THE BITTER SWEET
No, I don't mean the Xena episode with this blog title. I am referring to the poignancy of loosing my brother last Oct. 2007 & at the same time finding out who my Russian ancestors were, while visiting family on my funeral trip.
The lady who is working on my Babushka's memoirs sent me more family info showing exactly who more of the Russian ancestors were. I am so excited I want to pop out of my body.
The mother of my grandmother, Tatiana Wolkonsky (also known by the nickname Tanya), was Maria Alexisovna Andreev. Her grandmother was Nathalia ?
Tanya's father was Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich Wolkonsky. His father was Prince Alexandre Borisovich Wolkonsky born in 1864 and his mother was Countess Catherine Alexisovna von Lanlarsky of Lithuania.
Great uncle Peter was somehow related to Tanya's great-grandfather. There are almost no dates noted except for just a couple. Sabinio [The family estate] was granted by Czar Alexander II in 1868 to either Prince Boris Gregorovich Wolkonsky or his father Gregory Borisovich Wolkonsky.
Tanya did say her father was a diplomat. He died in 1909 according to my Dad. He had a heart attack on the train between Paris and St. Petersburg, from "High Living".
I was told growing up there was some Lithuanian in the family line too, but that is not enough for me to count (less than 1/32) now I see where that came from.
I am so excited I could probably take off & fly
Now that I know all the Wolkonskys did not die out, if I could just meet more of my Russian cousins, aunts, uncles etc!!! I do not know many of my Russian relatives.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Thursday, December 13, 2007
FAMILY TREASURES
I am so excited. I just received this photo containing my Russian Grandmother from an old family friend. 6 is or was my Grandmother.
I believe this photo was taken in Serbia while my Grandmother was becoming a nurse after her escape from Bolshevik Russia. This picture was published in a book that I do not have the title of at hand now, but it clearly shows my Grandmother was Princess & a woman of great substance.
Dr. Gray, a woman, was apparently responsible for helping my Grandmother & her sister complete medical training & travel to to the US. I would not be here were it not for Dr. Gray. I will have to research her & learn more about this particular angel of mercy from the early 1900s.
It is so fantastic to learn about these strong women, who existed even back then when it was not a woman's world. They are my heroes & my legacy.
I believe this photo was taken in Serbia while my Grandmother was becoming a nurse after her escape from Bolshevik Russia. This picture was published in a book that I do not have the title of at hand now, but it clearly shows my Grandmother was Princess & a woman of great substance.
Dr. Gray, a woman, was apparently responsible for helping my Grandmother & her sister complete medical training & travel to to the US. I would not be here were it not for Dr. Gray. I will have to research her & learn more about this particular angel of mercy from the early 1900s.
It is so fantastic to learn about these strong women, who existed even back then when it was not a woman's world. They are my heroes & my legacy.
Friday, November 16, 2007
ETHNIC HOLIDAY TRADITIONS
In preparation for the upcoming holidays I have been reading & researching Russian holiday traditions. I found the funny Ukrainian tradition (below) for the day after Christmas. This day after Christmas tradition seems reminiscent of Halloween rather Christmas to me!
My Russian ancestors' family home was in in the Ukraine but I think they still considered themselves be White Russians, so I am not sure if my Russian ancestors would have celebrated this way of not.
www.uazone.net/holidays/christmas.html
Christmas in Ukraine is celebrated January 7 according to the Gregorian calendar as in most of other Orthodox Christian countries...
...Next day in some villages in Western Ukraine people organize some folk performances which obviously were inspired by ancient pagan habits. They dress up themselves as monsters with pelts and horns and run through the village trying to scare people. After that they run to the special place on the outskirts of the village and there happens the main act: they fight with all people of the village and finally are defeated. The scarecrows are burned in the big fire. And all people are dancing around this fire. This symbolizes the fight of Good and Evil and that Good defeated Evil for the whole next year.
As I locate more interesting holiday traditions I may add to this blog.
My Russian ancestors' family home was in in the Ukraine but I think they still considered themselves be White Russians, so I am not sure if my Russian ancestors would have celebrated this way of not.
www.uazone.net/holidays/christmas.html
Christmas in Ukraine is celebrated January 7 according to the Gregorian calendar as in most of other Orthodox Christian countries...
...Next day in some villages in Western Ukraine people organize some folk performances which obviously were inspired by ancient pagan habits. They dress up themselves as monsters with pelts and horns and run through the village trying to scare people. After that they run to the special place on the outskirts of the village and there happens the main act: they fight with all people of the village and finally are defeated. The scarecrows are burned in the big fire. And all people are dancing around this fire. This symbolizes the fight of Good and Evil and that Good defeated Evil for the whole next year.
As I locate more interesting holiday traditions I may add to this blog.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
RETIRING THE TONY SPIELBERG PICS FROM THE PROFILE
Lots of people like the newer belly dance shot taken at a show just before I left town in early Oct. 07. The Tony Spielberg pics are some of the best yet so I am not taking them out of the blog altogether. (Here they are.)
MY BABUSHKA'S GRAVESITE SOUTHERN CA
My father would like it if I were buried here with my babushka. Her husband, my grandfather, was cremated & his ashes were spread somewhere else. My father, her 1st son, will probably be buried with my mother in northern CA. My uncle, her 2nd son (who is also facing brain cancer now) does not seem to be interested in be buried at Santa Margarita. My babushka is all alone here. I was close with her & I think sometime down the road in the future maybe I will be buried in Santa Margarita CA, with my babushka, Princess Tatiana Wolkonsky.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
