My Ancestry

Where were you born?

I was born in Waitakere Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand. I happened to be the final addition to my main family, or just the youngest child, coming after my brother who was born two years earlier.

How did you come to New Zealand?

I was born here, and haven't ventured far ever since. I've lived in Auckland, New Zealand my whole life.

How did your ancestors come to New Zealand?

A few years before I was born, my family had ventured here by plane. My mum, grandma, auntie and dad had all come a long way from Russia.

What was your house like as a child?

Considering my lack of knowledge of other houses, I'm going to assume mine was similar to the average New Zealand home. Aside from that, I did speak Russian with my family.

Does your family practice a religion?

My mum practices a branch of Christianity known as 'Russian Orthodox', yet it's not something that is within our daily lives.
On the other hand, whenever I visit my grandmas house I'm always woken up to her praying. She has a little stand on the side of her bed dedicated to religion images, texts and items. When I was younger, she would take me to an Orthodox Church. My grandma would have me wear a cloth over my head, and despite the small size of the building, I found the insides to be very beautifully decorated. Inside, a group of men would sing what sounded like Gregorian Chants, assumably with lyrics consisting of religious texts.