Russian Business Cultural Association

The Russian Business Cultural Association was founded in 1999 in British Columbia, Canada with the goal of fostering international business and trade between Russia and Canada as well as helping to support businesses owned and operated by Russian-Canadians in the Canadian Pacific. The idea of a unique economic and cultural link between the two largest countries in the world has been in place ever since 1944 when Vancouver formed its first sister city arrangement with Odessa, which was, at that time, part of the former Soviet Union. Although this relationship cooled during the Cold War, there have been many attempts to intensify relations between Russia and Canada. The Russian Business Cultural Association in British Columbia has been one notable example of this effort.
The current president of the Russian Business Cultural Association, Nathalie Potocka, is a successful Russian-Canadian entrepreneur herself. She is the founder and president of Potocka Music and Arts International (PMAI) and producer of Discover Russian (DR), the first Russian television program in Pacific North America.
In 1999 Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin attended a series of events organized by the RBCA. Among them: Vancouver Board of Trade executives meeting, UBC presidential dinner, open discussion with BC Premier Glen Clark.
The RBCA received recognition and appreciation from Canadian Prime Ministers Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin on separate occasions.

The RCBA actively participated in various business projects in British Columbia and was highly appreciated by such Premiers of BC as Ujjal Dosanjh and Gordon Campbell.

Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell praised the substantial contribution of the RBCA to the business and cultural life of Vancouver.

The RBCA actively participated in a project of VSO management regarding Mstislav Rostropovich performances from 1999 to 2002.
The RBCA actively promoted and contributed to multicultural events, organized by its business partners, such as: Taiwanese Cultural Festival and Asian Heritage Festival, from 1999 to 2004
The RBCA was an active donor of International Cultural/Educational series Masters, which was organised in collaboration with UBC in 1998-2000 .
The RBCA, in cooperation with ICCC, organised the Taste of Europe festival, fundraising for underprivileged children between 2001 and 2004.

A number of events were organized by the RCBA in collaboration with Istituto di Cultura Italiano, among them the hosting of an official dinner party in honour of Her Royal Highness Princess Elettra Marconi-Giovanelli, only daughter of radio inventor Guglielmo Marconi, during her visit to Canada in 2002.
RBCA was a main sponsor of Discover Russian, the first Russian TV production on the Pacific coast of North America. The show had 38 episodes and was a bilingual cultural variety show that ran from 2003 to 2005.

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