Local Russian-Americans share personal experiences, business concerns

We check in with our local Russian-American neighbors to find out how they're doing as they watch the deadly crisis unfold 4,500 miles away, and how events over there are impacting how they see themselves and how others see them right here in Massachusetts.

As we have covered here on the show, there's a movement in the state to divest businesses and investments of anything Russian, and then there are the emotional challenges to consider, too.

Professor Maxim D. Shrayer, a Professor of Russian, English, and Jewish Studies at Boston College, joins us to share a bit of his perspective. He grew up in Moscow and immigrated to the U.S. in 1987.

Sam Klebanov, whose family owns Petropol, a Russian-language bookstore in Newton, also joins us to talk about the business impact that sanctions are having. Sam was born in St. Petersburg and has lived in the U.S. helping out in his parents' bookstore since he was six.