By the way, I thought I’d tell you a bit more about where I come from, so to speak, what I am) Since this social network is primarily for English-speaking guys, I’m sharing this, and it's obvious that there's not much context, for example, regarding where Lithuania is, what Liechtenstein is, and so on. Just like I can’t say where North Dakota is, where South Dakota is. So here it is)
I’m Lia Hatskevich (original surname - Tumashevich) On my father's side, I’m of Belarusian Romani descent, and I also have some Polish roots. On my mother’s side, I am Russian, and there seem to be some Jewish roots somewhere, but this isn’t certain, as my maternal grandfather was from an orphanage, and my grandmother is an orphan who was found and adopted by a Red Army soldier in the blockade of Leningrad (Saint Petersburg). ------
Prussian tribes used to live here, and then the Teutonic Order came in. They created their own state. Over time, it became part of the German Empire.
As a result of the end of World War II, as may be known, borders were changed, and part of Prussia was given to Poland, Lithuania, and the RSFSR (Although it would have been ideal for me if there had been a new region, like the Prussian Socialist Republic, let’s say, and it were on par with the Baltic states after the collapse of the USSR). After that, there was active deportation of Germans, which is sad. And the resettlement of residents from the Soviet Union. Not only ethnically Russian, and, of course, others like Belarusians, Ukrainians, and so on. They managed to somewhat restore life in the destroyed former capital of Prussia and its surroundings, albeit clumsily. There were attempts to erase the Germanness of the region and promote Communism because of state ideology, all that. My grandmother, Nastia's grandmother, told me how she walked around the ruined Royal Castle and how back then, children, supposedly German children, were stoned. And she told many stories about how people lived here before the Soviet occupation. It’s really funny how they renamed cities in a Soviet style. There’s the case of Königsberg, which, according to one version, they wanted to keep the name, and for about a year after annexation, it was still called Königsberg, along with Königsberg region, and when the question arose of how to rename it, one version wanted to name it Baltiysk, but then… one of the Soviet figures, Kalinin, died. He had NOTHING to do with the region whatsoever. And the name Baltiysk was given to another city in this region (which, by the way, is where I’ve lived my whole life).
If Nastia’s ancestors moved here in the 1950s, so did her grandmother. Mine did around the late 1960s.
And after the collapse of the Soviet Union, this region was secured for Russia. That's the situation.
Amber region. A beautiful place, and at the same time, it feels as if there is still a phantom pain for the past in the air. A spirit that is still trying to find itself in a new shell. I love my home, and it makes me sad what is happening to it due to the actions of a dictator who has taken power and forbids us... LGBTQ people to be ourselves here, and kills people in neighboring countries, including with our own hands...
But that’s another story.
I’m sorry) It’s just that for me, this is some kind of Roman Empire that I will reflect on for a long time. Just like you, I would like to live peacefully and enjoy life. But it’s like this. Thank you for your attention! I guess we can say that we're like Alaska to you, although it's not an exact analogy, but let's say so) Well, now we are acquainted.😊😊 ------- In response to the question, for example, 'Are you Russian?' I can't tell you for sure. For me, it's also a reflexive moment. A Russian woman? (For some reason, this meaning did not come through in the translation. Here, I was referring to the word that means a citizen of Russia, not ethnically Russian or nationally and other invented concepts.) I could say that more accurately. But first and foremost, I feel somewhat distanced, not Russian, but rather a resident of the amber region. If there were a separate name, I would use it. Well, it is what it is. It's all complicated. If earlier I didn't think about such things and considered myself a cosmopolitan, a citizen of the world, I still think that way now. But if I have to put a label on it, then resident of the amber region is more accurate in my opinion. And under which flag is a secondary matter. The main thing is that it is peaceful.
