This organization, formed in the early 1970s, represents ethnic Russians in the United States. It conducts studies of the cultural and spiritual life of Russian-Americans and gathers biographical information for publication. It defends the human rights of Russian-Americans and freedom of Russians throughout the world. Materials held by the group at present include: biographies of Russians who have contributed to science, art, technology, literature, "the spiritual life," and social work in the U.S.; correspondence with federal and state government agencies concerning the interests of the Russian ethnic group in this country; and correspondence with Russian clergy, scholars, and cultural associations throughout the United States, U.S. senators, congressmen, and other officials. Besides the correspondence, there are reports, office files, diaries, literary manuscripts, oral histories (interviews), documents, photographs, and maps, dating from 1741 to the present. Among the groups and bodies in contact with the Congress are the Association of Russian-American Scholars in the USA, Inc., Association of Russian-American Engineers in the USA, Inc., Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America, and Holy Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. The Congress of Russian Americans has over 20 chapters scattered around the U.S. Its materials will be made available to researchers in general only after publication. Its quarterly, The Russian American, publishes holdings as funds allow.
