[proudmommyof 2]

Let me preface by saying that I am not Russian at all (technically). I’m German, Irish, and American Indian (typical Western PA mix). Anyway, dh and I watched a movie about a man who traveled through Ukraine, and had Russian speaking interpreters with him. While watching the movie, listening to the Russian speaking, listening to the Russian music, I really felt more like that’s who I am now than anything else. Is that weird?

Now that our Russian travels are behind us (for a couple of years, at least), I remember only the good parts of the travel, and meeting and falling in love with the boys, so Russian language and music bring about good feelings in me. I was never raised to celebrate any parts of my heritage, so I don’t really feel a connection to Germany or Ireland. IN fact, I was raised in a very Italian neighborhood.

Anyway, here’s what I decided. The prevailing theory is that the first Americans (therefore the ancestors of the Native Americans) walked across the land bridge from Russia. Therefore, Russian=Native American=ME!

Does anyone else feel the same way I feel or know what I’m talking about? Even dh, who thinks I’m weird anyway, agreed with me (he’s another German-Irish boy).

[Teri M]

I am so glad there is someone else feeling that way!!!
What a great topic to talk about!!

Since I was 9yrs old - I have felt a connection and love with the Russian culture and had longed to go to Russia. I now know that God put that bug in my ear...because he knew my son was going to be waiting for me when it was time!!! I now have a little piece of Russian history that is running around being crazy, that is all mine and it gives me chills!!

I loved the fact that little ol' me of German, French and Indian descent (and of oklahoma farmers) was actually in Red Square, the Kremlin, Siberia and walking around areas that I had dreamed of for so long - (well not really Siberia - but that was where my little love was )

It gave me chills just being there - I took it all in and tried to "feel" the moment of looking at the carriage that once carried Catherine the Great.... I loved being over there!!! (was ready to come home after 2 weeks though) We would love to go back but probably never will....We loved the food, watching the people and just really knowing that not everyone gets to have a journey like ours which made a lifelong dream of mine come true in many ways.

I know the feeling you have and that connection that you can't explain - I bet there are alot of us with the same feeling!!! Our love and connection to Russia, led us to our beautiful children - there is nothing more special than that!!
T

[karenmarq]

Fascinating thread.

What happened with me (100% German) is that we had to make an additional trip in our process just for medicals and ended up going through Germany. For me it was a chance to connect with my German heritage (as well as to learn more about my DD Russian heritage in Moscow).

It has all made me think more about culture and how we can give that sense to our DD. Mostly growing up, I just felt midwest American.

Very interesting that you both really connected with the Russian culture.

Karen

[kimber413]

I don't feel more of a connection to Russian culture than my own (I'm Irish-American, and proud of it), but I do associate a wonderful nostalgia with the language and all things Russian. I feel more of a connection with Russia, and find myself more interested in Russian news and such. Although I cooked Russian foods before we even thought of going there (I have a very wonderful friend in Moscow who taught me quite a few recipes while she lived here), I tend to cook them more often, and look for new recipes to try out. I truly miss one of the restaurants we used to frequent in Kemerovo (Provincal), and hope to make it back to Siberia one day.

[SingleMama2B]

Hi Katrina.... This came up a few weeks ago between my sister and I. First, we are like you... Irish, German, Welsch, French Canadian & Italian..... Yep a blend. My sister and BIL adopted my niece 2+ weeks after I brought home my DD. They are the same age. From different orphanages (60 miles apart). Different family circumstances (both horrid). My niece has mild RAD, and a few other issues going on. My DD has Mild FASE, Mild ADHD. I encourage my daughter's heritage. She enjoys seeing pictures from Russia, has tons of questions, tells me tons of stories, likes to speak russian (the little she remembers), likes receiving special russian items on holidays, etc. My Niece, doesn't have anything russian around her house, room, etc. My sister says that it brings back too many hurtful memories for her (maybe true), but when my neice is over my house with DD, she loves looking at and playing with her russian things, trys to remember her russian so they talk in it sometimes. Asks me questions about Russia, etc. When I wanted to give her a russian doll, she said thank you but she couldn't take it home. "Mom doesn't like Russian things in the house." I am truly hoping that there is a MAJOR COMMUNICATION GAP going on. When I told my sister that I ordered DD a traditional Russian Dress and head-dress for a formal portrait, she thought that I was crazy. "Why do you want to make her feel DIFFERENT??" I told her that she is Russian-American, and that DD was PROUD to be russian. She is very American now, but knows and likes being Russian. My sister said .... "Well, you have the WEIRD RUSSIAN THING GOING ON.... you keep up with THEIR News, the laws, on-line boards, etc." I guess that is when I really realized that I too, was very much into the Russian culture. I wanted to keep myself informed, first because I find the culture extremely interesting, but also, so that I can tell DD certain things when and if she asks.

