On Wednesday May 27, the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, His Grace Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk attended a reception at the Consulate General of the Russian Federation culminating in the celebrations in honor of Russian-American History Month in New York State. 

The reception was hosted by the Russian-American Cultural Center in collaboration with the Consul General of the Russian Federation, Mr. Igor Leonidovich Golubovsky. The reception opened with remarks from the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk; who underlined the importance of the Russian Orthodox Church and her mission to the heritage of many Russian-Americans living in the United States. The Cultural Center's director, Dr. Olga Sergeevna Zatsepina then congratulated all the assembled guests with the Russian-American History Month. 

Guests were also invited to view artwork by 15 American artists representing the poem by Soviet poet, Vladimir Mayakovsky entitled "A Cloud in Trousers".

The Consul General awarded the chairman of the Youth Department of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Mr. Igor Kochan with a certificate for his work with the youth especially around the tri-state area. Bishop John and other board members were presented with signed copies of the official New York State Senate resolution, declaring that every April be declared Russian-American History Month.