(essay)

“They say that our ancestors could trace their family lines up to the seventh generation. And you, can you do the same now? ” Recently, I have been asked this unexpected question and plunged into reflections…

In Ukraine, it is difficult to trace family roots because of its complicated history. The former Soviet Union and Russia  destroyed our cultural and historical heritage for so many years. Many archival documents are probably stored in Russia, but access to them is closed due to the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Today I would like to tell the story of my family based on what I know.

I’ve never researched the origin of my surname, but my father told me that there was a Lithuanian count among our ancestors.

It is rambling to research this branch of the family because my grandmother’s parents were divorced. Her father lived in the Crimea and the last time she saw him was when my father was a child. She knows she has brothers and sisters on her father’s side, but we have no contact with them. We tried to find them before the war, but to no avail. There is a possibility that they are in Russia now.

I know for a fact that my grandfather has a brother who lives in a remote region of Russia, and some of his relatives have immigrated to Canada. I have never met them, but I have heard a lot about them.

My mother’s family is of Ukrainian origin. Most of her relatives live in villages, although some have moved to Russia. My grandmother’s sister married a Russian man and regretted it more than once, but that’s another story.

Unfortunately, this is all I know about my family so far, but I will continue to learn more in the future. How about you? Do you know your ancestors up to the seventh generation?