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Ruslan and Olga
Arizona Scottsdale newspaper Article (August 2005)
Slide Show
Olga at home video

Consulate appointment for US visa on Tuesday 10/11/2005

2 years ago, my husband & I adopted a 9 yr old boy, Ruslan from Russia. During the adoption, we learned he had a sister when she was asked to sign Ruslan over to us. As her only family, she sacrificed her relationship with him to give him a better life with adoptive parents. Adoptions are closed so she was certain she would never see or hear from Ruslan again.

After Ruslan learned enough English, he told us how Olga came to the orphanage, walked him into town and bought him two ice cream cones. While they were out, she asked him if he wanted to go. He had spent three weeks with us the year before so he was very excited to return. He told he did want to go so she signed the paperwork. We have her hand written note to the Russian government which give up her right to him. She had the choice to keep Ruslan in the orphanage and not send him.

Within months of Ruslan’s adoption, we began a search for Olga. We made contact with a Russian journalist in St. Petersburg. He helped my friend locate family members of her adopted child in Siberia. She told me her experience and I decided to contact Alex, the journalist, for his assistance. Given the language barrier and differences in culture, it is critical to have help in Russia.

I asked Alex to make the five hour drive southwest of St Petersburg to Pechory, Russia to find Olga and let me know what conditions she is living in. Alex made the trip in mid-December. It was 20 below 0 and the highways were very rough. My husband and I made the trip in June and it was difficult during good weather.

Alex located Olga, who at the time, was living with a family of three. She has a job sweeping floors & lives in near poverty conditions. Her visa is stamped ‘orphan’ and she carries this stigma her whole life. Without help, many people, including employers, take advantage because they know she does not have family.

Olga was thrilled to make contact with us and began writing immediately. We found that Olga & Ruslan have a tight bond & they remain close. They write and miss each other very much. The children were abandoned by their father and their mother died in ‘97. They went into an orphanage where they remained until Olga became of age & Ruslan was adopted. There are three other brothers, 2 of which have been adopted within Russia. Because these adoptions are closed, Olga doesn’t know where her other brothers are.

I think of Olga as my daughter. I never met her, we don’t speak the same language, but she gave me the most precious gift, her brother. I want to help Olga fulfill a dream, to get an education, which is nearly impossible for her in Russia. It is also almost impossible for us to send her money or items from the U.S. Once a pattern is recognized of letters from the US, postal workers or neighbors will steel the letters and packages for the contents and may even beat her for them.

In addition, there are high import taxes on envelopes over a certain size and she does not have the money to accept them.

Because we lack control of her circumstances in Russia, my husband and I asked Olga to live with us and go to school. She can reacquaint herself with Ruslan, learn English and get a degree. To do this, she must be accepted by a college and show proof to the US consulate that she has ties to Russia to assure her return. She was accepted at ASU and has a job & flat (just provided to her by the government) which provide proof of her return.

She went to St Petersburg to interview with the US consulate. She was shy & nervous and was denied. We requested her visa be reconsidered. The chief consulate stated the decision stands even after an inquiry from Senator McCain’s office. The consulate gave advice on increasing Olga’s chances but this included having her earn a degree in Russia before coming to the U.S.

We want Olga to come to the U.S to give her and Ruslan time to be a family. She will also have my husband and I. She longs for a family. Olga courageously gave a precious gift, her brother. We are looking for ways to help her to come here.

Olga started taking English lessons. She has decided on a career and, with the help of her orphanage director has obtained a room in a house. I have been told that this room in is poor condition by the Russians. This concerns me as their level of living is no where near ours so when the Russians believe it is in poor condition, we can only imagine.