Six Hundred American And Russian Children Attend Traditional Russian Christmas Fir Party In Washington

More than 600 American and Russian children, including orphans from Russia and other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States who had been adopted by American families, took part on Tuesday in the traditional Russian Christmas fir party which was organised in the Russian Embassy in Washington. (The Orthodox Church marks Christmas on January 7.) As RIA Novosti correspondent reports, honorary guests at the party were the wife of the US Secretary of State, Alma Powell, who is the vice president of the children's organisation America's Promise, US Congress Librarian James Billington, Dean of the Saint Nicolas Cathedral in Washington archpriest Dmitry Grigoryev and other well-known people. Specially for this Russian Christmas fir party in Washington the Moscow theatres prepared a performance with participation of the characters from Russian fairy tales and Russian Grandfather Frost and Snow Maiden. The Russian Christmas fir party for American and Russian children was organised in the US capital within the framework of the cultural programme of the Russian embassy for reviving Russian traditions and cultural heritage in the Russian-speaking community in the United States.