For one thing, later surveys showed that although some wanted “rockers,” “hippies,” and “pederasts” (read: homosexuals) to be “liquidated,” a far larger number advocated tolerance, especially younger Russians. As she notes in this urgent chronicle, examining the Russian character through sociological instruments was frowned on, even banned, until the late 1960s, when Yuri Levada, who turns up at several points in this long narrative, began to look at how ordinary Russians thought about their society. Yet, as Gessen, who has written extensively on Putin, writes, that may flat out not be so. Are they the avatars of the good old days? With Vladimir Putin’s rise and increasingly absolutist rule, there may be something to the old saw that the Russian soul craves authoritarianism. I have been to the UK before and have enjoyed visiting London, Cambridge and meeting my family in Hertfordshire.A brilliant if somber look at modern Russia, a failed democracy, by prizewinning journalist Gessen ( The Brothers: The Road to an American Tragedy, 2015, etc.).įirst there were the serfs, and then “Homo Sovieticus,” the gloomily obedient men, women, and children who waited in bread lines and slaved in mines and factories.

So armed with the knowledge of my connection, I am proud to visit Britain to celebrate the coronation of the King. However, there is nowhere else in the world where a monarchy plays such an active role or has such an impact on popular culture as the Royal Family do in the UK.

I also found out my family’s history with other iconic figures such as my great-uncle Stanley Greaves who fought and died at Vimy Ridge during the First World War, and Elizabeth Killegrew, a Cornish socialite who was reported to have been fully immersed in her family business – piracy!įinding out these connections has made me feel like my family is truly in the history books, and I’ll certainly carry our story forward for future generations and beyond.Ĭanada has strong ties to the UK as a commonwealth nation, my home is even named after Queen Victoria and the royal family have been to our city many times over the years.

I was stunned by my discovery, but it wasn’t the end of my journey into my past. I also found out more about their ancestral home, Berry Pomeroy Castle, which is now considered haunted – I would love to visit! I appreciate history, and so will be excited to be witnessing thousands of years of tradition unfold before my eyes (Picture: Christine Lewis)

The future is history book