Good morning. I was an undergraduate at the University of Virginia, from 1966-1970. And I had the pleasure of knowing Gleb Botkin personally, up till his death in 1969. I recall: 1) Gleb's usual lunch was a hot dog, always with "Mister Mustard." To this day I recall his answer to my complaint about how very hot it was. "But (my name) what is mustard FOR?" 2) I'm not sure how many people know this- but Gleb was very active in his own "Church of Aphrodite" and in fact had personally appeared before the NY state Supreme Court in 1939(?), to argue for his charter. (He told me the judge's comment on awarding him the charter had been "I guess it's better than worshipping Mary Baker Eddy.") The vast majority of Gleb's energy went into this church, especially trying to find someone to take it over, once he'd gone on to meet the Goddess in the sky, or wherever it was you go to meet Her. It's just amazing to me today, to see how the Wiccans have tried to coopt Gleb as one of their own. There was never the slightest hint of eroticism in Gleb's church (though he maintained that sexuality was a natural expression of love, and found great fault in what he saw as Christianity's disdain for it.) But for Gleb it was never about sex- it was all about theology. And (if memory serves), his was a kind of process theism, in which the Goddess had "given birth" after a fasion, to the cosmos (he always used "cosmos" rather than "universe".) And the world evolves on its present course, much as a child does after being born. 3) Around 1968, the KGB paid a visit to Gleb in C'ville, to invite him to return to Russia. Gleb's answer to them was "No thanks, not after you murdered my father." I saw him shortly after the visit, and he did seem shaken by it. 4) Gleb chain-smoked Pall Mall non-filters, always with a fine cigarette holder. He smoked so much, in fact, that his gray beard was brown all around his mouth. 5) Gleb seemed remarkably fit - I believe he died at age 69 in 1969. I'd go out with him on his afternoon walks, and could barely keep up with him, even though at the time I was 18. 6) Gleb held regular "services"- in front of a statue of Aphrodite, and dressed in full archbishop regalia- complete with the female (cross/circle) symbol on top of the mitre he wore on his head. His wife Nadine also attended. Nadine had "converted" later on in life, which pleased Gleb immensely I think, though he hastened to point out he'd never once "pressured" her to do so. Gleb even published (at his own expense) a little book entitled "In Search of Reality"- softcover, which argued that Aphrodite was the supreme deity, and that creation had been "organic" much like a woman giving birth. 7) Nadine and Gleb were very close. She called him "Glebushka" and he always doted on her.
Gleb was a truly wonderful man. Everyone who knew him instantly liked him. Those of us who knew him count ourselves lucky.
Anyway, I thought you might enjoy a few "tidbits" about Gleb, from someone who knew him during his final years.
I don't know how Gleb's reputation has fared over the years since I knew him at U. Va. But I do know that for those of us who knew him, he'll always be the same wonderful and remarkable man he was for us back then.
I'll check back from time to time, to offer more memories, and read the feedback.
