SeeCalifornia.com

Photos: Fort Ross Festival (left), the crowning of Olga Sigmundson as Miss Russian California 2017, and West Hollywood’s Russian Festival (right), all celebrate California’s Russian population, the 2nd largest in the U.S.

Much focus was placed on possible Russian influence in the 2016 U.S. presidential election while hardly anyone has taken note of Russian-Americans and their vote. With slightly more than 1% of the U.S. population (up to 5.5 million Russian-speaking people) becoming increasingly concentrated not only in the safely Democratic states such as California, but also in the swing state of Pennsylvania where candidates fight for every vote, U.S. presidential contenders will soon have to pay more attention to Russian issues, says the Institute of Modern Russia.

Russians in California

• Before the Gold Rush, Russian hunters were a dominant force in the California Fur Rush, the largest single factor opening the West to world trade.
• Approx. 1,100,000 Russian-speaking residents live in California.
• The City of West Hollywood‘s Russian advisory board seeks to “support and understand the mentality, internal culture and special needs of the people that represent a significant portion of its population,” estimated at 11%.
• Russian festivals are held throughout California.