restored historic Synagogue, Edridge Street Project is a 19th-century
landmark with stunning architecture which initially opened its doors to
Eastern European Jewish immigrants, and is now a vibrant arts and education
center for all ages and backgrounds.
www.eldridgestreet.org
Ukrainian Museum
203 2nd Ave., New York, NY
(212) 228-0110
www.ukrainianmuseum.org
Ukrainian Institute of America
2 East 79th St., New York, NY
(212) 288-8660
www.ukrainianinstitute.org
Gift shop: shop.brama.com
Ellis Island Immigration Museum
Ellis Island, New York, NY
(212) 344-0996
Famous immigrant gateway to America, in New York harbor, for ancestors of
one in four present-day Americans. Multilingual audio tours. Ferry departs
daily and frequently from Battery Park. Ferry (charge), museum free.
The Jewish Museum
1109 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
(212) 423-3200
4000 years of history; renovated and expanded facilities. Devoted to Jewish
art and culture, both ancient and modern. Two gift shops, café.
Closed Friday, Saturday, Jewish holidays. Guided tours.
www.thejewishmuseum.org
Yeshiva University Museum
15 West 16th St., New York, NY
(212) 294-8330
Dramatic exhibitions and thought-provoking programs explore all aspects of
Jewish art, culture, and history. Multilingual. Adults $6; seniors,
students, kids $2. Gift shop, food service. Closed Friday, Saturday,
Monday, Jewish holidays. Groups; craft workshops.
www.yu.edu/museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art
5th Avenue @ 82nd St., New York, NY
(212) 879-5500
Collections span the history of world art. Hundreds of world-famous
masterpieces. Gift shop. Closed Monday.
www.metmuseum.org
Sample Phrases in Russian
Note: If you have trouble listening to these recordings, you may need to download a browser plugin capable of playing MP3 files.
These plugins may be downloaded free from the following links: For the Mac we recommend 
Quicktime Player,
Windows Media Player.
Notation: Bold — stress is laid on this vowel/syllable.
English version | Phonetic Translation |
My name is: | |
I'm here to investigate a report on: | |
I'm here to help: | |
I'd like to introduce you to my interpreter: | |
How are you: | |
Thank you for your time: | |
Education | |
School | |
Mr. | |
Ms. | |
Mrs. | |
Mother | |
Father | |
Son | |
Daughter | |
Brother | |
Sister | |
Grandfather | |
Grandmother | |
Aunt | |
Uncle |