RTBCA NATIONAL SPECIALTY OCT 9, 2026 HELD IN WEST FRIENDSHIP, MD
the history
early Russian Tsventya Bolonka in their Home Country of Russia
The origins of the creation of the Russian Colored Lapdog, lie in the 1950s, and more precisely in 1951 when a group of dog lovers in the city of Leningrad whelped a black Lapdog named Tin-Tin from a mating of two coffee and white dogs. At that time, there were very few phenotypically suitable, dwarf dogs, and therefore the white color dog Trifon was brought to Leningrad from Hungary, and Zhuzhu, coffee-colored, was purchased from the circus that toured at that time in Leningrad. Some foreign dwarf breeds were also used, for example, Maltese, Bolognese, Shih Tzu, and some others. By the end of the 1950s, by the careful and rigorous selection, mainly by phenotype, and later on by the quality of the offspring, a fairly uniform population was obtained, which received the status of a breed group.”
The American History of the Bolonka
Some of the first Bolonka to arrive and compete in the US
Although there were Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka imported into the United States before 2000, many did not have registration papers nor were their owners interested in developing the breed in this country. It was not until the year 2000 when AKC Judge and Havanese breeder, Ms. Candace Mogavero, became interested in the breed and imported a female, Ladushka Ocharovashka from Elvira Romanenkova, did interest in the breed become apparent. The following year another Havanese breeder, Ms. Patricia McRae, joined Ms. Mogavero and two more dogs were imported, Ladushki Rostok and Ladushki Kudrjashka. By 2002 Ms. Mogavero and Ms. McRae were joined by two more Havanese breeders Ms. Jane Falkenstein and Ms. Nancy Holmes. Three more female Bolonkas, Aljapka, Ladushki TsaTsa, Ladushki Toska, and one male, Ladushki Schlegel were then imported from Russia.
Ms. Mogavero and Ms. McRae planned to breed and show the breed in the rare breed organizations and to one day bring the breed to the AKC for recognition. They knew to do this they needed the dogs registered in the US and to do that they needed a breed club. They formed the North American Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka Club and established a registry so the dogs could have American registrations. Most of the litters born were under Ms. McRae’s Ahavapicaro kennel name, while Ms. Mogavero did most of the showing of her dogs under her kennel name of Faireland Kennel and promoting the breed in the public eye.
Over the next few years, more breeders became interested in the development of the breed in this country and joined Ms. Mogavero and Ms. McRae in registering their imported dogs and puppies with the NARTB club. In the year 2015 the AKC accepted the breed into their Foundation Stock Service (FSS) and the club’s name was changed to the Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka Club of America.
On January 1, 2023, the breed advanced to the AKC Miscellaneous Class and moved to the Toy Group on January 1,2026.
