On a train, they rode 100 miles to Vladivostok. Then they flew 6,000 miles to Moscow, to get their immigration papers. Two weeks later they were able to board the train to Austria. Their family had purchased train tickets for a coupe wagon with beds, which is like a small room for the family. When Olegs Father tried to enter the train, he was pushed out by a military commander.
Go to the back of the train and ride with soldiers, the commander said.
But we have small children and bought the tickets for the coupe, Olegs Father objected.
You will ride with soldiers today, the commander answered rudely.
Olegs family rushed to the back of the train, pushing their luggage on a metal cart. Olegs younger brother was running in front of the cart. He tripped, fell and his leg was deeply cut by the cart. The family had no time to stop. They simply picked him up and rushed to the train, where two nice ladies helped them aboard and assisted in binding the wound.
Olegs parents, brothers & sister. Oleg is the second tallest in the back.
Olegs family lived in Austria for two months and then immigrated to Italy. In Italy, they waited for another two months for a sponsor and documents, allowing them to enter the United States. Finally, they were able to take a plane to New York, and then to San Francisco. Due to a long flight and the time change, they were exhausted. On the flight to San Francisco, Olegs sister went through the checkpoint, boarded the plane into the first-class seating, and fell asleep without her family knowing where she had gone. Olegs fourteen-year-old brother, trying to be helpful, went to look for her with one of the airport security staff. Her parents found her sleeping inside the plane, but the older brother failed to make the flight. Thus, another flight for the brother had to be arranged by the sponsor. You can only imagine the stress Olegs parents went through while immigrating to America.
In San Francisco, earlier Russian immigrants from the church of Alexander A. Shevchenko, who came to America during 1940s, helped them. Olegs family lived in their church for two months before renting a small apartment. At the school they attended, Oleg and his siblings were the only white students. The other students consisted of African Americans, Hispanics and Phillippinos. This was very different than Russia. As their cultural knowledge grew and their language skills improved, America became less foreign.
After two years, Olegs family moved into the smaller, quieter and more affordable city of Modesto, California. Together, Olegs parents sewed for themselves and for others. More Russian people immigrated to Modesto and established a Russian church there. Olegs Mother taught Russian and Bible school, and led a childrens choir. She is a very positive and knowledgeable person. Olegs Father was kind and had high expectations for his sons. Unfortunately, diabetes disabled him at the age of 35 and his health was weak.
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Marriage is for life and divorce is a sin. If you
have problems, you work them out.
Some of my cousins lived in Modesto. In time, my extended family became friends with Olegs family. A year later, our cousins moved to live in Vancouver and Oleg came to visit them. The first time he saw me, he shared with my cousins that he liked me very much. They did not hesitate to report that news immediately to me. I was only fifteen years old and thought I was too young for love.
Two years later, one of my cousins opened an Auto Body shop in Vancouver. He knew that Oleg was responsible, so he invited him to come and work in his shop. Oleg thought this would be a great learning opportunity to improve his automotive skills. Plus, as he told me later, he could not wait to see me again. With the blessing of his parents, he moved to Vancouver to live and work. However, he had also promised his Father that he would return to Modesto after a year.
At this time, Oleg was nineteen years old and I was seventeen. We often saw each other in church and sometimes at my cousins home. Soon, Oleg started calling me. The third time I talked to him on the phone, he shared his feelings about me.
Olga, I really like you. I am serious about this and, with time, I would like to marry you. Would you like to be my girlfriend?
Olegs words really scared me. I barely knew him and wasnt ready for a relationship, much less marriage, so I kept answering, I dont know.
Olga, do you know anything? Oleg asked, impatiently.
Oleg, I just started college. Give me time to concentrate on my education. If you are very serious, call me back in a year, I answered politely.
That year hadnt been easy for both of us. For some reason, I could easily talk to other youth in church, but not to Oleg. I avoided him and did unkind things to him. For example, he would quietly wait in the hallway to speak to me after the service, but I would intentionally pass by without looking at him or greeting him. It was if he did not exist. I knew that Christians should not do this. Maybe I had those feelings of love for him inside me, but I did not want to recognize it.
During the year, Oleg had returned to Modesto, as he promised to his parents. Exactly one year after I asked Oleg to call me back in a year, he called me and said,
Olga, the year has passed, but I still love you so much. Would you consider being my girlfriend?
I was so shocked. During the year we had communicated very little. I was happy to hear his voice.
I was not nice to you, Oleg. Would you ever forgive me? I asked.
I love you so much, Olga. I forgive you and would like to spend the rest of my life with you, Oleg said with a calming voice. Would you consider dating me, please?
Give me a day to think and pray about this, I asked.
Oleg promised to call me the next day. With blond hair, blue eyes and a big beautiful smile, Oleg was the nicest young man I had ever met. He was always friendly and polite. I liked him, and my parents liked him too. I knew if I entered a relationship with him, it was a serious step and promising basically to date him exclusively. Was I ready to do this? Did I want to do this? After much praying and asking for Gods blessing, I agreed to enter into a friendship with Oleg. That relationship has grown into a great love.
For the next nine months, Oleg would drive to Vancouver once a month, twelve hours each way, to see me. While staying in Vancouver for three to four days, he would also pick up a job at my cousins shop. On the first evening, Oleg came to see me with a huge bouquet of flowers. Our love was growing stronger every day. While he was in California, we would talk on the phone and write each other letters.
I believed that marriage is for life and divorce is a sin. If you have problems, you work them out. Things were becoming serious and I knew if Oleg asked me to marry him, it was for life, if I said Yes.
During one of his visits, Oleg took me out to a beautiful park besides the river and proposed to me on bended knee.
Olga, would you marry me, please?
Yes! I exclaimed with joy, and then continued, Oleg, please get, up. You are embarrassing me on your bended knee. People are watching us!
We were so happy together! I loved Oleg so much and he loved me. Shortly after this visit, Oleg, his parents, his pastor, and his relatives came to meet my parents and me. We celebrated our engagement. Olegs parents brought a huge sweet Russian bread, called Karavai, which they had made and decorated beautifully with dough flowers and a braid on top. Traditionally, a young man brings this bread to the girl he loves when he asks her to marry him. They eat this bread together. Olegs family was wonderful. I felt their love towards me from the first day. It was a beautiful day and it just happened to be my 19th birthday.