A large part of the Russian Navy put into NY harbor IIRC in 1862, there was a giant ball hosted to greet & entertain the guests... costing most of a Million dollars (an enormous cost for the time).
THe reasoning for the Russian naval visit was two fold. THe Czar wished to show support to the Union cause of the CW as he was not keen on Rebellion. Second and probably the more pressing reason was a very real threat of War w/ England again and he did not wish to have the bulk of his fleet penned up in St Petersburg. In NY harbor in the event of War the Russian fleet would be strategically placed to strike at English shipping concerns throughout the Atlantic.
I have read of statements that had Russian warships took part in the blockade. This isn't true, no Russian naval vessal took part in the blockade or directly supported the US in any way during the War.
One of the more amusing anecdotes of the Russian Naval visit to NY involves one of the Irish "gangs." Apparently several Irish toughs mistook Russian sailors for immigrants and opted to either rob or make problems for them. The Russian naval officer who was escorting a rather large detail for the purpose of carrying some sort of provision to their ship had stepped into a shop to make the purchase while the sailors waited outside. He emerged when he heard the sounds of a fight. In approx five minutes the Irish toughs were pretty well whipped. When the police arrived they found that several of the Irish boys were wanted men and real troublemakers. The Russian naval officer came up w/ a novel way of eliminating some paperwork and preventing what might have been a rather embarassing international incident. He suggested to the Police Sergeant that if the men didn't join the Union Army the Russian Navy would be glad to take them. For some odd reason they chose the Union Army.
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Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour | 
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