Friday, Oct 10, 2025 6:30 PM

Location:
Globus Books
332 Balboa Street

Dear Friends!

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Nina Bogdan for an in-person presentation of her new book: Before We Disappear into Oblivion: San Francisco’s Russian Diaspora from Revolution to Cold War
(McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2025)

Join us for an evening of reading, discussion, and audience Q&A, followed by book signing and light refreshments.

This event is in English
Free Admission | Please RSVP 

About the Author:
Dr. Nina Bogdan is a historian, consultant, and cultural preservationist born and raised in San Francisco. Her work explores identity formation among Russian émigrés and immigrants, most recently in her groundbreaking new book. In 2024, she authored the “Russian American Historic Context Statement” for the San Francisco Planning Department. She holds a PhD in U.S. History from the University of Arizona and has published extensively, including Russian San Francisco (2010) and The Desolation of Exile: A Russian Family’s Odyssey (2013).

About the book:

Before We Disappear into Oblivion explores the Russian diaspora in San Francisco and Northern California following the 1917 Revolution and Civil War. Historian Nina Bogdan reveals the diversity of émigrés—far beyond the stereotype of aristocrats in exile—highlighting their struggles, resilience, and strategies for building community and identity in America. Drawing on Russian-language sources, U.S. public discourse, and government records, Bogdan traces how these immigrants navigated acculturation against the backdrop of the Great Depression, World War II, McCarthyism, and the Cold War, offering a nuanced portrait of identity, belonging, and transformation.

Don’t miss this special opportunity to hear from Dr. Bogdan and learn about the fascinating history of San Francisco’s Russian diaspora!