The Russian Black & the Russian White In Britain

The Russian Black or Russian Whites now in Britain are descended from the Russian line developed by Mrs S Frances McLeod (Arctic) from her Arctic Chumvi born in 1961, stated by her to be a white female kitten from a Russian boat and given to her by a friend. The GCCF registered Chumvi as AOV Foreign Type Breed No 26.

At that time, which is around fifty years ago, the Russian Blue, then Breed No 16A, was stated to be going through a bad patch with out crossing having caused havoc with the Russian coat. As Chumvi had an excellent coat, the well-respected breeder and judge Mrs Grace Pond suggested mating Chumvi to a Russian Blue stud. Mrs McLeod followed a breeding programme with the assistance of Miss F H Laugher (Jennymay), always mating to a GCCF registered Russian Blue stud, and Chumvi's first two litters comprised white or blue kittens. However, the third litter produced a black kitten. This showed that Chumvi was in fact masking black under her white coat.

Mrs McLeod continued breeding and showing Russian Blues, Blacks or Whites in the UK for many years and eventually went to Australia where she continued breeding Russian cats. In the meantime, other Russian breeders continued the white or black lines.

A black kitten, Arctic Lascatsya was from a Russian Blue mother Arctic Mishura and sired by a Russian White stud masking black, Arctic Snowthistle. She was bred on by Mrs Joan Lund (Lavengro) and her progeny included a Russian Black called Lavengro Gypsy Rose.

Mr & Mrs Frank Smith (Jofran) bred on from Gypsy Rose and exported a Russian Black female Jofran Emerald Eye to Europe . Her son, European Champion Black Shadow van Loth-Lorien, was mated to a Russian Blue queen owned by Ingrid Nuyten (d'Affranchi) called Veruschka van Marit Iris (whose sire was European Champion Tomanka Leonov from the UK). That mating produced a female, Tchornia Ludmila d'Affranchi (Russian Black).

Ingrid Nuyten had imported from Australia a Russian White male cat , Ch Yaralin Sjtsjoekin , from a well-known breeder in Australia , Mrs Hilda Blackmore (Yaralin,) and Tchornia Ludmilla d'Affranchi was mated to him. Sjtsjoekin was from a Russian White to Russian Blue breeding programme started in Australia in 1971 by Mr Dick & Mrs Mavis Jones (Myemgay) from an imported white cat from Siberia .

Again, a black had appeared in the third generation and that line is still being bred on in Australia and the US by mating to Russian Blues. However, this particular Russian White line was mated only to Russian Blues and in 1975 achieved Championship Status. It has produced several Gold Double Grand Champion Russian Blues and Russian Whites in Australia. That line has re-introduced the Russian White now in Britain as the original whites here were all neutered some years ago, although the blacks from the same lines were exported to Europe .

The next three generations in Holland from that Sjtsjoekin x Tchornia mating produced Russian White females, masking black. GIC Bjella Dushka d'Affranchi had joined Evelien Bronsveld (Chatuliem Russitiem's), who brought her cats to Scotland, including Chatuliem Russitiem's Yentle, who had produced a Russian Black kitten in Holland, showing she was genetically black under her white coat.

After Chatuliem Russitiem's Yentle joined Mrs Jennifer Sedgwick (Catwo), Yentle was mated to Russian Blue European Champion Ursus Blue-bis (bred in Poland) and in November 2007 produced six kittens, 1 Russian Blue, 4 Russian White and 1 Russian Black, all able to be registered and shown with the GCCF with the Breed Nos of 16a, 16a 14c and 16a 15.

Yentle's second litter in 2008 to a Russian Blue stud born in Britain, Grand Champion Lubimiyeh Vaska, produced eight kittens, 7 Russian Whites and 1 Russian Black. As with the first litter, all the kittens were hearing tested, but this time all the whites were also DNA tested, and it is interesting that 5 of the 7 whites were shown to be masking black.

In 2009 there were 7 litters, and in 2010 a further 11 litters of kittens all descended from the imported Russian White queen Yentle. Since 2008, seven different UK born Russian Blue studs and eight different Russian Blue queens have been used, producing around 100 kittens blue, black or white. Around a dozen breeders throughout England , Wales and Scotland are involved with continuing the breeding of the Russian Black and the Russian White.

As at 2011, whilst the Russian Blues are included on the GCCF Supplementary Register and can be shown at Championship level, the Russian Blacks and Russian Whites are recorded on the Experimental Register and are shown in Assessment Classes. However, from 1 st June 2011 , the Assessment Classes become competitive. The cats will be judged and awarded a Merit Certificate if worthy (as previously) and will also be placed against each other. The first prize winner will be eligible for consideration for Best In Show.

The first cat to achieve four Merits in Britain was a Russian Black female from the first litter, Catwo Kira, owned by Mrs Judith Noble (Larksong). She was shortly followed by a Russian White male, Catwo Dimitri , from the second litter born, and now living with Mrs Catherine Kaye (Sithee). More than sixty GCCF Merits have already been awarded to these two breeds.

	Catwo Kira owned by Judith Noble
	Catwo Dimitri owned by Catherine Kaye

Further Merits are being awarded at GCCF Championship Shows, and already there are several cats with more than four qualifying merits including Catwo Biaty Pantera (owner Catherine Kaye), Catwo Cairnicatski (owner Wendi Johnson) and Adniosh Catwo-Crystal (owner Stephanie Eborall).

The Russian Black is a Russian Blue in all respects except for colour. The coat is a dense glossy black colour to the skin with black nose leather and paw pads.

The coat of the Russian White masks the genetic colour, which here in the UK is blue or black and which can be checked by a DNA test. The coat must be pure, sparkling white with no hint of discolouration, although a kitten or young adult may temporarily carry small dark patches of blue/black on the head.

Melva Eccles