Русский | Russian Atlantida | February 28, 2006
The Book of Memory about Harbin

English Machine Translation

. Item of Marquises, Syktyvkar

Did not assume, possibly, Vitaly Afanasevich Miroshnichenko, photographing monuments on new Uspenskom and old Pokrovsk cemeteries of Harbin, that its work will lay down in a basis published in 2000 in Melbourn the unique book-album " In memory about usopshih in the ground Manchurian and about harbintsah ". Photos of 593 monuments immortalized by it are a documentary reproach hunvejbinovskomu to revelry.

Whether Encouraged the Chinese government of those years of a crime of the raged pseudo-patriots - I shall not investigate, it is work of the future historians. But anyway, and destruction Over the Nikolaev cathedral, and rout of cemeteries do not do honour hunvejbinam, neither to their leaders, nor the kept silent contemporaries. And if the government of the USSR then has not interfered and did not protest at all - does not do honour and to it.

The Input on New Uspenskoe
Cemetery of Harbin

The History of creation of this album has begun in Harbin in first half 50th years when Century A.Miroshnichenko went on cemeteries and photographed monuments. Tombs had many people that was not surprising for Harbin those years: soon Russian Harbin began to part in the different parties. Work above an album in 1999 when after death of the father its daughter Tatyana Vitalevna Zhilevich with husband Alexander and son Juroj have disassembled its photoarchive stored negatives also  has renewed.

Then has appeared known for much harbintsam the letter under the title " Help to create the book! ". In it Tatyana Zhilevich has informed on the decision in memory of the father and in memory of all harbintsev, buried on cemeteries of Harbin, to publish the book and asked: " Look, please, attentively all the surnames specified in the applied list. Perhaps, you will meet surnames familiar or native and can shortly write about them, about their life, work. If there are photos of these people put them also. Safety and return I guarantee ".

The X-copy of this letter-reference was received also by me from Chelyabinsk from. Item Razzhigaevoj, informed, that in the list is a monument on a tomb of my mummy, Serafimy Ilyinichna. And it has appeared, that monuments on tombs of other close people of our family also have been photographed: Uljany Ivanovny and Yemelyan Korneevicha Podzery, Darya Ivanovny Frolovoj (mum of my wife Nina), Rita Konstntinovoj (the goddaughter of my mum), Nikolay Markovicha Mihajlova and other friends.

From Tatyana Zhilevich's this letter work as the idea of creation of an album has appeared on a shower much was harbintsam, scattered worldwide has begun to boil. A huge collection of photos of Century A.Miroshnichenko and still connected Nikolay Nikolaevicha Zaiki, George Prokopevicha Kositsyna's work and many other things of people have allowed the author of an album to tell in the foreword: " I  keep and I leave all harbintsam the last memoirs on our former cemeteries ". Near many tombs and in avenues of cemeteries friends and the familiar lates have been photographed native.

Spouses ZHilevich and,
Melbourn 1999

In an album of 340 pages. On everyone not on one monument with the brief description of a life of people. Very much helps to understand the general mood and the attitude to the lates of a plenty of the people always come on a cemetery.

I knew Vitaly Miroshnichenko a little, it long time worked in shop " Company of Century I.Kazikov and to ". Vasily Ivanovich Kazikov and its wife Evpraksija Stepanovna were is old-veins Harbin and friends to seniors Markizovyh, have made friends still being young and, it has appeared, for all life. Vitaly Afanasevich photographed funeral of Century I.Kazikova in Harbin in 1957 and the monument established on a tomb, in an album it has borrowed four pages.  Evpraksija Stepanovna has died already in Australia. I remember, in 1973, at eighty-year-old age, it still vigorous for the years, arrived from Australia to Irkutsk and Moscow to see last time relatives. Everyone were happy with a meeting.

The Album cannot be thumbed through simply, it should be considered closely. You look at a monument - memoirs come. Here for example, a tomb on Pokrovsk a cemetery of absolutely young poetess Nina Zavadskoj. On a pedestal an angel with a cross. It Urzova, this workshop have artly made in a workshop of monuments many years equipped tombs harbintsev. And metal ogradku  did in the Chinese workshop which made in due time to me many products to designs of metal. Vasily Ivanovich Kulakov, the present artist  and the master on furnish finished ogradku too familiar much harbintsam. The excellent ensemble has turned out. A monument of mother of the poetess then yet was not a number: Nina Viktorovna has not transferred loss of the daughter and as I have learned from an album, has soon died from a cancer. To the known doctor in city, to Konstantin Vladislavovichu Zavadsky, it was necessary to bury and the wife. I do not know about its destiny.

