Connections from the Past
In my last post, I hinted at some surprising news – and no, it is not that my mom is pregnant (although that WOULD be surprising). Sorry. That's kind of a family joke right now since two other women in my family are pregnant with due dates ON THE SAME DAY. One of them happens to be my sister-in-law, so I'm going to be an Auntie! YAY!!! But I digress....
A few weeks ago, I was checking my e-mail and noticed a message with this in the subject line: "Friend of Vika!" I cautiously opened the message. There are all kinds of weird searches that lead to this blog having to do with the name Vika ("Vika feet," "naked Vika," etc. - is there a Russian adult film star named Vika?), and I felt a bit concerned that this message might be related to those searches. But, much to my relief and surprise, the person sending the mail actually believed she might know Vika.
Her name is Michelle, and she adopted her two kids from Murmansk, Russia ecaxtly a year before we adopted ours. When she and her husband were visiting their children in the orphanage, they noticed another little girl in their daughter Alina's group room. This girl had olive skin, dark hair and dark eyes, and was named Vika. She and Alina were best friends, and between trips, the orphanage staff took many photos of the two playing together. Michelle said that Vika had the same special spark that her own kids had, and that she and her husband had thought of her often after bringing their children home. They even considered trying to adopt her for a time, but realized they had their hands full with their two children, and so did not pursue the idea.
Earlier this summer, Michelle sent a message to Tatiana, the orphanage director at the child's home, asking about Vika and whether or not she had been adopted. If Vika had been adopted, she requested that her contact info be forwarded to the adoptive family. Alina missed Vika, and Michelle hoped that there might be a chance of reconnecting the two little girls. Knowing it would take quite a while to receive a response from Tatiana, Michelle decided to do a quick Google search on "Vika" and "Murmansk." On the first page of results was this blog. After looking through it a bit, she became convinced that my Vika was the one she had been searching for, and she decided to contact me by e-mail.
After reading her message, I was a bit stunned. Could it be the same Vika? I wasn't sure, but Michelle quickly sent another message with photos, and it became obvious that the Vika she remembered and our daughter were the same person.
The photos Michelle sent are amazing. They offer a glimpse into Vika's life at the orphanage that we had not seen before. It is also amazing to hear about the friendship between Vika and Alina. Vika has either blocked out or chooses not to talk about much of her time spent in the orphanage. She can give a variety of details about her birth family, but is surprisingly tight-lipped about what her life was like when she was not with her birth mother or Russian babushka. I do know that for much of her last year in the Child’s Home, she felt lost and alone. This was the time period after Alina had been adopted – Vika was separated from Eamon, who still lived in the Baby Home, and the visits by her birth family were becoming less and less frequent. It must have been a painful time, and it’s no wonder that Vika chooses not to relive it.
I do remember one time, shortly after we brought Vika home, when I showed Vika a picture that was taken at the orphanage of her and another little girl. I asked Vika if this was her friend, but she shrugged and said, “Nyet.” Then she said the name “Alina.” At the time, I took it to mean that the girl in the photo was named Alina. But now I think Vika was trying to tell me that Alina was her friend, not the girl in the picture. Unfortunately, her English was limited, as was my Russian, so we weren’t able to discuss this further.
It is amazing to think that through the internet, Alina and Vika have been reunited once again. Alina lives on the East Coast, so we can’t get together for play dates, but the girls have begun to exchange letters, and Michelle and I are planning a phone call between the two. While Vika's memories of the orphanage are hazy, she is very excited that Alina found her. It’s an unexpected connection to Vika’s past that, along with the birth family search, helps us piece together more of her life before joining our family. I’m glad Michelle found us, and look forward to continued contact between Vika and Alina.
Below are a few of the photos Michelle sent. Click on any image to view it larger. You can also read Michelle's blog post about Alina and Vika here.
Vika and Alina at the Child’s Home in Murmansk
Vika at age 3
Vika (far right) playing in the snow with other children at her orphanage (this is my favorite picture – she looks like a little Eskimo!)
A few weeks ago, I was checking my e-mail and noticed a message with this in the subject line: "Friend of Vika!" I cautiously opened the message. There are all kinds of weird searches that lead to this blog having to do with the name Vika ("Vika feet," "naked Vika," etc. - is there a Russian adult film star named Vika?), and I felt a bit concerned that this message might be related to those searches. But, much to my relief and surprise, the person sending the mail actually believed she might know Vika.
Her name is Michelle, and she adopted her two kids from Murmansk, Russia ecaxtly a year before we adopted ours. When she and her husband were visiting their children in the orphanage, they noticed another little girl in their daughter Alina's group room. This girl had olive skin, dark hair and dark eyes, and was named Vika. She and Alina were best friends, and between trips, the orphanage staff took many photos of the two playing together. Michelle said that Vika had the same special spark that her own kids had, and that she and her husband had thought of her often after bringing their children home. They even considered trying to adopt her for a time, but realized they had their hands full with their two children, and so did not pursue the idea.
Earlier this summer, Michelle sent a message to Tatiana, the orphanage director at the child's home, asking about Vika and whether or not she had been adopted. If Vika had been adopted, she requested that her contact info be forwarded to the adoptive family. Alina missed Vika, and Michelle hoped that there might be a chance of reconnecting the two little girls. Knowing it would take quite a while to receive a response from Tatiana, Michelle decided to do a quick Google search on "Vika" and "Murmansk." On the first page of results was this blog. After looking through it a bit, she became convinced that my Vika was the one she had been searching for, and she decided to contact me by e-mail.
