Chairperson
About Nina
Founder & Chairperson, Prima Nota Inc
Community Leader | Cultural Producer | Advocate for Inclusive Creativity
Nina Iouguina is the Chairperson and founder of Prima Nota Inc, a South Australian not-for-profit organisation advancing creative integration, arts accessibility, and intercultural dialogue. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and raised across New York City and Canada, Nina grew up immersed in classical and avant-garde music, literature, and dance- a foundation that continues to shape her inclusive and imaginative approach to community-building.
Prior to establishing Prima Nota, Nina served on the executive committee—and as Treasurer—of the Downtown Rideau BIA in Ottawa, where she collaborated with city planners, artists, and business owners to revitalise the cultural life of the urban core. She brings this same strategic, cross-sector approach to her leadership at Prima Nota Inc, where she oversees organisational direction, governance, and community engagement.
Nina’s background spans both the arts and the sciences: she holds a degree in Computer Science from Dalhousie University and is currently undertaking studies in mathematical statistics. Her work in community development stretches over two decades across Canada, Ukraine, and Australia. In Ukraine, she supported the country’s only orphanage for children with disabilities at the time. In Ottawa, she worked with underprivileged communities and provided volunteer assistance to women fleeing domestic violence.
At Prima Nota, Nina is the creative and strategic force behind key initiatives including the Folk Pancake Festival Maslenitsa, the Prima Vera youth choir, and Cosa Ostra, a culturally driven strategy game series. Each initiative reflects her deep belief that belonging and creativity are essential to healthy, thriving communities.
Nina now channels her combined analytical and cultural fluency into building inclusive, imaginative spaces for Russian-speaking migrant communities and beyond across South Australia.
Committee Member
About Sonia
Managing Committee Member, Prima Nota Inc
Community Leader | Cultural Advocate | Founder, Russian-Australian Children’s Welfare Society (SA)
Sonia Michailov is an Australian-born community leader and former private entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in the tourism industry. Her deep commitment to service and social impact has shaped a remarkable career in both business and community engagement.
Sonia was honoured to be selected as one of eight women featured in Women of Australia as Social Models by Nina Pasko-Murray—a recognition of her role as an inspiring figure and role model within the broader Australian community.
She is the founder of the Russian-Australian Children’s Welfare Society SA Inc., a charitable organisation that, for many years, provided vital winter clothing and support to children in Russia and Ukraine. Her philanthropic efforts reflect a lifelong dedication to compassion, cross-cultural care, and action-driven support.
Sonia has also held a number of leadership roles in national and state-level organisations. She served as Treasurer and South Australian Representative of the Russian Australian Representative Council (RARC), advocating for the interests of Russian-speaking communities across the country. Additionally, she was a member of the Management Committee of the Russian Ethnic Representative Council of South Australia (RERC), contributing to multicultural policy dialogue and ethnic community support across the state.
She was also one of the key organisers of several Pancake Festivals in Adelaide—festive, inclusive celebrations that brought people together through culture, tradition, and community spirit.
Committee Member
About Alex
Treasurer & Managing Committee Member, Prima Nota Inc
Cultural Entrepreneur | Founder, Avant-Garde Bar (Ottawa, Canada)
Alex Yugin is a trailblazing cultural entrepreneur and community builder whose impact spans continents. Best known as the founder of the iconic Avant-Garde Bar in Ottawa, Canada, Alex created one of the city’s most vibrant cultural venues—an eclectic hub for alternative music, experimental art, and grassroots community dialogue. Since its launch in 2004, the bar became a legendary space in Ottawa’s arts scene, regularly spotlighted in national and student media as a “must-visit” venue for both performers and audiences alike.
Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, Alex began his entrepreneurial journey in the early 1990s by sponsoring Russia’s junior hockey league, traveling extensively with young athletes and supporting the sport’s development during a pivotal time in post-Soviet Russia. This period reflected both his commitment to youth empowerment and his strong business instincts.
Following this, later in the 1990s, Alex relocated to New York City, where he lived and ran a business in Manhattan during one of its most electric cultural eras. Immersed in the avant-garde atmosphere of downtown NYC, he absorbed a unique creative energy that would later shape his approach to arts and community work.
Beyond his contributions to the arts, Yugin has been an outspoken advocate for social issues affecting the ByWard Market area, emphasizing the need for holistic approaches to community development and support for vulnerable populations.
Now residing in Ottawa, Alex, father of four and grandfather of eight, continues to share his expertise internationally. He serves as Treasurer and Managing Committee Member of Prima Nota Inc, a not-for-profit arts and community organisation based in South Australia. His role is entirely remote, offering strategic oversight and financial guidance informed by years of hands-on cultural leadership.
Alex’s transnational involvement brings a valuable global perspective to Prima Nota’s mission of empowering migrants, elevating community voices, and creating accessible cultural opportunities in Australia.
Secretary
About Sofia
Youth Arts Leader & Managing Committee Member, Prima Nota Inc
Choir Director | Vocalist | Program Lead, Prima Vera
Sofia DeMond is an emerging arts leader and classically trained vocalist based in Adelaide, South Australia. With nearly a decade of experience in choral singing and vocal performance, she brings both musical excellence and a fresh generational voice to her community work. A graduate of AMEB Classical Voice (currently preparing for Grade 6), Sofia has trained and performed with several renowned ensembles, including the Ottawa Children’s Choir in Canada and Young Adelaide Voices, where she sang in the prestigious 1CC choir for several years.