Blessings.....................

[pdo]

I was born in Russia and spent 11 years there. I do not remember feeling any connection to the culture whatsoever, although I loved the educational system.
Two years ago, I visited the UK and was absolutely blown away. Appearance is a big factor--half the people I encountered looked like family! I am bio, but never resembled my parents at all. I always stuck out like a sore thumb, particularly in Russia. However, I instinctively understand all Brits and feel a connection with them. An absolutely uncanny "feel it in my bones" kind of thing. After only two weeks there, I started getting an accent,too! There must be some genetic connection several generations back. I remember corresponding with an Irish lady over the Internet. When I saw her passport photo (partially obscured B+W) it was like looking in a mirror. My heart will always be somewhere in the British Isles.

[DET62]

Good topic.

I do not feel Russian or really identify with them in any way biologically. I am Scotch/Irish French/Native American as far as I know.

However, from the time I was about 12 years old and saw the movie "Nicholas and Alexandra" I have been fascinated with Russia. I have read lots of books about the country, novels, histories, seen films set in Russia, etc. Long before I ever thought of adopting my daughter, that fascination was there.

Getting my daughter has strengthened those feelings, and I think that's a good thing. She knows I have far more interest, for instance, in Russian history, than she does! When I insist on her watching the DVD's I own on Russian history she whines about wanting to go to bed.

I tell her sometimes she should be proud to be a Russian-American. She was adopted at age 13 so she remembers Russia vividly.

As adoptive parents, we will always be part of Russia, through our children.

Dee

[RBSVARCHER]

No, I do not feel a Russian Connection at all - but am curious about their culture and DS heritage and read everything about it I can get my hands on.

[KimOH]

This is an interesting thread. My family hasn't ever really identified ourselves as anything except American. (Not that there's anything wrong with "just" being American.) We're a hodge-podge of various heritages but I can't think of any ethnically-based traditions, recipes, etc. that are passed down in our family. In fact, my ancestors have been here long enough that I'm not even sure which of my ancestors arrived here, or when, or from where.

I went to school with a lot of kids from Irish-American and Italian-American families who were *very* proud of their heritage and kept a lot of the customs. I always felt a little bit of jealousy because it seemed like they were part of something "big" that I wasn't part of.

So anyway, I'm excited to learn about the Russian culture and I do feel like it's a "part of me" now and I do feel a connection to it that I don't feel to the various parts of my own ancestry, even though I'm not biologically Russian (or maybe I am, who knows?) But, I still don't think it's the same as my friends whose families really celebrated the culture in their everyday lives. I think it's more like the appreciation I would gain for a culture if I had the opportunity to be an exchange student there or something -- or when I spend time with my best friend's family (Colombian). I appreciate it. I enjoy it. I'm thrilled to be invited/included, but I'm still someone on the edges, looking in.

[NCFamily]

Isn't life wierd.
I am also one of those who always wanted to travel to Russia. I am a buff of old old architectual and always thought it would be a great place to visit. Little did I know that the Good Lord had it planned for us all along.
We are also one of the many, as we now know, who try to keep up with news from Russia and the happenings there by the internet.
Life is an amazing journey!

[tbristow]

I have followed Russia pretty closely since the very early 1980's back when life was extremely different. I still remember watching the May Day parades in awe. I almost took Russian in college, but I thought I would never get a chance to use it (How was I supposed to know the wall would fall 3 years later??) I still kick myself for not taking it. I actually still intend to learn more of it so I can teach Hunter. I have many Russian books, videos, etc... I am a mix too--English, German, French-Hugenot, American Indian and Irish so we didn't really have any traditions we celebrated either. Maybe that's the reason I chose to keep some of the traditions. I also want Hunter to be proud of who he is and where he came from.

