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  MY RUSSIAN FAMILY

  Ryazan as seen from the Oka. Engraving from drawing of the second half of the 19th century.

  MY RUSSIAN FAMILY

  by Lilia Sariecheva

  with Robert Osland

  Surepoint Publishing

  Ventura, CA

  Surepoint Publishing

  My Russian Family

  © by Lilia Sariecheva with Robert Osland

  Printed in the United States of America

  All rights reserved. Copyright under Berne Copyright Convention, Universal Copyright Convention, and Pan-American Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher.

  Library of Congress Control Number 2009927162

  Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Sariecheva, Lilia Mikhailovna.

  My Russian family : a three-generation history of the Sariechevs / Lilia Sariecheva ; with Robert Osland.

  p. cm.

  ISBN: 978-0-9840593-0-0

  1. Russia-Genealogy. 2. Russia-History. I. Title. II. Osland, Robert.

  CS73 .S26353 2009

  947.08`092-dc222009927162

  The image credits are compliments of family members and friends with the exception of “People’s Volunteer Corps advance to the front lines” and “Female medic at work on the battle line.” These are with the permission of Alexander Kodylev, the Senior Editor in Chief of the Russian book, When the Grave Hour of the War Came, published by Uzoroch’e of Ryazan Writers Organization, 2005.

  The two maps of Russia are from “A History of Russia, 2nd Edition” by Nicholas V. Riasanovsky (1963) by permission of Oxford University Press.

  This book may be ordered from the publisher

  Surepoint Publishing

  4561 Market Street, Suite C, Ventura, CA 93004

  Fax: 805/644-9038

  Website: www.literarylilia.com

  For more information, email [email protected]

  Lilia Sariecheva and Robert Osland

  RUSSIAN POET AND EDUCATOR LILIA SARIECHEVA TELLS THE story of three generations of her Russian family whose members ranged from wealthy nobles to hardscrabble peasants. These Sariechev family memoirs reveal their daily lives, with their morals and religious beliefs, their deep regard for each other, and their abiding love for their Mother Russia. There is even a 13th century family chronicle describing the invasion of the Golden Horde.

  With a backdrop of world wars and revolutions, of famines and prosperity she relates the personal stories of her people who survived and even thrived in spite of the drama and chaos going on around them. Her spellbinding tales span well over 100 years, from the imperial opulence of the decaying Tsar Empire, through the rise and fall of the mighty Soviet Union, and on to the newly formed Russian Federation.

  The author’s American collaborator Robert Osland was a Marine Corps sergeant, a university professor, and manager of a huge dairy farm in the Middle East. He helped Lilia Sariecheva with the nuances of the English language and provided fascinating historical information concurrent with the events Lilia describes. This makes for a riveting and historically compelling narrative.

  My Russian Family provides vivid glimpses into the rich culture and fascinating history of one of the world’s greatest civilizations. It has been perhaps most accurately described by the American expatriate Norm Wright, a magna cum laude English major and close family friend with some 35 years working overseas in the computer industry. He states, “Legend, memories, dreams and history are fused in a rich narrative tapestry set against the political background of Soviet Russia and before. Lilia shares the enduring heritage of a Russian family through turbulent and changing times.”

  This book seeks to bridge the vast gulf between Russians and Americans. The Russian Slavic people have been frequently misunderstood by Westerners—particularly American people. It is the hope of the authors that this saga will provide a vehicle for English-speaking people to gain a better understanding of the Slavic people.

  To my loving parents and my avant-garde son.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue. The Sariech Hawk

  Part One. The Elder Generation

  My Paternal Grandparents 1880s-1910s

  1. Family Secrets

  2. Varvara

  3. Dreams and Reality

  4. Ivan the Peasant

  5. Relationships

  6. The Lament

  Uncle Andre 1900s-1970s

  7. The Ambition

  8. Afterglow

  9. Realism

  10. The Kiosk

  My Maternal Grandparents 1890s-1930s

  11. Lena the Naive Beauty

  12. Ivan the Prince

  13. The Kidnapping

  14. White Birches

  15. Two Ivan Princes

  Part Two. The Middle Generation

  My Father, Mikhail 1910s-1940s

  16. The Village

  17. Mishka

  18. A Few Rubles

  19. The First Order

  20. The Balcony

  My Mother, Mareika 1920s-1940s

  21. Sins of the Father

  22. Changing Luck

  23. The Nurse

  24. The Train Station

  25. First Dance

  Mama and Papa 1940s-1960s

  26. A Strange Wedding

  27. A Mole’s Life

  28. Roads

  29. Home Sweet Home

  30. How It Was

  31. The White, Colonnade House

  32. The Ficus Tree

  33. A Spoonful of Tar

  34. The Feast

  35. Mikhail’s New Challenge

  36. The Gulag

  My Aunt Shurra 1940s-2000s

  37. Bitter Happiness

  38. The Trip to Hades

  39. The Depths of Hell

  40. The Redemption

  41. Torn Fabric

  Part Three. The Present Generation

  Little Lilia 1950s-1970s

  42. Grandma’s Kisses

  43. New Adventures

  44. Lapushka Princess

  45. Love and Hate

  46. The School Years

  47. Land on Your Feet

  48. Granny’s Scarf

  Lilia Mikhailovna 1970s-2000s

  49. The Funeral

  50. The Wedding

  51. Traveling Abroad?

  52. The Sworn Enemy

  53. The Rug

  54. The Confession

  55. Again, the Shoes

  Epilogue. The Hawk’s Roost

  Appendices

  A. Acknowledgements

  B. Afterwords

  C. Genealogy Charts

  D. Story Site Location Maps

  Prologue

  The Sariech Hawk

  Literal Translation:

  A person makes his name beautiful, not the reverse.

  Meaning:

  A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

  THE FOLLOWING EVENTS OCCURRED ALMOST EIGHT CENTURIES ago. This family narrative about our ancestors was passed down from generation to generation and revealed to me from my grandmother’s lips, just as I later passed it on to my son. It explains the origin of our family name, Sariechev, and confirms my family’s long-term roots in the ancient Russian city of Ryazan.

  The abduction was fast and efficient. A small band of expert Mongolian horsemen had appeared out of nowhere. Then a ferocious looking figure in black grabbed the young blond beauty named Agahsha and brutally swung her up behind him on his saddle. She caught a glimpse of his dark arrogant face wreath
ed by furs and instinctively knew that he was their leader. Since she had never been on a horse, the large ugly beast petrified her. The sharp earthy smells of both the horse and the man revolted her senses. Agahsha was in deep shock.

  The unfortunate virgin knew all the dreadful stories about these men so she countered her initial horror with a prayer for a speedy death. Suddenly, the horses carrying the heavily armed invaders turned as one and headed for the nearby Oka River. The buildings, scattered on the outskirts of Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky among the hills and groves of trees, were suddenly behind them as they thundered out upon the broad frozen Oka. Agahsha grasped her abductor tightly even though he terrified her more than the horse. Falling off and being trampled was a possibility as the maiden noted the many galloping horses directly behind her.

  With the passage of time, her adrenaline level declined and a fatiguing numbness overcame her as the overcast light of the short winter day turned to twilight. The pitching and yawing of the fast-moving horse brought on nausea and the crisp winter air bit her face. Agahsha took stock of her situation and felt a small glimmer of hope for survival.

  Agahsha took comfort in remembering her background; her dead family, her friends, and her hometown of Ryazan. It was one of the most ancient towns of Russia, located in the heart of the large area established by the proud and independent Slavic Rus peoples. Originally, an aggressive Eastern Slavic tribe called Vyatich settled on a high sand hill in the flood plain a kilometer upstream from the joining of the Trubezh and Oka Rivers, the Oka River being a major tributary of the mighty Volga. This growing town developed into a trading center about 830 AD and they called it Ryazan (now Old Ryazan). There was a second distinct settlement called Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky, actually a well-known fortress constructed by locals about 48 kilometers (30 miles) downriver on the banks of the Oka River. It was built in 1095 and annals mention Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky as early as 1096.

  Arabs called the Oka the Great River of the Slavs and Rus. It was the main route of the Great Waterway linking trade centers stretching from the Baltic Sea to China. Both Islamic and Western sources mention Old Ryazan as the first direct political predecessor of the Kievan State, which was developed by Eastern Slavs later known as Russians.

  At that time, except for the vast western plain, much of Russia was almost impenetrable with forests and swamps. So the numerous rivers provided the only practical roads and transport arteries. Life and livelihood were dependent upon these rivers. Ryazan citizens carried a broad heavy ax in their belts whenever they needed to go somewhere so that they could hack their way through the dense forest of birch, oak, spruce, and pine. Because the heavy ax caused their belt to lie slanted across their full stomachs, Russians call Ryazan citizens “Slanted Paunches” to this day.

  The river waterway system had dubious value as transportation to the invading Mongols with their dependence upon their vast horse herds. Their solution was to attack during the winter when the rivers were frozen and the horses could easily traverse the ice. A typical example is the Ob River in Siberia, which is over 3,600 kilometers (2,200 miles) long. It has a very gentle gradient, dropping only 200 meters (650 feet) in more than 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles). Thus, it developed an immense floodplain which it typically meanders slowly across. Since the river flows northward, the upper or southern portion of the river thaws before the northern part, which leads to flooding and the development of extensive swamps of reed and grass.

  Russians during the Middle Ages (roughly 500 to 1450 AD) came to expect invaders via the ice roads between November and April, leaving May through September safe for planting and harvesting. This was in contrast to most other countries where invasions and wars occurred in spring and summer. Russian excursions into other countries were carried out through both the ice highways in winter and summer rivers flowing south.

