In forming the RCWS in 1926, the Society's founders announced their commitment to improving the lives of Russian children throughout the world, outside of the Soviet Union, at 125th Street YMCA in New York City.
The Society continued to carry out its work helping Russian children in western European countries, particularly France, as well as the Far East, South America, and the United States.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Society shifted its focus and resources to assist impoverished children living in Russia, having received a $4.5 million bequest from the estate of Virginia P. and John Engalitcheff Jr. in 1990.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
RCWS has put in place a system of checks and balances to ensure that grants are used solely for their intended purpose: Organizations must provide a completed application detailing the project for which they are seeking support as well as a budget.