Welcome to our club!

Language doesn't define one's nationality. Rather, language is a method of communication, a way to share our thoughts and feelings. More and more people around the globe master multiple languages to be able to connect with more cultures, including that of Russia.

This is quite understandable because Russian culture is well-known for its body of distinguished literary work and philosophic thoughts. The Russian language is a very powerful tool for expressing one's ideas. No wonder that it was the language of choice for such famous polyglots as Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Krylov and Nikolay Chernyshevsky.

The Russian-speaking immigrants that understand this read Russian books to their children, hire them Russian tutors and speak Russian at home. But do our children want to take their language skills to the next level?

This depends on many factors, but mostly on their national pride. Are they proud to be of Russian heritage? Do they even know what their own heritage is?

In most cases, they don't. They don't know of the power of words and the spirit of Gumilyov, executed by the Bolsheviks for his belief in freedom of expression. They've never heard of the Russian prophet, Vladimir Soloviev, known as a founder of Russian philosophy, and they've never read The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov - one of the greatest novels of the 20th century. But worst of all, they'll probably never be able to read Russian books unless they are translated into English.

So what do we, their parents, do about it? Well, maybe not much. Our lives are difficult. We're busy. We need to settle into a new country. We need to earn a living.

We're scrupulously saving money in our bank accounts, calculating the best time for the purchase of real estate and spending our family nights discussing the benefits of RRSP. In short, we're feverishly planning our retirement and hoping to be able to leave some inheritance to our children.

Little did we notice that in our never-ending struggle for survival we've almost lost our most valuable treasure - the treasure that has been passed on to us by birthright along with our language. This treasure is our cultural heritage.

To appreciate the cultural heritage of Russia, to achieve spiritual enrichment, to find new role models – these are our main goals and the reasons for which we've founded the Russian Literary Club "Erudite".

Love of literature means education, intelligence and eloquence.

Russian means that we have roots. It signifies that our children are the descendants of an ancient race with a rich and controversial history, with distinctive culture and a flowing, expressive language.

Erudite stands for open-mindedness, the ability to analyze events and develop personal points of view. It means the potential to become a leader.

If your children ask many questions, if they plan on going to university, if they love to learn, bring your talented, inquisitive, and thinking teens to our literary club. Here they will find good friends, earnest books, and, hopefully, the way to a better future.