vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #154 / Opinion / Reading article...

We attended a conference Sept. 24-26 concerning Russian compatriots from the Pacific Rim countries. Participants were descendants of those who had lived in Vladivostok but had to leave the country after the Revolution. I am a retired educator who lives in the United States whose family left Vladivostok.

First of all, I would like to extend sincere thanks to all those who gave us their generous hospitality during our stay, especially to Valery Dikarev, vice-president of FESU; Galena Alksyuk, director of Arsenev's Museum; Leonid Anissimoff, director of the Chamber Theater, and the many others who made it possible to make our stay as comfortable as possible.

I was able to contact my cousin who still lives in Vladivostok, whom I did not know existed. I found out more about my maternal great-grandfather, Boris Perlin, who was a famous doctor in Primory in the 19th century. He was also a good friend of Chekov the great Russian writer who wrote a novel tailored to my great-grandfather's life, making him a hero of the story. His son, Boris Perlin, my grandfather, was a director of a bank in Vladivostok and a prominent member of the city council who was involved in building the city before the Revolution.

We hope to come back to Vladivostok, and in spite of minor inconveniences of no hot water or heat, we enjoyed out visit very much, mainly to the warmth and hospitality of the citizens of the city.

We enjoy reading the Vladivostok news on the Internet. Kudos to the person who wrote the article on General Kondratov; it was very entertaining.

Serge W. Puchert
Reno, Nevada
United States