No, it is impossible to list unique gravestones harbinskih cemeteries. Almost in everyone there are elements of the creative attitude of masters and those who prepared for projects. Here in photos monuments to the doctor to the disinterested person of Century A.Kazem-Beku, Belief Rutkovskoj with a grieving angel, to the doctor of Century of Century  Kozhevnikovu and another. Harbin on cemeteries had weight of graceful and beautiful monuments, in photos their part is represented only.

The Estimation of an album of monuments harbinskih cemeteries would be not full if there were no certificates of neutral people. In Syktyvkar very much many Russian and Komi with interest considered an album. I have shown its journalist Anna Nikolaevne Sivkovoj, the editor of the enoi?eei-study of local lore appendix " the Smoke of fatherland " to the daily newspaper "Republic". Its husband,  the assistant to the editor-in-chief of the fortnight newspaper the "Belief" having a subtitle  " the Christian orthodox newspaper of the North of Russia ", - Michael Vitalevich Sizov. Both aboriginals of Republic Komi, never happened in Harbin and even near to it in the Far East. Therefore it is possible to consider their estimation objective, not connected with memoirs.

What would you think? Next day Anna Nikolaevna calls by phone and speaks: " To open the book I has managed only in the evening. I have looked through last pages of the book in the morning simultaneously with a call of an alarm clock. Nights as did not happen ". On my retort with a reminder to not hasten to consider to nigu, it has answered: " I also did not hasten, simply could not come off. It at all the book, and a picture album, a minimum of the text and huge set of pictures. It is possible to make out the smallest details, and photos on all leaf ".

While Anna Nikolaevna prepared for huge "turn" on two pages for the newspaper, Michael Vitalevich has acted in two numbers  of the newspaper "Belief" with an estimation of an album. It has compared the sensations at visiting local  cemeteries to impression of the book:

" It is valid, be on cemeteries, not time I felt as though on a visit. Around of a surname, a photo of strangers. You go between tombs - and you get acquainted with them. Strange sensation. And recently the unusual book - has fallen me into hands an album of photos on which gravestone monuments and brief data who here is buried are embodied. Such fascinating reading would Seem not. But ? could not come off. People whom I never knew, rose before eyes as if alive. This book is unique. One has published it in the past to year Russian in Australia on the savings and donations ".

Michael Sizov has printed in the newspaper "Belief" the huge material based on impressions of an album with numerous photos of Century of A.Miroshnichenko, N.N.Zaiki, and also from four numbers " Russian Atlantidy ", under heading " the Handful of Russian ground ". Publishing them in May, it spoke, that readers of "Belief" very much are interested in similar publications. Also it has appeared the rights. We together answer acting questions from cities of Russia and Ukraine.

In the next release under heading " Two from Russian Atlantidy " Anna Nikolaevna writes " the Smoke of fatherland ": " Even me, any image not connected with Harbin, Tatyana Zhilevich's book has touched, has excited, has shaken. Whether it is necessary to speak, what squall of memoirs and tears, it has responded in hearts of former inhabitants Russian Atlantidy ".

Here religious procession. Go to Iordani. Hundred thousand people. Serve moleben near the high ice cross which has "grown" a font. Parental Saturday. mnogoljude spreads on avenues of a cemetery. A kaleidoscope of persons. Persons Russian. And here clothes ? Neither sundresses, nor a boot, shirts print or linen. All in civil, modern dresses, in sound European suits, a coat, fur coats. Under pictures of date 20, 30, 40th years. You look and are surprised. Where, in what corner stired, zastrashchennoj our mother-Russia old way could resist, has managed to be established a prosperity, such open persons were kept? In each sight - advantage, calmness, instead of alarm and the fear, the Russians who have embodied in sights in pictures of the same years ".

In both newspapers endurances from Tatyana Zhilevich's telling about a course of work above an album the letters are printed. In 50th years small Tanja Miroshnichenko together with parents has left Harbin to Australia. Here studied and has married the Russian person, has given birth to the son. Several years ago has buried the father. Negatives were stored in its archive from harbinskoj the lives, many have been spoilt from time, have become covered white for a short while. To put into photographic materials the order the husband Tani Alexander has undertaken. Son Jura has helped to understand a computer. The woman has incured all other part of titanic work.

In summary it is necessary to give of a word of Item Kositsyna: " Honour and praise to the author of an album-book for the enormous work, the history which have kept one more page and not divided usopshih on religious, national and to class associations for there were they inhabitants of Harbin and the ground Manchurian, and this ground became them a place of eternal rest ".