Riverlight Barishnikov at age 13 years
He was our first Russian White imported from Australia

My thoughts on breeding the different Colors of the Russian cat: When we imported into the United States our Russian White male stud from Australia, I had never thought of the controversy I would see. A majority of the American Russian Blue breeders have taken a stand on "just BLUE, only BLUE." I believe every breeder has a right to their own breeding program, and to breed what they so desire. They do not have the right to threaten, slander and blackball any breeder that is not in their group of “blue only”. Unfortunately, I have found this behavior rampant among my breed section. There are a few Russian Blue breeders that breed the other colors of the Russian Cat in the United States and also in Europe. Color is only a trait, and does not change the basic standard of the Russian Cat. Color is like paint on a house; the house stays the same regardless of the color one chooses to paint it. The Russians were originally tabbies, as were all other breeds. One of the initial breeders of the Russian Blue was an English cat breeder, Mrs Carew-Cox. She imported some of the first Russian cats from Archangel in the late 1800's. And it was not solid blue as you see in the present Russian Blues. Mrs. Cox imported blues with blue tabby markings (refered to as “Canon Girdlestones” breed from Norway). She also purchased the famous cat that was exchanged for a leg of mutton, except that cat, Kola, was blue and white which some “stories” about the Russian Blue fail to mention, in order to build a false mythology about the “˜blue cat from northern Russia”. It has been the breeders that selectively chose to define the coat color. The different colors of the Russians existed before the breeders bred for blue only. The breeders chose to breed for blue only, because the cats themselves would not in a natural state. Through the strongest efforts of Mavis and Dick Jones of Australia, who also fought the “colors” controversy, (see the link to “History of the Russian White” on my home page), the Russian colors were started by one white, domestic Siberian shorthaired female in Australia in the early seventies. The colors breed true. We get Black, Blue, White and Tabby. The Russians Blues are registered in CFA, TICA and ACFA. The Russian Colors, other than blue, are registered in TICA and ACFA and are shown in the NBC class in the United States. The Russian Blues are the only color of Russian Cat shown in the Championship class. Someday I hope to see the Russians of color in the Championship classes. The pedigree of these cats go back over 100 years. These Russians are truly Russian. They are not a new and different breed. They are the same cat as the Russian Blue, only with White, Black or Tabby coloring. We have found that the Australian lines have brought in a more mellow type personality. I consider this a plus factor. Please feel free to browse through my site and see these beautiful kittens and cats. They truly are "Russians".