The Russian Blue is a graceful short-haired breed with a dense, silver-tipped blue coat and green eyes, first shown in Britain in the nineteenth century as the Archangel cat.
Quiet, reserved and healthy, it is registered in Britain as the Russian, in blue, white and black.
The Russian Blue is an elegant, medium-sized short-haired cat with a plush, silver-tipped blue coat and vivid green eyes. British registries call the breed the Russian, since it is also bred in white and black.
Blue cats are said to have reached Britain in the 1860s on ships from the northern Russian port of Arkhangelsk, and they were exhibited at early British shows as Archangel cats. The breed almost disappeared during the Second World War and was rebuilt in Britain and Scandinavia with the help of crosses to blue-point Siamese and British Blues. Later breeders worked to restore the original type.
The coat is the breed's hallmark. It is short, very dense and double, so that it stands out from the body and feels like plush, and each guard hair has a silver tip that gives the blue a shimmer. The body is long, fine-boned and graceful, on long legs. The head is a short wedge with prominent whisker pads, large upright ears and almond-shaped eyes of a strong green; the upturned corners of the mouth suggest a smile. Kittens may show faint tabby markings that fade.
Russian Whites and Russian Blacks, developed in Britain and Australia from the 1970s, are recognised in Britain alongside the blue.
Russians are gentle, quiet and reserved. They are shy with strangers but devoted to their own household, playful in a measured way, and fond of routine. They tolerate being alone during the day better than many breeds.
The coat needs brushing once a week. The breed is regarded as one of the healthiest pedigree cats, with no widespread inherited diseases. It has a hearty appetite and gains weight easily. Claims that it is safe for people with allergies are not supported by evidence.
The breed is recognised by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy and the international registries. With 391 kittens registered in 2023, it ranked ninth among pedigree breeds in Britain.