The battle of Waterloo was in 1815, there was peace in Europe for nearly a hundred years until WW1 started in 1914. Constance was born ninety eight years ago in 1917, the year of the Russian Revolution.
Many White Russians escaped the Bolsheviks, some were already living outside Russia, some left as soon as the problems started in early 1900's, some by the skin of their teeth.
And many settled in Paris. Constance was at school in Ville d'Avray ~ Paris for the year of 1934-35 and met a few of these families. One particular family she knew especially well as one of the two daughters gave her piano lessons, and members of their extended family lived in Madras and knew Constance's parents.
The family had certainly known a 'different' way of life, however, they were not destitute as they had had a large part of their business in France. They had left Russia, escaping with three members of their household staff and their jewellery and considered themselves to be incredibly fortunate.
The husband travelled within Europe quietly selling sections of the family firm and his wife spent a lot of time doing work with many of the refugees who were destitute, she taught them French and English and kept a very tight rein on her family's finances.
For both she and her husband knew exactly how volatile the situation was in Europe and were planning to move the family to Canada, where she had spent many years as a teenager.
Constance had kept in touch with the family upon her return to Madras and was not at all surprised when she received a change of address notification for the family, they had gone to Canada in 1937, thereby making it out of Europe before the start of WW2 in 1939.
I have a human uncle, he is her eldest brother, he has lived in Paris since 1964. She'd stayed with him several times and the whole family stayed with him when he married Catherine in December of 1969.
Constance had not been back to Paris since she left in mid summer of 1935 and wrote to her friend in Canada giving her news of the wedding and her trip. She got an immediate response which said "Far too good an opportunity to miss.. we'll meet you there!"
And so an eighty nine year old White Russian and her seventy year old daughter, who had been the piano teacher, flew from Canada to Paris to be with Constance and to meet her husband and family.
Constance went alone to meet them at the airport in the morning from their over-night flight, she had said "it's going to be an extraordinarily emotional meeting and I want to be by myself to be with them". (Not one of her family had even thought about going with her!)
The three of them arrived at tea time at the flat.. they had talked and laughed and cried ~ a lot. For none of their family had been back to Paris since they left in 1937. The other daughter had met and married an Australian, the husband had sent his love and a fat cheque but his apologies saying "I am content to let you 'girls' enjoy yourselves and please remember to bring lots of photos back".
They had with them copies of photos of Constance, circa 1935, taken in their old apartment on Rue Jean-Mermoz. They had lots photos of Paris taken in the 30's.. little black and white pictures.
The octogarian was simply wonderful! Her energy was staggering! Her mind and memory as sharp as a new pin and, needless to say, she had never gone back to the land which was called the USSR.
Why has she remembered this exquisite woman? Well, she was sorting out a drawer in her desk last night and came across one of the photos they gave Constance in 1969 and there, on the back but not in her mother's writing, is written Ville d'Avray ~ 1934. Constance kept in touch with them until their deaths.
In a few days time, on May 8th, it will be the seventieth anniversary of the end of WW2 in Europe. The fear. The sadness. The destruction. The displaced people. The horror of war ~ caused by greed.
GeeGee Parrot.
April 29th, 2015.
Many White Russians escaped the Bolsheviks, some were already living outside Russia, some left as soon as the problems started in early 1900's, some by the skin of their teeth.
And many settled in Paris. Constance was at school in Ville d'Avray ~ Paris for the year of 1934-35 and met a few of these families. One particular family she knew especially well as one of the two daughters gave her piano lessons, and members of their extended family lived in Madras and knew Constance's parents.
The family had certainly known a 'different' way of life, however, they were not destitute as they had had a large part of their business in France. They had left Russia, escaping with three members of their household staff and their jewellery and considered themselves to be incredibly fortunate.
The husband travelled within Europe quietly selling sections of the family firm and his wife spent a lot of time doing work with many of the refugees who were destitute, she taught them French and English and kept a very tight rein on her family's finances.
For both she and her husband knew exactly how volatile the situation was in Europe and were planning to move the family to Canada, where she had spent many years as a teenager.
Constance had kept in touch with the family upon her return to Madras and was not at all surprised when she received a change of address notification for the family, they had gone to Canada in 1937, thereby making it out of Europe before the start of WW2 in 1939.
I have a human uncle, he is her eldest brother, he has lived in Paris since 1964. She'd stayed with him several times and the whole family stayed with him when he married Catherine in December of 1969.
Constance had not been back to Paris since she left in mid summer of 1935 and wrote to her friend in Canada giving her news of the wedding and her trip. She got an immediate response which said "Far too good an opportunity to miss.. we'll meet you there!"
And so an eighty nine year old White Russian and her seventy year old daughter, who had been the piano teacher, flew from Canada to Paris to be with Constance and to meet her husband and family.
Constance went alone to meet them at the airport in the morning from their over-night flight, she had said "it's going to be an extraordinarily emotional meeting and I want to be by myself to be with them". (Not one of her family had even thought about going with her!)
The three of them arrived at tea time at the flat.. they had talked and laughed and cried ~ a lot. For none of their family had been back to Paris since they left in 1937. The other daughter had met and married an Australian, the husband had sent his love and a fat cheque but his apologies saying "I am content to let you 'girls' enjoy yourselves and please remember to bring lots of photos back".
They had with them copies of photos of Constance, circa 1935, taken in their old apartment on Rue Jean-Mermoz. They had lots photos of Paris taken in the 30's.. little black and white pictures.
The octogarian was simply wonderful! Her energy was staggering! Her mind and memory as sharp as a new pin and, needless to say, she had never gone back to the land which was called the USSR.
Why has she remembered this exquisite woman? Well, she was sorting out a drawer in her desk last night and came across one of the photos they gave Constance in 1969 and there, on the back but not in her mother's writing, is written Ville d'Avray ~ 1934. Constance kept in touch with them until their deaths.
In a few days time, on May 8th, it will be the seventieth anniversary of the end of WW2 in Europe. The fear. The sadness. The destruction. The displaced people. The horror of war ~ caused by greed.
GeeGee Parrot.
April 29th, 2015.
No comments:
Post a Comment