2022/2023
Collection 18

The Curious Russian

1991 to present; Krasnodar, Russia, USSR(1)

The year was 1991. My dad, Kostya, lived in a small apartment in Krasnodar, Russia. One day Kostya heard that the government was changing, due to the collapse of the Soviet Union. He was only fourteen years old, but he pondered ideas about how to change the future of his country, even through this difficult time.

Before the change in Russia’s government, it was almost impossible for Russians like my dad to travel to, or learn about, America. Originally, Kostya had heard lies that America was not a good country, and that he should never visit there. Now the government was shifting, and he finally started learning the truth about America. One way Kostya learned about America was when his cousin Sergei brought him bubble gum and Monopoly. Sergei got these “cool” western treats from his dad, who was an engineer and traveled all around the world. Kostya’s school also began to welcome American exchange students, who told Kostya their stories. These stories were nothing like what he had heard about America.

The wheels in Kostya’s mind were turning. He saw, heard, and even experienced amazing things from America. He was still suspicious about what he had been told earlier — that he should never go to America — but he made a decision that would change his life forever. In fact, if he hadn’t made this crucial decision, I wouldn’t be here to tell the tale.

One day Kostya went to his school and saw a flyer for an exchange-student program. The program was a chance to learn in America! Kostya was immediately interested, so he applied to the exchange-student program to see America for himself. Fortunately for Kostya, a family in Wisconsin expressed interest in hosting him. When he was sixteen years old, he went on his first transatlantic flight, without his family, all the way to the United States.

As soon as Kostya arrived at the airport, he found that Americans acted much differently from what he expected, based on what he had learned when he was younger. The Americans were kind and friendly. Even when Kostya was having trouble speaking English, his host family was patient and helped him.

Kostya attended one year of high school in America. He enjoyed his experience and the opportunity to learn in America. He decided to stay for college, and got his first job in Chicago, Illinois! He met his wife and started a life in America, thousands of miles away from the country that had forbidden him to move in the first place.

Now in 2023, Kostya lives in St. Louis, Missouri. He has been having so much fun in America ever since he moved! He still hopes Russian kids can stay curious like he was.

Jakob Kekhaev; Missouri, USA

1. The Soviet Union (USSR) consisted of fifteen republics, of which Russia was by far the largest. After the USSR was dissolved in December 1991, the republics became independent countries.

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