“A successful and prosperous country will value its past. The people that wish to live in a country, needs to accept the traditions that it can share. I have full respect for Russia’s timeless heritage. We have some of the greatest Russian writers who have helped us understand the complexities of the human experience, and recognize eternal truths. From Dostoyevsky to Pushkin, Chekhov to Solzhenitsyn, to Russian Composers like Tchaikovsky and Rostropovich. Indeed, Russia’s Heritage has touched every corner of the world, and speaks to the humanity that we share. That includes my country here in the good ole United States of America, which has been blessed with Russian immigrants, for decades we’ve been enriched by Russian culture, and enhanced by Russian cooperation. The Russian American community has shown a concerted effort in preserving its unique heritage which is a vital link to our cultural, educational, aesthetic, inspirational, spiritual and economic legacies – all of these elements that literally make us who we are.”
— Kato Hetschinoff, Russian Heritage President —
Russian Heritage Board of Directors
President
Kato Hetschinoff
Email: [email protected]
Vice President
Victoria Peppard
Victoria came to America in 1993 to study at N.Y.U. and she has lived in Tampa since 1994. She is a professional interpreter. Victoria has been a member of Russian Heritage since its founding. In 2015 she became a board member and in 2019 a Vice President. Victoria serves as a liaison person for coordinating many R.H. and U.S.F. joint projects and has a special place in her heart for children’s programs. The New Year party “ELOCHKA” is one of them.
Treasurer
Tatiana Roney
Bio Coming Soon
Secretary
Evguenia Davenport
Evguenia Davenport teaches at the University of South Florida with a special interest in Russian Language and Literature and Spanish Language and Culture She has been active in Russian Heritage book group, having facilitated the discussion of Russian literary classics. She has also led student groups to Latin America.
Board Members
Zhanna Thomas
Bio Coming Soon
Irina Novikova
MA in Linguistics, PhD in Psychology, is the founder and the Chair of the Board of the Russian-American Association RAA (2009-2021), Director of the annual Russian-American Festival “Bridge over the Ocean” (2010-2021). She has founded the first private language school “International Training Center InTC” in Yaroslavl in 1991, which has been operating for more than 30 years since then, has organized and sponsored numerous cultural and educational exchange programs, music and dance festivals, scientific conferences, business missions, photo exhibitions.
Presently Irina is the Communication Director, member of the Board of Directors at the Russian American Club, St Petersburgh, Florida.
Ekaterina Kolmogorova
Ekaterina Kolmogorova was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and has lived in St. Petersburg, Florida, since 2011. For over a decade, she has been active in the Tampa Bay cultural community as a ballroom dance instructor and performer. She has contributed to Russian Heritage through performances at the annual Winter Ball and by assisting with event coordination and fundraising efforts. In addition, she volunteered at SPIFFS as a representative of the organization. Ekaterina is a small business owner and remains committed to preserving and promoting Russian cultural traditions.
Alexander Staruschenko
Sasha is originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, which gave its name to St. Petersburg, Florida. He earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master’s degrees in physiology in 1997 and 1999, respectively, from the St. Petersburg State University, Russia, and completed his Ph.D. research in 2003 from the Institute of Cytology Russian Academy of Science also in St. Petersburg, Russia. Following his graduating, he moved to the United States in 2003 to San Antonio, Texas, where he got postdoctoral training at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He joined the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, WI in 2007 and rose rapidly through the ranks till he was promoted to Full Professor. In 2021, he took a new challenge and accepted a position as a Professor and Director of the Hypertension and Kidney Research Center at the University of South Florida. His wife is also from St. Petersburg, Russia, and she is also a faculty member at the University of South Florida. Their kids (boy and girl), while they were born in the United States, speak Russian and are good examples of Americans with Russian roots. He volunteered as a part of his academic job for several non-profit organizations, such as the American Heart Association, where he was involved in a variety of activities, such as organizing scientific meetings etc. He hopes that he will be able to apply his expertise and knowledge to help with many activities run by the Russian Heritage.
Alex Lubyshev
Alex Lubyshev was born in Novosibirsk, Russia, and moved to the United States in 1996. He was raised in Pennsylvania and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Penn State, followed by a Master’s degree from Rochester Institute of Technology. He has maintained a strong connection to Russian culture through literature, music, and the arts. Currently based in Florida, Alex participates in local Russian-American community events and is interested in further supporting cultural initiatives. He works in the electronics field and enjoys tennis and technology-related projects.
Svetlana Lantukh
Bio Coming Soon
Tatiana Brandon
Tatiana Brandon was born in Yekaterinburg, Russia, and holds a degree in education, having worked as a geography teacher before relocating to the United States in 2001. She later earned a Master’s degree in nursing and has over 20 years of experience working in intensive care. Tatiana leads an active lifestyle, participating in running events, fitness activities, and the arts, including painting and writing. She is the author of a published book and values personal growth, resilience, and community engagement. Currently living in St. Petersburg, Florida, she brings a thoughtful and energetic perspective to cultural life.
Ekaterina Stutzman
Ekaterina Stutzman was born near Leningrad in the city of Kirovsk. She has a background in dance and athletics, including 12 years of dance training and experience in judo. She earned a higher education degree from Herzen Pedagogical University, specializing in technical education and career guidance. Ekaterina has lived in the United States for over 30 years and owns a business. She actively participates in community events and enjoys creative activities such as painting, singing, and organizing workshops.
Honorary Member: Margo Catsimatidis
Margo Catsimatidis is among the most recognizable women in the New York City. A ballerina-turned-business and philanthropy leader, Catsimatidis has cemented a legacy of influence that is known among many of our region’s most powerful, and plays an intangible role in the success of her husband, John, and the Catsimatidis family’s company, Red Apple Group. Born in Indiana, Margo’s first passion was the performing arts. At age 12, she was lauded by the dance community, and was invited to embrace her Russian roots at the internationally-renowned Bolshoi Ballet—the youngest dancer ever to be invited to perform at the hallowed program in America. In her teen years, as a life of dance began to flourish, she set her sights on New York City—the mecca of the performing arts. With her focus on the big city, she ventured from Indianapolis, Indiana to the Big Apple in 1971, in pursuit of her dream. Her ballet career was cut short due to a dance-related injury. She took a job as an office clerk for a supermarket where she would meet John Catsimatidis the owner of the company.
John and Margo then began to build an empire that today extends to several different industries, including supermarkets, oil refineries and assets, gas stations, real estate and media, all beneath the Red Apple Group corporation. In the over four decades since her first position with Red Apple, Catsimatidis has been featured and profiled by countless high-profile publications, been recognized by organizations ranging from the Greek Orthodox Church of America to the Bowery Mission Society.
To name a few causes near to her heart, Catsimatidis is the vice chair of the Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund, a member of the Executive Committee of the New York Police Athletic League, on the board of the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation and the Alzheimer’s Association and—perhaps most notable to her ethnicity and family origins—a board member of the Russian Heritage Foundation.
Catsimatidis received the coveted Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2000, for her work in heritage preservation.
Her family’s remarkable venture to the United States is, in many ways, the seed of her willingness to give back.
“My mother was from Poland, my grandmother was from Russia, and my grandfather was from the Ukraine. My father was an Army Intelligence Officer, and found my mother and grandparents in a concentration camp in Krakow. He rescued them and brought them to America, to Indianapolis, where I was born.