A new community-funded mural at Ajijic’s cemetery will honor one of Lakeside’s most significant figures: Zara Alexeyewa, affectionately known as “La Rusa” (The Russian). Created in partnership with the municipality of Chapala, the mural will be unveiled on Tuesday, August 11, at 4 p.m. on what would have been her 130th birthday.
The celebration takes place at the cemetery entrance along the Carretera. The public is invited to attend.
“This is more than a work of art,” says Alberto Portillo, Chapala’s director of Archives. “It is an act of remembrance — a way for this community to restore the honor that history failed to preserve.”
La Rusa was a significant figure in the history of Chapala. She was an actress, choreographer and ballet dancer who performed on world stages from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York to the grand theaters of Europe and South America, including the Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara. She was also an environmental activist who worked to save Lake Chapala from drought, pollution and development. She arrived in Chapala in 1929 and passed on here in 1989.
In addition to Portillo, among those attending the celebration will be Chapala Mayor Alejandro Aguirre, Ajijic Delegate Jesús Escamilla and José Alfredo Cabrera, Chapala’s director of Cemeteries.
Mural artists Luis Alberto Mateos Vazquez and Wendy Esmerelda Medina Gomez will be recognized for their artistic talents. International singer/songwriter Dr. Juanita Ulloa, who often champions the works of Mexican female composers, will contribute a personalized rendition of “Gracias a la Vida,” the Chilean song by Violeta Parra, with words and lyrics especially suited to honor La Rusa.
Rumor has it La Rusa herself is expected to show up riding in on horseback. There will be food, birthday cake, stories and celebration. Visit spot.fund/TheLaRusaMural to support the project and learn more about the life of La Rusa.