The days when thousands of visitors flocked to Sonoma’s coast to witness historical reenactments at Fort Ross State Historic Park are now gone. The traditional Fort Ross Festival—which for decades celebrated the 19th-century Russian-American Company’s presence in California—has been replaced by the so-called Ocean and Art Festival.

Gone are the performances by Russian artists, frontier reenactments, and traditional cuisine. In their place are conservation groups focused on marine ecology, native wildlife, and species preservation, along with local artisans and performers, almost none of whom have any direct connection to the historical or cultural legacy of Fort Ross. This shift not only alienates Russian Americans from a site of deep heritage but also undermines the contributions of generations of Russians and Americans who worked to preserve this remarkable landmark.

Rather than honoring the multicultural roots of Fort Ross and its influence on Alta California, the event resembled a generic fair seemingly designed to erase the positive Russian influence from the narrative of California’s development. The gathering was so uninspiring that it hardly merits mention—except for one thing: a small group of Russian-speaking individuals, some in traditional attire, who boldly resisted cultural erasure by singing and dancing for the guests. Bravo to them!