Anna Shurguchinova, About My Grandmother

In this video Anna talks about her grandmother, who taught her how to pray. This is her story: My grandmother was very religious and prayed every morning. She fasted three times a month and four times a year. There is a khutor (village) called Gyudik in Yashaltinskyi rayon where there is a big hill. On that hill people read prayers. In Siberia, when I was little, my grandmother would make black tea and flat bread and ask me, ‘Get up, pour some tea for me and give me bread, listen to me and learn how to pray’. My grandmother was called Bot’kh Orlovna Shurganova and my grandfather’s name was Badma Konusovich Shurganov. I practice what I learnt from my grandmother, although I cannot say that I learnt much. Sometimes my grandmother would grab me by my hair and make me memorize prayers. When I was 1 year and 8 months old my family was deported to Siberia. We lived for 13 years there. I was brought up by my grandparents, because my mother died before reaching Krasnoyarsk. My grandfather was taken to hospital soon after arrival. Doctors would come to us every morning and tell my grandmother to send me to an orphanage. My grandmother always replied, ‘I may die, and I when I die I would like my granddaughter be by my side’. She did not give me away and brought me up herself. Later my grandfather recovered and lived together with us. My grandparents returned to Kalmykia together and died here. Now I have 9 grandchildren. My only son has died. This is how we live. We are satisfied with what we have.Sponsored by Arcadia Fund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwi