Traveling the California coast north of San Francisco, the signs of Russian culture are evident as you encounter a seemingly out of place Fort Ross State Historic Park, a thriving Russian-American Company settlement from 1812 to 1841. It was chartered by Russia’s tsarist government as the southernmost Russian colonization in the North American continent. Russian River, Fort Bragg and other north coast areas are steeped in Russian history. California celebrates the exciting and colorful Russian influence in festivals throughout the state: