A Window to the Past

Lenin promised peace to the Russian people, but it was an illusion that never came, for the country where my great-grandfather remained with the majority of my family soon sunk into civil war. Krista Adamovich: When I was a child, my family and I would make the trek to my grandparents\u27 house in Yonkers to celebrate mass with them once a month. I remember always dreading sitting in that uncomfortable pew listening to a priest speak the Russian language that I knew so little of. I never told my friends where I was on those Sunday mornings because I was embarrassed I was different from them. Their ancestors had immigrated from Western Europe so long ago that their cultural bonds had all blended into one big mass of confused nationalities. I, on the other hand, was Russian, and the only one out of my friends whose grandparents spoke poor English and celebrated different holidays. It wasn\u27t until my grandfather passed away that I first became aware of the importance of my heritage. The belongings he left me were all from Russia, and all told a story. For the first time in my life I was ready to listen. Writing this piece for GWRIT 102D was a way to prove that I was no longer ashamed of my nationality. Retelling the tale of my grandmother\u27s life came easily because it is now a part of me. While writing this essay I incorporated my grandmother\u27s experiences into the historical events that were taking place simultaneously during the Russian Revolution. Hearing someone who lived through a historical event share their experiences gives a different perspective then is traditionally found in textbooks. The goal of this piece was to convey the emotions of my grandmother in a story that illustrates Russian history from her perspective. My Russian heritage has taught me a lot, not only about the people my relatives really are, but also about the history of the country that they used to call home