Galina Yavanova, About Communal Spirit and Respect for Older People

Duration: 4 mins 34 secs

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Galina Yavanova, About Communal Spirit and Respect for Older People's image

Description:	Galina says that when she was a child in her village people helped each other and respected older people.


Created:	2018-03-13 18:23
Collection:	Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (FAMILY STRUCTURE AND RESPECT OF KIN)
Publisher:	University of Cambridge
Copyright:	University of Cambridge
Language:	xal (Kalmyk; Oirat)


Abstract:	Galina says that when she was a child in her village people helped each other and respected older people. This is her story: When I was a child I listened to my parents. Now when I think of it I understand that our elders helped and looked after each other. When I was in the second or third grade, our neighbor was a young bride, 19 years of age, who had an 8-month old baby. When her husband went away to graze sheep in a sovkhoz in Chernye Zemli, she stayed alone at home. It was in winter that she was alone. My father said to me: ‘My daughter, did you finish your homework? Go and help that young bride’. I used to go to her house every day. Whenever I came the bride would be very happy to see me. She would go straight out to clean her yard, fetch water and feed the livestock. After a couple of hours, she would come back, give candies to me and say: ‘That is it, now go home’. Also, I knew that in our village two families had lost their mothers. One man was left with five children to look after, and the other had four children. My mother made wool socks for them every year. I helped my mother clean wool. When I was 15, an old woman said to my mother: ‘Galya, send children to Kema’s, the milkmaid. Her mother is blind, and her children are small. Her house must be in filth. Go and help her out’. We, five girls, went and cleaned her house from morning to evening. Now I understand that back then we helped each other. In our village we had a lonely old woman. All her children had died in Siberia, and her husband went missing during the war. We all pitied her. My mother used to say to me: ‘You often go to Elista and Troitskoe. Bring her some clothes. It will earn you merit’. I used to bring her clothes, and once even bought her earrings on the occasion of the 8th of March (i.e. the International Women’s Day). In the past, we all helped each other and supported the weak among us. The elders taught us to help others, and we followed their advice.

Abstract:

Galina says that when she was a child in her village people helped each other and respected older people. This is her story:

When I was a child I listened to my parents. Now when I think of it I understand that our elders helped and looked after each other. When I was in the second or third grade, our neighbor was a young bride, 19 years of age, who had an 8-month old baby. When her husband went away to graze sheep in a sovkhoz in Chernye Zemli, she stayed alone at home. It was in winter that she was alone. My father said to me: ‘My daughter, did you finish your homework? Go and help that young bride’. I used to go to her house every day. Whenever I came the bride would be very happy to see me. She would go straight out to clean her yard, fetch water and feed the livestock. After a couple of hours, she would come back, give candies to me and say: ‘That is it, now go home’. Also, I knew that in our village two families had lost their mothers. One man was left with five children to look after, and the other had four children. My mother made wool socks for them every year. I helped my mother clean wool. When I was 15, an old woman said to my mother: ‘Galya, send children to Kema’s, the milkmaid. Her mother is blind, and her children are small. Her house must be in filth. Go and help her out’. We, five girls, went and cleaned her house from morning to evening. Now I understand that back then we helped each other. In our village we had a lonely old woman. All her children had died in Siberia, and her husband went missing during the war. We all pitied her. My mother used to say to me: ‘You often go to Elista and Troitskoe. Bring her some clothes. It will earn you merit’. I used to bring her clothes, and once even bought her earrings on the occasion of the 8th of March (i.e. the International Women’s Day). In the past, we all helped each other and supported the weak among us. The elders taught us to help others, and we followed their advice.

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