America's Russian Craze

Paul Zaichenko's "Troika" and America's Russian Craze. Paul Zaichenko (1873–1961) was the choir director at St. Mary’s Orthodox Church in Minneapolis from 1891 to 1903, whose career started under Saints Alexis Toth and Tikhon of Moscow. He was also an accomplished pianist and a composer; his “Russian Troika” was published in 1895. It so happened that its publication coincided with a nation-wide mania for all things Russian. America’s Russian Craze dives into this fascinating era, exploring the causes and symptoms of the mania in the realms of art, literature, fashion, and music. Discover such little-known figures as the social activist and champion of the Russian Liberal, George Kennan and Eugenie Lineff, an early ethnomusicologist whose “Russian Peasant Wedding” created a sensation at Chicago’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. Dozens of rare photographs and illustrations from the period are included. Limited edition. A complete study of the life and work of Paul Zaichenko will be published by STM Press sometime next year. ISBN:978-1-7361723-8-4