Through The Eyes Of A Child: The Refugee Ship Diaries

Have you ever wondered what your ancestors were thinking during the most challenging moments of their lives? What if you could read their actual thoughts, written in their own hand, as they lived through history?

That's exactly what happened when Tamara Buzyna Adams discovered her grandmother Lydia's childhood diaries during COVID lockdown. What started as a mother-daughter translation project unveiled something extraordinary: the handwritten journals of an 11-year-old girl who lived on a refugee ship for two and a half years following the Russian Revolution.

A Story Hidden in Beautiful Handwriting

When Lydia began writing in her diary on January 29, 1921, she had already been living on the steamship Kershon for a full year. Her family had fled their home in Odessa when the Bolsheviks took control, hoping to wait out the political chaos on her father's ship. What they thought would be a temporary arrangement became a two-and-a-half-year odyssey across the Black Sea.

"Her penmanship was absolutely beautiful. The handwriting is better than probably anyone's today, and you don't need to know Russian to be able to tell that her handwriting was just meticulous and beautiful."

But it wasn't just the beautiful penmanship that captured Tamara's attention, it was the remarkable perspective of a child finding joy amid circumstances that would have broken many adults.

The Whole Story

If you haven't already heard Tamara's incredible story about her grandmother Lydia, take a moment to listen in:

Prefer audio only? Click here to listen on your favorite podcast app.

🎧 Listen to the full episode to discover:

• How Tamara uncovered the extraordinary story behind those mysterious names in the diaries
• The surprising connection between Lydia's childhood friends and descendants living today
• Why Lydia's father made the fateful decision to move his family onto a ship
• The remarkable research journey that led from handwritten Russian diaries to a published book
• How one obituary mention led to discovering an entirely new world of family history resources
• The touching moment when descendants of Lydia's childhood friends came together 104 years later

The Power of One Story

Lydia's story reminds us that our ancestors weren't just names and dates. They were real people with hopes, fears, and an incredible capacity for resilience. Through her innocent 11-year-old eyes, we see not just survival, but joy. She counted 50 excursions to shore during their seven months anchored in the Bay of Kotor. She wrote about picnics with friends, sausages falling from restaurant ceilings, and the excitement of having her picture taken with the other children.

"I feel like I'm closer to her now than I was when she was alive. It helps you know your ancestor so much better. It makes them more real—like it's a real person."

What makes Lydia's perspective so powerful is how it transforms our understanding of what it means to be resilient. She didn't just endure—she found wonder. She didn't just survive. She thrived. Her diary entries reveal a child who maintained hope and curiosity even while living as a refugee, displaced from everything familiar.

Your Story

Think about the children in your family tree. What stories might they have told about the big events in your family's history? Sometimes the most profound family stories come through the innocent eyes of those who experienced them as children.

Consider too the power of preserved written records. Tamara's grandmother saved everything - diaries, postcards, photographs, even immigration documents. These weren't just keepsakes; they became the foundation for understanding an entire family's journey through one of history's most tumultuous periods.

Story Seeds 🌱

Plant these conversation starters and watch your family stories grow.

1. For Parents/Grandparents: "What's the most challenging time our family went through when you were young? How did you find joy or hope during difficult periods?"
   
2. For Older Relatives: "Do you remember any stories about relatives who had to leave their homeland or start over somewhere new? What do you know about how they adapted?"
   
3. For Family Members: "What family documents, letters, or diaries do we still have? Are there any written in languages we'd need help translating?"
   
4. For Anyone: "When you think about the children in our family during big historical events, what do you imagine their experience was like? What would they have written about?"
    

Story Sparks 🔑

Unlock your family's hidden stories with these research techniques.

1. Look beyond immigration records. When researching immigrant ancestors, search for crew lists, ship manifests, and passenger records. Tamara found a complete crew list with 101 names, revealing connections she never expected to discover.
   
2. Research the friends and neighbors. Those mysterious names mentioned in family documents often hold keys to bigger stories. Create an Ancestry Network and add the names of every person mentioned in family letters, diaries, or documents. Even nicknames can lead to breakthrough discoveries.
   
3. Use historical context to fill gaps. Research major historical events that coincided with your family's timeline. Tamara's understanding of the Crimean Evacuation and General Wrangel's efforts helped her piece together the broader story of her grandmother's experience.
   
4. Preserve family documents digitally. Photograph or scan family documents before attempting translation or transcription. Tamara's methodical approach to digitizing her grandmother's diaries ensured the originals were preserved while making the content accessible for research.
   
   

The most remarkable part of Tamara's story might be what happened when she decided to research those childhood friends mentioned in the diaries. After finding a last name in one entry, she typed it into Ancestry and immediately found a family tree with the same photographs she had. Within days, she connected with Susan, the granddaughter of Lydia's best friend Zhenya. Their grandmothers' friendship on that refugee ship had created a connection that lasted across generations.

Sometimes the most extraordinary family stories are hiding in the most ordinary moments - a child's diary entry, a friend's name mentioned in passing, or a photograph tucked away in an old album. Lydia's story reminds us that our ancestors were remarkably resilient people who found ways to create joy and connection even in their darkest hours.

Tamara's book, "Last Ship to Freedom: Uncovering My Grandmother's Tale of Fleeing Post-Imperial Russia," is coming out this Fall and tells the complete story of Lydia's extraordinary journey.

Follow Tamara on Instagram to learn more.

Ready to discover more stories like Lydia's? Subscribe to Stories That Live In Us wherever you get your podcasts. And if this episode touched your heart, please leave us a rating and review—it helps other family story seekers find us.

© 2025 Crista Cowan. All rights reserved.