After reading her message, I was a bit stunned. Could it be the same Vika? I wasn't sure, but Michelle quickly sent another message with photos, and it became obvious that the Vika she remembered and our daughter were the same person.
The photos Michelle sent are amazing. They offer a glimpse into Vika's life at the orphanage that we had not seen before. It is also amazing to hear about the friendship between Vika and Alina. Vika has either blocked out or chooses not to talk about much of her time spent in the orphanage. She can give a variety of details about her birth family, but is surprisingly tight-lipped about what her life was like when she was not with her birth mother or Russian babushka. I do know that for much of her last year in the Child’s Home, she felt lost and alone. This was the time period after Alina had been adopted – Vika was separated from Eamon, who still lived in the Baby Home, and the visits by her birth family were becoming less and less frequent. It must have been a painful time, and it’s no wonder that Vika chooses not to relive it.
I do remember one time, shortly after we brought Vika home, when I showed Vika a picture that was taken at the orphanage of her and another little girl. I asked Vika if this was her friend, but she shrugged and said, “Nyet.” Then she said the name “Alina.” At the time, I took it to mean that the girl in the photo was named Alina. But now I think Vika was trying to tell me that Alina was her friend, not the girl in the picture. Unfortunately, her English was limited, as was my Russian, so we weren’t able to discuss this further.
It is amazing to think that through the internet, Alina and Vika have been reunited once again. Alina lives on the East Coast, so we can’t get together for play dates, but the girls have begun to exchange letters, and Michelle and I are planning a phone call between the two. While Vika's memories of the orphanage are hazy, she is very excited that Alina found her. It’s an unexpected connection to Vika’s past that, along with the birth family search, helps us piece together more of her life before joining our family. I’m glad Michelle found us, and look forward to continued contact between Vika and Alina.
Below are a few of the photos Michelle sent. Click on any image to view it larger. You can also read Michelle's blog post about Alina and Vika here.
Vika and Alina at the Child’s Home in Murmansk
Vika at age 3
Vika (far right) playing in the snow with other children at her orphanage (this is my favorite picture – she looks like a little Eskimo!)
Wow - what an awesome blessing to get earlier pictures.
I am just so glad we found each other. Alina has so few memories of her birthfamily and her friendship with Vika was so important to her. It's the most amazing blessing to connect!
This whole thing is so incredible and exciting. And it's wonderful to know that these two little girls have found safe and loving homes.
That's wonderful. I take it that Vika still remembers Alina?
It reminds me so much of some other stories. When Peanut lived with me for the summer, he told me that when he got back to the Dietsky Dom his sister, Dasha, would be there. (She had been in the baby house, but had just turned 4, so his thought made sense.) After he went back to Russia, my agency informed me that his sister had been adopted through their agency by a family in my state. That family and I got in contact. It kills me that Peanut is in Russia now and has no idea what happened to his sisters or his older brothers. At least I was able to send pictures of Peanut to the family that adopted Dasha.
Another story is a good friend of mine who adopted a 13-year old from Kaz. While she was there, she learned that he had an older sister who had been adopted by a US family a few years before. She put her investigator's hat on and eventually found his sister. The kids talk frequently and have gotten together for a couple of visits.
It's just so healthy for the kids to be able to reconnect to people from their past.
What a cool coincidence. And, how great to get the pictures and fill in some of the pieces of Vika's past!
That is SO cool!
wow, this is so amazing. so neat to have some earlier photos!
rita (and the local social worker) said she had a friend at the detsky dom who was later adopted with her 2 or 3 sisters to a family in spain. this same girl spent the 2007 summer with rita at the caregiver's home ... i have a few pics of her. i really need to post something on the message boards and see if i can locate them!
By the way, in the snow picture, Anton is the little boy in blue and red with a brown hat sitting at the front of the sled and Alina is the one in the black coat at the end. They all do look incredibly bundled, but then Murmansk is north of the Arctic Circle so it's cold in winter!
What amazing gifts--a reconnected friendship, the healing that may allow, and darling picture of your girl.
I am so excited for Vika! As Kate said, it's a great opportunity to rekindle friendship and allow for some healing.
that gave me chills....How exciting to find a connection to her past!
Holy cow that is amazing! I hope they keep in touch even when they are older. What a connection to her past.
What an amazing story and how wonderful the girls are now able to reconnect!!!
wow, what a small world. I wish someone had pictures of my kids and had a long lost friend. You must be soo happy
What a treasure!
WOW!
So cute!
:)
Wow! I had missed this post of your! What an incredible story!
hugs
\ps-my knitting is going well, I discoved the Knifty Knitter :-) Ok, I cheated a little, but I did learn the basic and purl stitches on the needle, and have a little scarf for T started :-)
Hello, we adopted two children who are biological siblings; Timur and Karina from Murmansk in 2003. They had a sister named Alina whom I believe was born on January 15, 2001. We were told that Alina was adopted by a Russian family at birth. My daughter Karina is very curious about her sister Alina. I came across your blog in my efforts to help my daughter. What a wonderful story!