Igor

Igor

My name is Igor and I am from [|Russia]. Last 20 years I lived in the far North East of Russia. Our region called [|Kolyma] and it's close to Alaska. But I was born in the Southern part of former [|USSR]. Now it is an independent country [|Azerbaijan]. My first 19 years I lived in [|Baku] [|(see a picture of Baku)] the capital of Soviet Azerbaijan and after that I became a soldier. The early 1980-s were hard times. American president Ronald Reagan started his Star War project and all Soviet people were afraid of that. In the same time both of our countries got two tragedy. In the US it was Challenger Shuttle explosion and in USSR we got Chernobyl's burst. And after those tragedies americans and russians both started to understand each other better. None of us didn't want to fight. In 1985 Michail Gorbachyov became a Soviet leader and started "Perestroika". I remember the first McDonalds in Moscow was opened in 1988. Every time when I come to Russian capital I go to those McDonalds and it reminds me my youth and the great expectations of "Perestroika". Unfortunately we didn't get all values of democracy, because USSR gave up in cold war and our common country was separated. In many places of former USSR we got civil wars between the nations. My family has a few roots, Azerbaijan, Armenian and Slavic too. In 1988 one of Azerbaijan region Karabah, where live more armenians than azeri people declared its independence and a lot of refugees had been leaving both Azerbaijan and Armenia. After the war finished in 1994 Azerbaijan lost about 20% of its territory and now I cannot go to the Karabah - the sweetest mounty region and home of my ancestors. Wish you were there! It's amazing place! I didn't see the best one in worldwide... A lot of my school friends had been move out from Azerbaijan and many of my azeri relatives from Armenian territory lost their homes and all stuffs. We all became refugees and that's wrong. During the centuries both of our nations live together. My granny was semi Armenian and semi Slavic woman. My father is Azerbaijan. And so my ethnicity is Azeri too, but my nationality is Russian because I moved to Saint- Petersberg in 1988 where I became an actor and rock musician. In 1989 I was married with young girl from Magadan. She was a student in college. When she was pregnant we moved to her parents to Magadan. That's my way to the North-East. The most of Magadan population moved there for a short time about 3 or 4 years. The main purpose of it was making the big money. You could get a good job there in the Soviet times. Some people moved there because they didn't make enough money and buy cars or flats. So this is the main reason for them. But another people moved to Magadan because they were romantic persons. Although I couldn't forget my native country I really did love Kolyma and Magadan. It's my beloved city. My son was born there. I became a theatre and TV director there. I bought my own apartment and when I devorced I met the most beautiful woman, my last wife. My parents live here in Saint Louis Park since 1996. They called me and I joined them in 2009. I left my country, my job and a lot of friends. I hope someday I will see them again. Because every true Russian can not live without our motherland for a long time. I really do love my parents, but I'm a patriot of Russia and although I'm very thankful to America the new country of my parents. But how can I forget my beloved Russia? But now we can travel over the world and I think I could live between two countries US and Russia. As a creator and artistic person I need my own audience the Russian speaking people. I am happy to live here in America and learn English. I must improve my English better. And I'm sure I'll brush up on my English soon. Then I will say I know both languages well and I can speak English without any accent. That's great opportunity for communication between our countries and peoples. I'm glad to live here and learn American language, culture and bring to Americans my culture and other values.