Now pursuing a degree in Medical Sciences at the University of Adelaide while actively involved in the Elder Conservatorium Choral Program, Sofia balances academic rigor with her passion for the arts. She currently serves as the founding director of Prima Vera, a new choir under Prima Nota Inc, aimed at empowering Russian-speaking migrant girls aged 12–20 through music, connection, and culture. Under her leadership, Prima Vera blends classical, folk, and contemporary repertoire to create a space that’s both rooted in tradition and responsive to the voices of a new generation.
Sofia’s commitment to creative community building has already earned her recognition on national and international stages—from placing in the UNESCO-Moscow competition “Москва в сердце каждого”, to performing as a featured child soloist in Benjamin Britten’s opera A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Adelaide Festival.
With roots in both Canada and Australia, and fluency in English and French (and working proficiency in Russian), Sofia brings a uniquely global and inclusive perspective to her work—making her one of South Australia’s most promising young cultural leaders.
Committee Member
About Tatiana
Managing Committee Member, Prima Nota Inc
Educator | Community Volunteer | Committee Member
Tatiana Ezhlova brings a rare mix of discipline, care, and quiet leadership to everything she does.
Originally from Yekaterinburg, Russia, she holds a degree in economics from the Sverdlovsk Institute of National Economy. She spent two decades working as an accountant — including ten years at the renowned international marketing company ACNielsen — before moving to Adelaide in 2020.
Since arriving in Australia, Tatiana has become a committed and compassionate presence in Adelaide’s Russian-speaking community. She leads the beloved “Ladushki” playgroup for children aged 3 to 5 at the Russian School and currently serves as a teaching assistant in the junior class. Her work fosters early childhood development through language, culture, and gentle connection — creating a nurturing space for the next generation.
Outside the classroom, Tatiana has proudly participated in Australia Day parades and helped bring community joy through performances at the Russian House’s New Year celebrations.
Now a Managing Committee Member of Prima Nota Inc, Tatiana continues to give her time, skills, and heart to help grow inclusive cultural spaces for migrant families.
Her quiet reliability and thoughtful dedication are the kind that keep a community strong — and we are proud to have her as part of our leadership team.
Treasurer
About Alan
Managing Committee Member, Prima Nota Inc
Treasurer | Community Volunteer | Committee Member
Born in Adelaide, of mixed German, English, and Irish heritage. His mother’s family was centred around Port Adelaide, with his maternal grandfather serving as Labor Whip in the Senate and as a state Legislative Councillor, while his father’s family lived around Kadina, where many German immigrants settled in the 1850s.
He holds a diploma in accountancy and a BA in History and Politics from Adelaide University. He worked 10 years in private enterprise and spent 32 years in the South Australian public service in finance and contract management, primarily in health and social services, overseeing grants programs for non-government agencies and tendering support services for aged and disability programs. He also worked for 3 years as a consultant to government health and social services departments on contracting out services for the aged and disabled.
After retirement, he moved to France in 2011, living for 5 years in the Dordogne region, in a village established by the English during the Hundred Years’ War. During this time, he volunteered on numerous archaeological excavations in England over several years, working on Roman, Viking, and Medieval sites.
In 2016, he moved to Germany, to a small town on the Rhine, splitting his time between Germany and England, having met his wife in the UK. He returned to live in Adelaide in 2019. His interests include travel and experiencing different cultures and food, European history, archaeology, pre-20th century art, F1, and World Speedway.
Cultural Ambassador
About Olga
Prima Nota’s Cultural Ambassador | committee member
“I came to Australia with two small kids, a suitcase, and hope for a new life. Today I’m a mother of five and a builder of communities.” 
Olga grew up in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in a family of teachers. Her mother taught Russian literature, and her father was a ski coach and organiser of community festivals and sporting events.
“My dad was always organising something — ski competitions, park events, festivals. He had this endless energy for people and creativity. I think I inherited that from him. For me, bringing people together has always felt natural — almost like breathing.”
By profession, Olga is a chef with a Diploma in Food Technologies. In Russia, she also worked as a social worker in a government department helping elderly and disadvantaged families.
“That was my normal. Guiding people through systems, giving advice, handing out food packages… making sure they weren’t left behind.”
When she came to Australia, it was a leap of faith.
“I remember sitting on the plane, looking out the window. Below was this endless blue ocean, and the huge white sun wrapping everything in light. It felt like I was entering another dimension — another reality. We’d left grey skies and wet snow behind. I thought: this is it. This is our home.”
But life wasn’t easy.
“We arrived on March 8 — International Women’s Day. Back in Yekaterinburg, it was cold and miserable. Wet snow, grey slush. We were dressed like proper Russians going to war with winter — layers on layers, like cabbages. And suddenly we stepped off the plane into an Australian summer. Heat. Palm trees. Light everywhere. It felt surreal.”
“But settling wasn’t easy. I had to survive here alone with two children. No stability. No certainty. And then, deep inside, I felt this voice: do something good for others. That gives you strength. That gives you meaning.”
Over the years, Olga has worn many hats. She’s a registered carer, supporting her son with autism. She attends parent groups like My Time to connect with others in similar situations.
She’s also the founder of Walrus Wellness, a women’s cold-water swimming group that grew from her own personal practice into a strong community of women.
“What started with me braving the ocean alone turned into a sisterhood. Now, every winter, we meet at dawn, laugh, swim, support each other. It’s about courage, connection, and joy.”
Olga has also organised several local festivals, fundraised for communities, and created spaces where people feel welcome.
As Cultural Ambassador for Prima Nota, she continues doing what she loves most:
Bringing people together
Sharing culture
Building community
“This is my home. This is my community.”
