Coming to America - Nikolas interview

Coming to America

My Great Grandparents Immigration
By Nikolas Eder
As told by Thomas Savin's daughter Tatiana Savin Deli

Thomas Savin was born in 1893 in Minsk, Belarus. He came to America by himself in a boat sometime around 1912. He arrived in Cleveland, Ohio. When he arrived his name was changed from "Foma" to Thomas. The reaction of his family to him wanting to go was happy he was going to a better place. He wanted to come to get away from the Bolshevik Revolution and to get a better education so he could have a better life. His goal in life when he came here was to get an education and become a teacher. When he came to America he stayed with another Russian family which helped him to adjust to American life. Also there was a house of worship for Thomas. Also his brother Spiridon came to America at another time but returned to Belarus.

He liked the American lifestyle a lot because every thing was plentiful but he also thought Americans bought too many things they did not need. He decided to stay here because life was better here then in Belarus. In Belarus he lived on a farm in a log cabin. In 1932 Thomas arranged for his wife Margaret to come to America. One of his good experiences was he was able to go through college so that he could learn important things to adjust to American life like learning to speak, read, and write in English. Thomas did become a citizen and he was very proud of himself.

Thomas was very happy that he came to America but he went back to Belarus to visit. He kept in touch by letter. Traditions we still have today are Russian Easter, Russian Christmas and we go to a Russian Church.

This is a letter that was sent to my family.

Dear Mr. Savin,

I am your remote relative from Russia, George Fakhordinov. I am your brother Zakhar Savin's grandson.

I live in the Moscow region in Kaliningrad town and work here in a scientific research institute. I have a wife children and grand children. I am an Orthodox. I graduated from the Moscow University, in the Oceanology department. I took part in research work in the Atlantic Ocean on the ship "Sedov" in 1957.

I was told about you by my mother Maria Savina, Zakhar Savin's daughter. She gave me your photo, made in 1930, when you had visited Russia. My mother is 88 now, she lives in Belorussia in Valevachi village. She remembers you staying at her father's on one of your visits to Russia. She was a child then. You are still remembered in the village. I was at mother's in Belorussia not long ago on a Memorial day. We went to the cemetery in the neighboring village Stamoro where your brothers Ilia and Jury and sister Aksinya are buried. Zakhar Savin went to his sons in Kamchatka after the war and was buried there in the village "Kliuchi" and now we have no relatives there.

Your brother Spiridon Savin lived in the center of Moscow after his returning to Russia. When a student I was often welcome to his house. He told me much about you. Once he showed me your daughter's picture. She was a happy girl in a white dress with a diploma. Spiridon Savin died in 1957. He did not have any children of his own.
I am composing a genealogical tree of our relatives in Russia and Belorussia beginning with Semion Savin from whom the family name started.

I would be happy to know about the relatives in the U.S.A. I think it is possible now after the relations between our countries have changed. I would be grateful to those of your relatives who will answer my letter.

With my best regards to you, your relative,

George