As strange as it may seem, in the matter of preserving and popularizing Russian culture, we can learn a lot from emigrants, especially the first wave after the revolution. An example is the Russian House in Toronto. Fleeing from possible repression, our compatriots sought to preserve their native traditions and pass them on to the next generations. Cultural and educational meetings, lectures, and tea parties were held for the children of migrants, and in 1950, 'Russian Canadians' decided to create a separate Russian House. The entire community raised funds for its acquisition.

With the new center, national festivals began to be organized. The 'Caravan' holiday was very popular. Specifically for it, two Russian pavilions named 'Volga' and 'Novgorod' were built, modeled after World Expos. Local residents visited them with interest, and thus Canadians gradually became acquainted with our culture. Americans were particularly impressed by the restaurant courtyard featuring Russian cuisine. National dishes such as dumplings, aspic, borscht, stuffed cabbage, and pancakes were to their taste. In the evenings, visitors gathered at the 'Volga' pavilion, where concerts of Russian folk music and poetry began, featuring the works of Pushkin, Lermontov, and Fet. The chairwoman of the Russian Society of Toronto, M.N. Blagoveshchenskaya, recalled that concerts usually ended at 9 PM, but Canadians did not disperse, demanding more, and sometimes stayed until midnight, returning the next day for pancakes at 'Novgorod' before heading to the concert venue at 'Volga'.

Russian girls in national dresses and kokoshniks added a special color to all this. Here, one could also see Russian embroidery and get acquainted with the mysterious samovar. Such a light and interesting promotion of culture turned out to be quite successful!