Russian Store Hopes Crowds

[MontroseNeighborhoodCafe]

Russian store hopes crowds rush-in for first-time show

Hundreds of Russian imported gift items are being offered for sale this weekend at a special show organized by the Russian General Store on Hillcroft.

The four-day show, which will run from Oct. 15-18, will benefit the Uzori Russian Folk Dance Ensemble, a group that specializes in presenting the folk dances of Russia and other Eastern European countries.

Uzori is one of many cultural activities sponsored by the American-Russian Cultural Exchange, a nonprofit organization that provides cultural activities for the Russian community in Houston.

The store will feature 2,000 square feet of gifts from Russia on display at 9649 Hillcroft, says Natalya Levin, one of the store's owners and organizer of the show.

It is the first time Levin has organized a sale of this magnitude. The store routinely stocks a smaller inventory of the types of items that will be at the show, including: Amber, silver and enamel jewelry; Russian nesting dolls; hand-carved, hand-painted Santas; handmade folk Christmas ornaments and china; table linens, shawls and other fabrics with traditional Russian patterns; Russian cookbooks and calendars. - Monica Perin