[Annabell]

This is a lovely thread.

Hmmmmm. I got interested in Russia in the Smyrna, Georgia library when I was around 9. I read every biography of every Czar, every Czarina, every military history, and everything else I could get my hands on.

I dreamed of seeing St. Petersburg (having seen the play "Postmark Zero" about the siege of Leningrad -- utterly unsuitable for a 10 or 12-year-old, but I pleaded with my mother to be permitted to watch it, at a late time, on TV, and, knowing my passion, she allowed it....)

And then came "Nicholas and Alexandra" (the book), and I cried and cried over the basement and Ekaterinburg.

And then, years later, I went to see a small museum in Manhattan with Faberges owned by Malcolm Forbes -- he owned most of the Imperial Eggs (and many, many other Faberge items from the royal family) -- at one point, I burst into tears and had to go out of the gallery to compose myself on a bench. My friend came searching, and there I was, mascara dripping off my nose and running down my face. "What IS it?", he said. "Now I know why they killed them!", I said.

By birth, I am Scotch-Irish, German and Irish. By birth, DH is (Madeira Island) Portuguese and Irish. As far as we're concerned, we're all Russian, Portuguese, Irish, German and Scotch-Irish. (DD proudly brought in to school letters written by my ancestor, age 19, who died in a skirmish just after The Battle of the Wilderness during the Civil War). Now, our little family is all of these. And very, very proud of all of it.

Thank you for a great posting!

[karenmarq]

Wow, that's really something with all that emotion around Russian things so young. Maybe there is something to that past life stuff?

Anyway I liked the thought about the whole family becoming all the cultures. My husband is 51% Irish (very proud of it) and I am thankful to get to celebrate St. Patricks Day now since I always find that time of the year to be rather dreadful. The parade is always a lively pick me up.

I still am not quite seeing how we will bring in Russian culture to our family in some regular way.

[nungesser]

Nearly all of my ancestors emigrated from Russia in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. The last was my paternal grandfather at 13 years old in 1923. He died in 2001. However, none of his memories of Russia were good ones. After emigrating, he purged everything remotely having to do with Russia from his life. My own Russian roots were one of the reasons we chose to adopt from Russia.

Every summer my mother makes spinach borscht and I love palmeni.

Also, like Annabel, I’ve been an inveterate Russophile since I can remember. I voraciously read Russian history as a boy and even more as I became a teenager. I was especially interested in the Stalinist era and the Great Patriotic War (Second World War to those of us in the USA). I was preparing to pursue a career as a Soviet analyst for the CIA when the Berlin Wall came down and the Soviet Union imploded while I was in college.

While waiting to travel I read even more about Russia, sought out Russians to talk to about Russia, and learned a good amount of the Russian language. I continue to learn and speak to AB with the modest amount I know. On day he’s going to figure out that he hears two languages at home.

Naturally I was always eager to go to Russia and see many of the places I’d read about. Unfortunately, I did not as many as I would have liked, but, when AB gets old enough, we’ll go back.

So, I guess I can’t say that I feel more of a connection with Russia than my own heritage. But I would say that adopting from Russia restored a sense of what was already there.

[Annabell]

Karenmarq, I do think there's something a bit spooky about my very early obsession with Russia. But it was all just so very different, and interesting, and, frankly, at the time when I was growing up, rather a "forbidden" topic (at 5, I was learning to crawl under my desk, and to walk home from school so that we could all die at home together during the Cuban Missile Crisis). Any talk, or knowledge of, Russia was something rather secretive, and to be silently savored.

Nunguesser, I am so happy I wasn't the only "weird" kid. I can really relate to the story about your grandfather -- I once innocently asked an older woman about her life as a young girl living on Hester Street in New York (a bastion of Russian Jewishness), and she went berserk on me, shrieking about the fleas and the outhouses and the 6 kids to a bed, and the filth... well, you get the picture. (It really did not help matters that I explained that I'd frequented an outhouse at my grandfather's home -- no indoor plumbing -- 4 days and 6 nights a month -- most of my life, with no particular ill effect). Sigh.

In any event, this thread, and all the responses, just made me smile.