The school, which began with five students in the Glikmans' home, today has 15 students ranging from 7 to 12 years old. It now is located at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley. For three hours every Sunday, students learn Russian language, culture and history. Yelena modeled the school on a cultural club she knew in Moscow, but her version focuses more on language. The school is divided into two classes, based on knowledge of Russian.
Tuition is determined by what people can give.
George, who is now 11, converses comfortably with his Russian-speaking grandparents. He also studies Spanish at the Sierra School in El Cerrito. Russian is totally different. Though Alex and Yelena speak Russian at home, George, like many of his peers at the Russian School, responds in English. Karina Melkonian, another student, came to the United States four years ago from Pushchino, near Moscow.