I think you need to define what you mean by 'Russian', such as location and
date. Galicia became Poland and Russia, and parts of Poland become Russian
during the partitions. I know I have family that immigrated >from Galicia to
Hungary now Ukraine or Romania. I also know that these relatives had
marriages to 'Russians' which I now know probably were Ukrainian. Upon
immigration to the US they are listed as speaking Russian and Yiddish, yet I
strongly suspect it is Ukrainian and Yiddish. I also have ancestors that
were Polish, but the villages are now Ukrainian.

A very informative book by Robert Perlman, "Briding Three Worlds:
Hungarian-Jewish Americans, 1848-1914" describes some of the
emmigration/immigration pattersn noting that one of three drivers of
immigration into then Hungary, now Ukraine and Romania was Galician Jews,
"living in dire poverty, practically their only permitted occupation being
the distilling of spirits. Thus economic need drove large numbers of them
across the Carpathian Mountains into the northeastern section of Hungary,
known to the Jews as teh "Unterland"." This phase of immigration peaked in
1830s-1840s.

We need to remember in this part of the world the old joke, that one could
have 5 different nationalities in a life time without moving (more of a
transcarpathia joke, but equally applicable to other areas further west,
maybe with lower quantities than 5). To this we must add the physical moves.

Regards,
Leslie

Does anyone know how common it was for Russian Jews to immigrate to a
country in eastern Europe, such as Poland or Romania, before finally
immigrating to the USA (around the 1890's)?

You can respond privately.

Thanks,

Steve Gabai

Searching:

Russia/USA - GREENBERG, GREENBAUM, SCHRAPATZ - SCROPOTICH, RATOVETSKY &
SILVER
Canada - GREENBERG
Albany/Troy, NY - GREENBERG
Italy/Turkey/USA - GABAI, ALGRANATI, ABOUAF, ROUSSO - RUSSO, CARMONA &
TARANTO,
Argentina - ALGRANATI