Through The Red Gate Community Forum

Story emailed to Ruth:

My father came on his own from the Ukraine to Canada in 1924.  He was able to persuade an older half brother and family to come to Canada the next year.  But the members of his younger half siblings remained in Ukraine.  In 1997 my sister and I visited members of those families now living in Neuwied, Harsewinkel in Germany and heard their stories.

It was very moving to hear the stories of their time in Russia, ending with their lives in Karaganda.  One cousin must have talked for over an hour to us in German of their experiences, very moving, and I wished, at the time, that we had recorded his account. I was so delighted to read in this week's Sunday Times magazine the review and feature of your book -- quite overwhelmed.   My father finally had news of his family in the 1950s -- he'd never known if any had survived.  Unfortunately he died in 1988 and so didn't know about the moves to Germany, or Glasnost and never met any of his family.

In 1964 I came to England to work, for a year, then married an Englishman, and have been here ever since.  Our daughters are very interested in this side of their ancestry so I thank you for providing one of the missing links.

EB
Submitted by J. Siemens
Project Administrator
Letters from Stalin's Russia