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SPRINGFIELD — Once upon a time, Russians presumably knew of only one SAC — Strategic Air Command.

As in B-52s that flew around for 24 hours at a time and ballistic missiles that were buried under South Dakota.

But these days, they're coming to know another SAC — Springfield Arts Council.

Springfield has played host to a number of Russian performers in recent years, all on the arts council's ruble.

Next week, three groups — Moscow Nights, Golden Gates and the world famous Moiseyev Dance Company — will continue that trend.

Despite the fact they might actually prefer the arts council pay them in rubles instead of dollars right now, the Russian groups are more than happy to keep coming.

"The opportunity to come and share the culture, this is probably more attractive than the money," explained Vitaliy Bezrodnov, the 35-year-old founder of the folk group Moscow Nights.

Sadly, not even Russians want the American dollar anymore.

But, if you can believe it, their interest in America goes beyond currency.

"The doors of our countries were closed for so long," Bezrodnov said.

Had Bezrodnov and arts council Executive Director Chris Moore been in charge of foreign policy about 60 years ago, those doors might never have closed.

"When you get people together, they understand each other," Moore said.

He and Bezrodnov became fast comrades in 2001, when Moscow Nights was invited to play the arts council's decades-old Summer Arts Festival.

At the time, Moore was just looking to set the right atmosphere at a picnic for 200 visitors from Springfield's sister city of Wittenberg, Germany.

"Because Wittenberg was in East Germany, it was controlled throughout the Cold War by the Soviet Union," Moore said. "A whole generation grew up under the influence of Russian culture."

Sure enough, the visiting Germans sang right along with Moscow Night's Cossack war melodies and other folk songs.

Then, like Reagan and Gorbachev at Reykjavik, Moore and Bezrodnov realized it might be the start of something bigger.

"I'm interested in international exchanges," Moore said.

Same for Bezrodnov, who came to the U.S. on a cultural exchange in 1994 and ended up staying. He became a U.S. citizen in 2001.

In each town they play, the members of Moscow Nights and their sister act, the children's dance ensemble Golden Gates, stay with local families.

For Bezrodnov, though, Moore's interest in his culture came with an added bonus.

As someone interested in bringing fellow Russian performers to the United States, he was eager to tap into Moore's expertise as an arts presenter.

At Bezrodnov's request, Moore went to St. Petersburg in 2005 to give his opinion on whether a handful of acts could make it in this country.

One of them, the clown ensemble Theatre Shkidy, undertook its first U.S. tour the next year, spending a week in Springfield.

"Kind of like this country, there is professional and amateur talent," Moore said. "Their amateur talent, in many ways, is more professional than our amateur talent. In this country, if somebody wants to perfect their talent, they typically study with a private teacher. In Europe, they have music schools."

Each member of Moscow Nights is conservatory trained.

The Russian performers, according to Bezrodnov, just want the opportunity to perform here — and presumably set the record straight.

"Very often I hear, 'You're the first Russian I've seen smiling,' " he said.

Actually, there might be a little bit of truth to that.

"Culturally," said Lila Zaharkov, a Russian studies professor at Wittenberg University, "Europeans smile to people they know. Americans smile at everybody, and Europeans perceive us as being superficial."

But staying in as many American homes as possible is a chance to clear the air.

Unless the homes are in Kansas.

Just a decade ago, Bezrodnov said, people in one Kansas town were afraid to put the Russians up in their homes.

In rare cases like that, they have to rely on the music.

"Without speaking the language," he said, "this music gives us the opportunity to get to know the people."

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0352 or amcginn@coxohio.com.

A week of Russian culture

Moscow Nights and Golden Gates perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Heritage Center of Clark County.

Admission is free.

The Moiseyev Dance Company performs at 8 p.m. Jan. 25 in Kuss Auditorium.

Tickets are $30 to $50. Call (937) 328-3874 or go to springfieldartscouncil.org.

The Moiseyev Dance Company

Internationally known Russian folk dance company.

At the time of the company's creation in 1937, the Soviet Union consisted of 180 cultures — with roughly 3,000 different dances.

Began touring outside the now-extinct Soviet Union in 1955.

Founding artistic director Igor Moiseyev, former principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet, died in November at age 101.