Never thought I'd live long enough to share my thoughts, let alone my father's story, well some of it. One day, hope to write in length about it all. My father as many russians who went through the russian revolution, and survived, rarely spoke of it. I knew my father had in his teens, gone through the revolution personally. [He came from a well known family, on his mother's side. Prince/Count/Field Marshal Alexandre Italiski Suvorov]. My father had I believe, three sisters, of course his mother, father. My father was known at that time as a 'white russian'. He attended a white cadet military school. To make a long story short and not bore everyone, he escaped on the trans-siberian railway to Vladivistock. He secretly saw his parent's before he left Siberia. [He escaped from an early communist white prison, where he actually escaped from a firing squad. Perhaps many of you have located and or read about the early gulag prisons that the whites were thrown into. He used to tell the stories of hunger, and names being called out each day for being taken out into the courtyard to be shot. Age did not matter. My dad was only in his teens as a young cadet]. He escaped on one of the last ships to leave Siberia, before the communists took over the area, and arrived in the United States in the 20's. He knew many emigres from Russia, in fact lived with Rachmaninoff, Prime Minister Shulgin, Dudaroff, to name a few. I'm getting on in age, and slowly time is starting to take my memory as well.
There is much, to much saddness in all of his story, and our families to go into it all. Like many families, and individuals whose loved ones escaped, life in a new country, with a new language, etc., can be more than daunting. It can be even more daunting, if you come alone and have no records, no family, nobody.] I undertand how revolution can change a peoples, a country, a state of being. I now sincerely pray that no time in history again, shall such devistation, savagery, and unconscienable actions as transpired during the communist occupation of Russia, ever occupy any home or heart again. It's terrible to think brother fighting brother, etc., not just fighting, but killing each other.
Many families and individuals, not only became distanced from their families, loved ones, and never had closure, let alone allowed to stay to bury their loved ones, youth to elderly. Some never had the chance to know the outcome of what happened to their families.
Then there was of course properties, monies, etc. But nothing was more important than "life", and still remains that today.
I was named after one of the Tsar's daughter's, HIH Tatiana. Just to read all the stories on this site, brings it ever closer to my heart of not just the hopeless and terrible tragedy that affected the IF, but also the inspirational and wonderful courage of faith that they took with them to the very end. I'm proud to be of russian heritage, and to bear the historical linage of my father's ancestors. I cannot forget ever, even more, now that my name was chosen to remember a very brave young woman.
Many hearts, went through not only the revolution, but then the terrible trials of Lenin, Stalin, Beria, etc. Then there was the Starvation of the Ukranians in the 30's where millions more perished; then Hitler, the II War.
Most hopefully, Russia and the Russian peoples may one day claim their lives, their hearts, their homes in a free land that will speak and live with total peace and harmony.
Each morning and evening, I close with that prayer. I hope many more will join in it with me. Thank you for allowing me to share.
