CHAPTER 7. OUR GRANDMA NATALIA IVANOVNA
Actually, NATALIA IVANOVNA was a Grandmother for me and Gennadiy. EMMA was left alone in this relationship.
For LARISA she was a GREAT GRANDMA, but for GLEB – GREAT GREAT GRANDMA.
What kind of a person was she?
TYpical Russian woman of a beatiful outlooks and a srtong character.
Listen to the song “RUSSIAN WOMAN” :
Once, when we were little children, she was at our place as a guest.As far I remember, NATALIA IVANOVNA could not get along with MARIA. So, she took us to the photographer’s studio and made a picture of the three.
As if nobody else was so important for her at that time.
NATALIA IVANOVNA had four sons, the eldest one was my Dad-NICKOLAY FILIN, the middle son was Sergey,i.e. my uncle Sergey, who was married, had 2 sons, went to the Front and never came back. We never met his sons.
The 3-d son was Alexey Pchelkin, graduated from the Military Medical Academy, became a surgeon. After the war he visited us, was on good terms with his big brother and MARIA.
In regards to his personal life, he was married, then divorced his wife. There was a daughter from this marriage but we never saw her or spoke to her. Tense relations with the wife made an imprint in kids’ friendships.
When my Dad had died, I sent to uncle Alyosha an invitation for his big brother’s funeral. At that time he was in Moscow at the Conference of the Doctors, simply to say, near Bryansk, one night by train or one hour by plane. But he did not come.
Instead, he sent me a letter with his request to describe how the funerals went. Replying him, I had sent a few photos and a letter with bitter grief and frustration that he did not arrive then. It was in 1985.
The youngest son of NATALIA IVANOVNA was Alexander. As far as I remember, MARIA helped him to choose a profession of a shoe-maker. He was very thankful to he and held high respect of MARIA. SASHA was married and had a son. NATALIA IVANOVNA stayed with her youngest son, loved her daughter-in-law. My DAD used to visit his MOM very often, took care of her and learned many useful skills of good caregiving. So, he was an excellent caregiver for his wife MARIA later.
NATALIA IVANOVNA died in very old age, beyond 90. Let good memories about her stay forever in our minds!(to be continued)
Watch a documentary film: