In the first half of the 20th century, Seattle ranked third among Pacific Coast cities in North America for the number of immigrants from Russia. This was due to the frequent arrival of ships from the Russian Far East at the port. Seattle also served as a stopover for Russians arriving in the USA from Canada and for residents of former settlements of the Russian-American Company.

By the end of the 19th century, a stable Russian community existed in Seattle. A local priest noted that about 100 Russians lived in the city, including fugitives from Siberia engaged in manual labor. There were also about 150 Ossetians from the Caucasus working as laborers. Approximately 1,500 Russian Jews resided in Seattle, running businesses on Main Street, where they had shops and sold haberdashery and scrap materials. Among them were many affluent individuals who owned grocery stores.

After the Civil War, a new wave of emigrants arrived in Seattle. The first Russian students came in 1921 to study in the USA and found shelter in a local church. In July 1923, the next large group of Russians from the Far East arrived.

Former sailors regularly gathered for meetings at the "Cayute Company" in Seattle. Their organization, founded in 1930, was part of the Society of Russian Naval Officers in America. Respected members of the Russian community, such as D.V. Nikitin-Fokagitov and N.S. Stepanov, were elected as chairpersons. The sailors celebrated maritime dates, anniversaries, and birthdays, and provided assistance to those in difficult life situations.

Cultural societies in Seattle were very active. In the early years of their stay in the city, Russian immigrants created informal circles where they held meetings with prominent figures of emigration, lectures, and concerts. In February 1933, enthusiasts of Russian culture organized the arrival of the famous Don Cossack Choir under the direction of S.A. Zharov in Seattle. After the concert, a tea party was held. Soon, a concert by S.V. Rachmaninoff took place.

The bookstore of I.V. Losev was popular in Seattle. Here, one could not only purchase new emigrant literature but also meet the right people to discuss pressing community issues. The largest Russian library in Seattle was considered to be the collection of N.V. Kochergin.