Russian Center Of S. F. Inc.

Let me start wth a small clarification — this review is for «Vecher Tango» milonga that is held on the first and third Saturdays of the month.
Tango Lesson 8:00pm to 9:00pm
Milonga 9:00pm to 1:30am
Bar with light snacks from 8:30 pm
Dress Code: Semi Formal
Admission to class and dancing from $ 15 to $ 20
Admission to milonga is $ 12 to $ 18
The atmosphere has a very relaxed feel. You won’t see a lot of top dancers here, but this is what makes it a comfortable space for beginners to give it a try.
Very spacious venue. Wish they would put smaller tables around the dance floor to make it feel more intimate.

Another thing to keep in mind for those who may be concerned about this is that the people who organize and run Russian Festival and other events at the Russian center support Putin and the separatists in Ukraine. If that is something that concerns you then you should know about it before attending their events. If you think this may be untrue and you do visit one of Russian Center’s events, just ask to speak to the lady who organizes it or other directors of the center. Ask them.

Every year I meant to go to the Russian Festival, but it was either too cold or something came up. This year, the weather was nice and the 22^nd 2014 Sochi Olympics were going on in Russia, plus a friend was in town, so I made it a point to go this year and take her along to experience it too.
I was actually quite impressed with the organization of this festival as it took place at the Russian Center on Sutter near Divisadero. The Russian Center is a building of several floors that accommodated authentic Russian food (loved the dumpling soup, beet soup, Russian beer and strawberry pie) with booths for shopping (handicrafts, nested dolls, pressed greeting cards, jewelry) and colorful decoratives, plus vodka tastings. Another floor had paintings and art, another floor had a stage where you could watch Russian dancing performances and a play, and another floor contained a museum with historical artifacts and displays and literature, and another section contained a library with neat old Russian books and literature.
I thought we would spend an hour or two there to check it out, but we ended up enjoying several hours wandering with curiosity. And it was perfect timing with the Sochi Olympics!
It is easy to get here on the Muni 2 or 24 lines. I understand there are dance classes and other activities here — I need to explore a little more! In the meantime, I cannot wait to come back for another Russian Festival!

A beautiful dance hall on the 2^nd floor. For a short while, we had Friday Night Waltz (4^th Fridays) here.
9:20 Special also holds their Thursday night swing dances here. I haven’t attended that dance event, yet.