ABout
I was born in a Tatar family of Tatar-Mongol and Steak Tartar fame. To clarify, modern Tatars are not blood thirsty at all (they prefer pastries). They look Eastern European. And they are Russia’s biggest Muslim minority.
Growing up Tatar means being part of a large, orderly, patriarchal family – one that prays to Allah, values hard work, and worships the black soil.
Growing up ethnic would have been too easy. To make it interesting, I grew up in Post-Soviet Russia. Perestroika was freedom but also mafia bloodshed, terrorist attacks, American pop culture, and astounding Russian dance music (I have amazing playlist to share, just ask).
Russian culture is fascinating. A curious combination of trash, suffering, beauty, profound insight. I always felt it’s oddly messed up to teach young kids Pushkin, Tchaikovsky, Chekhov – and then to throw them in the streets where the world is the opposite of gentle, thoughtful, kind.
This makes some interesting ppl. That’s probably why my family is nuts in a very inspiring way.
My grandad went from being a union leader during the Soviets to becoming a Muslim mullah. The odd logic of it makes me laugh: when young, he was organizing the workers, as the workers aged, he started organizing their souls for the afterlife.
My grandma doesn’t like to waste things. She’ll brag about sneaking slightly-expired pickle juice in the meal we just polished, ‘So now I don’t have to throw it away!’. She wanted to be a doctor but her education level only allowed her to work in the factory. For 20 years she was cleaning aircraft parts with acid – which gave her a nasty lung problem and company stock.
Grandma’s daughter, my mom did became a doctor though. There is so much to write about mom, I’m in analysis paralysis – will update you in “storytelling” tab.
My dad was a martial artist, then a black-market dealer, then an owner of glow-in-the-dark souvenirs business, then a delivery clerk. He likes to send me very Russian, very dark humor memes.
I know these are more “things that informed me” but I felt they’d be important to share.
