Chronicle Entries

November 20

While our current story, and the entire project for that matter, spans many generations of Russians, there is one group that we haven't had much of a chance to hear from. The peristroika kids. Children born during the years of Gorbachev's reforms who have grown up in this new Russia. Ultimately, this country's future lies in their hands. We asked several twelve-year-old students from School No. 631 in St. Petersburg to answer two questions for us. What is their message to the world? And, what do they think the future will hold for Russia? The teachers put the questions to their students and later Lisa went through their writings and chose some of the more interesting responses.

After our second "web chat" this evening, we went to meet Vanya, the great, great grandson of Maria Mikhailovna. We had had trouble locating him because there had been a fire in his parents apartment building which cut off their phone lines. And because the house still reeked of smoke, the family was not always living there. We finally caught up with him at his grandmother's home which was perfect for us because she also holds the keys to the datcha where we hope the old photos of Maria Mikhailovna may be hidden.

I did some portraits of Vanya and then tried to convince the grandmother to let us go to the datcha and have a look for the photos. She didn't want us to go out there on our own but said she would accompany us tomorrow evening, although she warned us that she doesn't think the photos we are looking for will be there. She did happen have one portrait of Maria Mikhailovna taken in 1913 when she was 16-years-old. I made a copy of that photo just in case we end up empty handed tomorrow.

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