Russian Children's Welfare Society

The Russian Children's Welfare Society is currently working with the Russian Aid Foundation on a project entitled "Give Beauty Back to the Children" to raise funds for the Moscow Center for Maxillofacial Surgery to treat children with facial deformities.[2]

RCWS launched a scholarship program to help orphans transition to independent adult life and attain higher education. Since then, the number of participants has grown from 3 in the 2003–2004 academic year to 42 students in 2010-2011. To date, 18 scholarship recipients have completed their schooling and have found employment. Currently, RCWS is supporting over 40 students in the Pskov, Yaroslavl, Moscow, and Velikiy Novgorod regions of Russia. According to the Russian government statistics, 1 in 3 orphanage graduates will become homeless, 1 in 5 unemployed, 1 in 7 will commit a crime, and 1 in 10 will attempt suicide. To date, the RCWS's scholarship program has helped its students avoid these pitfalls by providing a complete support structure to students as they transition from living in an orphanage to attending a university on their own.[3]

RCWS works to integrate orphans into society while also preparing them for the future. Many of the estimated 800,000 orphans in Russia are currently unprepared to take care of themselves or find a job—factors greatly contributing to the high rate of homelessness, prostitution, crime, drugs, and even suicide among them. RCWS helps orphanages meet basic needs as well as promotes comprehensive programs that help children develop into healthy and independent adults.[4]

One of the RCWS partners, Solba, is an orphanage for girls near the picturesque Nikolo-Solbinsky Convent in Russia that currently supports 30 talented young girls. Since 2008, RCWS has transferred over $200,000 to cover the roof and other renovation expenses at the Solba Orphanage building, as well as support the theatre program and other educational activities.

Seven years ago, RCWS initiated the "Granny Program" to aid grandmothers who lacked financial resources to care for their orphaned grandchildren. After its initial run, the program expanded to include any broken families in strained circumstances, struggling to care for orphaned children. The "Granny Program" currently supports 11 families.

In 2007, RCWS started working with the Foundation «Future without HIV/AIDS» and the All Russia Pediatric Aids Center in St. Petersburg, which provides assistance to infected orphans and pregnant women. At the Pediatric AIDS Center, there is a community of 40 sick and orphaned children who receive the attention of a dedicated staff of medical and educational professionals who foster their emotional development and integration into society.

Over the last several years, RCWS has purchased specialized arthritis equipment for the Moscow Institute of Rheumatology and Sechenov Medical Academy. The Society has also helped facilitate training for Russian rheumatologists in New York and in Russia.

In the fall of 2000, RCWS partnered with Smile Train, an American non-profit organization whose mission is to assist children born with cleft lip and palate worldwide. The project involved two of the most prominent Russian hospitals for children's facial reconstructive surgery: The Moscow Medical Stomatological Institute(MMSU) and the Moscow Center for Children's Maxillofacial Surgery. In December 2002, in order to help raise the standards of cleft care outside of Moscow, RCWS and MMSU hosted its 1st Training Symposium for 250 cleft practitioners, sponsored by The Smile Train and the Russian Ministry of Health.

Every year, the Russian Children's Welfare Society hosts a New Year's celebration known as "Yelka" for over 1000 orphaned and sick children. In addition to the party, RCWS sends out festively clad volunteers and "Ded Moroz" (Russian Santa Claus) to distribute gifts at various children's hospitals.

In old Russia, one of the most popular puppet theatre characters was Petrushka. According to popular lore, no matter his misfortune, he always bounced back to entertain the crowd. Igor Stravinsky, Michael Fokine, and Alexandre Benois created a ballet Petrushka, featuring the luckless but undefeated Petroushka who had fallen in love with a graceful ballerina. The Petroushka Ball, a traditional Russian ball held annually in New York City, is the primary fundraising event for the RCWS. The Ball was started in 1965 as an expansion of a small tea dance, by a group of members of the Society (Mr. and Mrs. Serge C. Bouteneff, Mrs. Ivan P. Obolensky, Mrs. Diane Eristavi, Princess Sergei Belosselsky-Belozersky) with a Junior Committee that was formed including Helen Basilevsky, Mafalda Chanler, Amy Gristede, Andre Kotchoubey, and Beatrice and Vladimir Fekula, the current President of the RCWS. To this day, the latter two still debate which one gets the credit for coming up with the name "Petroushka" during that first meeting. The late Helen Basilevsky, (granddaughter of White Army General Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel), designed the "Petroushka" emblem which is still used on all of its invitations and programs. The first Ball was held at the now defunct Delmonico Hotel; it sold out and was an overwhelming success. It has become one of New York's most vibrant and anticipated annual events, attracting upwards of 700 dinner and dancing guests. Past Petroushka Ball events were held at the Pierre, Plaza (for almost 40 years), and Waldorf-Astoria hotels. Since 2002, the Ball has featured opera greats such as Anna Netrebko, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Rolando Villazón, Elīna Garanča, Elena Obraztsova, Matthew Polenzani, Maria Guleghina, Diana Damrau. Kate Lindsey, Piotr Beczała and Paul Groves, as well as soloists from the American Ballet Theatre, Bolshoi Theatre, Novaya Opera and the Spivakov Foundation. The 47th consecutive Petroushka Ball was held on February 10, 2012, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Featured guest performers included Olga Borodina and Ildar Abdrazakov with the kind permission of the Metropolitan Opera. Also, Olga Kern performed on the piano. The 48th Petroushka Ball took place on February 8, 2013, and signaled a return to the Plaza Hotel after a seven-year absence. Anna Netrebko made her fourth appearance. Return[5][6][7][8][9]

Over the years, the Russian Children's Welfare Society has hosted a diverse list of events and maintains contact with some of the world's renowned classical performers, from American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancers to stars of the Metropolitan Opera. In 2007, RCWS participated in a fundraiser at Carnegie Hall. The sold out concert featured two of the leading opera singers in the world, Anna Netrebko, Soprano, making her Carnegie Hall debut, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Baritone, accompanied by the Orchestra of St. Luke's.[10] Both Anna and Dmitri are Honorary Directors of RCWS. RCWS also hosted a fashion event with supermodel Sasha Pivovarova and designer Randi Rahm to raise funds for children with facial deformities. In 2010, the Society partnered with Bonhams Auction house for a sports gala that featured a number of Olympians, among which was champion figure skater Johnny Weir.