  Thanks to the Oka River, Ryazan in the early 12th century had developed a prosperous trade, economy, and agriculture. It had gained the stature of an independent princedom under Yaroslav, the son of the grand prince Svyatoslav, “The Wise One.” A local modification of the Romanesque style created magnificent architecture with numerous cathedrals and multistoried city buildings. Literature was dynamic; however, the chronicles, parchments, scrolls, letters, poems, and books seldom survived. Russia had made great progress in agriculture. They produced weapons and chain-mail armor. Artisanship included metalworking with castings and molding, pottery and ceramics, ornate woodworking decorations, and furniture. Ryazan’s jewelry, gold and silver artisanship, and religious carvings were widely admired. Their wool, linen, and lace, along with weaving and knitting techniques, fashioned beautiful fabrics. Russia created statues, sculptures, paintings, frescos, and art objects. Ryazan was noted for its richness in the 12th and 13th centuries. It ranked as a “Great Principality” and was literally in a Golden Age.

  Then, during the winter of 1237, Ryazan bore the full brunt of the Golden Horde. After a fierce, hard-fought battle, the city was razed to the ground. It was the end of Old Ryazan, and it never rose from the ashes. Only huge defensive dirt mounds remained and they still mark this abandoned site.

  Agahsha had nightmares from that cruel battle. She and the other few survivors made their way to Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky, which the Mongols also conquered, plundered, and burned down along with all the other towns of the Ryazan Principality, nearly obliterating the population. Many other areas then received similar treatment, including a young city less than 100 years old, called Moscow, located some 240 kilometers (150 miles) northwest of Old Ryazan. At that time of feudal division, Russia was easy prey.

  Before the Mongol invasions, Russia was equal or ahead of Europe in many ways. But the far-ranging horsemen and their animals brought diseases and epidemics as they stifled Russian social and cultural advancements.

  After each new conquest, a senior Mongolian assigned various army commanders to extract tribute from the Russian people over large areas of land. There was no trouble as long as tribute was paid. It was simple and effective large-scale extortion. The Mongols never ruled Russia; they were content to just “keep a presence” and allow the Russians self-rule. That was a brilliant decision on their part as it kept the Mongols out of the squabbles and entanglements of daily Russian life.

  This Mongol policy in the Ryazan District brought forth a youthful commander normally in charge of a military unit of 1,000 Mongols. It was easy work for this commander, for the Russians had to organize the collections, offer them for inspection, and then transport the gold, silver, livestock, artwork, fur pelts, weapons, and anything else of value.

  According to my family legend, this Mongol commander hated lies, so no one dared to speak untruthfully to him. When he spoke to people, they felt that he could see right through them. Everyone hated and feared him but they always paid their assigned tribute to the Mongols, the full amount at the designated time and place. He reportedly was very big, smart, brave, and strong, and he killed like a hawk—quick and with no mercy. He even resembled a hawk with his hawk-like nose, piercing eyes, and sharp features.

  The Russians thus called him Sariech (hawk) as a means of identification. Because it was not an honorable name they did not call him that to his face. Sariech translates as the buteos or buzzard hawk. This zoological classification includes the large, thickset, keen-eyed hawks, with broad wings and wide, rounded tails. They habitually soar high in wide circles.

  Sockol is also a Russian name for a hawk but it is an admirable name and no one used it in reference to this Mongolian commander. This bolsters the conviction for believing our family legend, as Sariech is not the honorable form.

  Our ancient family verbal chronicle includes numerous details. For instance, while stationed in Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky, this commander noticed the young, unusually beautiful Russian girl named Agahsha and fell in love at first sight. Mongols killed Agahsha’s parents and the commander kidnapped her, took her thousands of kilometers eastward against her will, and later married her. He tried to be a
good husband to her in his own way. He even avoided their custom of having multiple wives. Agahsha adapted to the reality of the situation and had a relatively good life with the man the Russians called Sariech. They conceived many children with dark eyes and black curly hair. Most of their children looked like their father, not their mother. However, the girls dreamed of having Agahsha’s blue eyes and long blond hair.

  Following her husband’s honorable death in battle, Agahsha managed to escape. Her love of Mother Russia compelled her to return home, accompanied by five or six of her younger children. Perhaps her older children in their mid-teens were married or recruited into the Mongol Army; at any rate they did not accompany her. This hard journey consumed more than three years.

  When she first returned, people asked her, “Who are you?” So Agahsha started to use Sariech as her family name. People in Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky knew the name Sariech well enough. She died shortly thereafter according to family legend and her children and their descendents have lived in the Ryazan area ever since then using the name Sariech. Russians rebuilt Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky and it replaced Old Ryazan as the capital of the medieval Russian principality also called Ryazan.

  Moscow sacked the fortified city in 1371 and the Mongol Tartars further sacked it in 1372 and 1378. The princes of the Ryazan Princedom successfully resisted Moscow until the feudal system ended in 1521, with a formal annexation under Moscow control and Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky was renamed Ryazan by Tsarina Catherine the Great.

  After the Mongolian nightmare, the Russian resources were exhausted and it was hundreds of years before Russia again drew abreast of Europe in industrial, scientific and cultural development.