Olga Gladky Verro
In the Web of History is an engaging odyssey of a family—one of millions at that time—caught in the whirlwind of catastrophic historical events and wars sweeping across 20th century Russia and the Soviet Union.It is up-close, intensely personal account of Russian and Soviet Union history as lived, documented, and remembered in detail by the family members who, from the Russian Revolution, the savage bitterness of Civil War, the Bolshevik dictatorship, and Stalin’s persecutions, became pawns of history. It describes the events with verifiable historical accuracy and evokes novel-like response in the reader.In the Web of History begins with the introduction of the humble origins of the two families and their peaceful life in the Southern province of Old Russia, Ukraine. The family odyssey begins at the turbulent times in their country—World War One, Revolution and Civil War.After the victory of the Reds, all the people in the country, became pawns of the Communist Party and Bolshevik totalitarian regime. Husband—pursued by Bolshevik state police as an “enemy of the people” owing to his age 16 Civil War service in the White Army to defend the Motherland from the Reds; his teacher wife, who had Nikita Khrushchev as a student; their engineering student daughter, who at the end of the family odyssey became an author memoirist.Family life became a struggle to survive not only the adversities imposed by the Soviet government on its people but also to prevent husband and father from being caught by the State secret police. To evade his pursuers, the family moved from place to place in their native Ukraine.The book has a bonus for the memoir readers, history buffs and historians – the unique insight into Nikita Khrushchev’s politically formative years as a Communist politician and a rising party leader.In the Web of History is the first book of a multi-volume work of Historical Family Memoirs where the readers are introduced to the beginning of a family odyssey from revolution, civil war, Communist Bolshevik dictatorship, World War Two, Nazi labor camps, UNRRA and IRA displaced Persons Camps in post-war Europe, and as refugees in Italy and England. 3
