Show Russian War Refugee Family Anticipates Merry Christmas In en freedom Land B By John Buzzetti A towheaded Russian boy who is 4 tj years old old and and has hns mastered mastered mastered mas mas- the A ABCs ABC's B Cs C's from a tattered alphabet picture book book is is teaching teaching- his little sister to say Thank you I Santa Claus in anticipation of Christmas in a land of freedom Jurij and his sister Larissa 2 years are newcomers to Salt Lake City They are the children of war refugees who came to America as displaced persons instead in instead instead in- in stead of returning to Stalin Rus Rus- sia Their Russian born parents preferring preferring preferring pre pre- ferring to be identified only as Victor and Elena still fear the re retaliation retaliation re- re on which has been the fate I of many who have refused to accept accept accept ac ac- ac- ac communism There is no longer a Christ Child in Russia Russia only only Stalin and Lenin instead of God said Victor Victor Victor Vic Vic- tor who escaped from Red army armyo o officials three times after he made his bid to come to the United States The Communists call it barbarism barbarism barbarism bar bar- to cut a small tree for Christmas Victor said This year in their sparsely furnished furnished furnished fur fur- apartment Victor and andElena andElena andElena Elena have a home of our own even even if it is just a corner to keep warm and arc planning their first Christmas for the chil chil- dren And Grandfather Frost the Russian Russian Russian Rus Rus- sian counterpart of Santa Claus who was exiled from the Soviet Union in 1930 has a request from Jurij and Larissa for a set of plastic letters with which they can learn to build words in a strange new language Victor and Elena met and were secretly married in 1944 1941 in Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many where they were Nazi pris pris- Elena was working working- in a hospital where Victor was vas being treated Their marriage was made official in 1946 when they were reunited and entered a D. D P P. camp Coming to the United States seven months ago was the fulfill fulfill- ll- ll ment of a long life-long dream for both Victor and his wife who wanted to live in a country free of the tyrannies tyrannies tyrannies tyran tyran- nies of a totalitarian state Victor a civil engineer by trade is employed as a janitor at Holy HolyCross HolyCross HolyCross Cross hospital He was in the Red army in 1935 He said 90 of the Russian peasants would join with the United States against Stalin's rule if the U U. S. S armies ever were to occupy the U US USSR S S R R. For the young ones we will try to have a good Christmas Victor said The meager mcager family budget makes allowance for only a fe toys Larissa and Jurij wont won't mind that at all al They have to learn to speak English before they can join in play with the neighborhood neighbor neighbor- hood children |