Living A Delusion: A Memoir of Soviet Russia

For anyone interested in what life was really like in the USSR this is a must read biography. From the Russian Revolution through the graphically described tragic destruction and death wrought by Nazi Germany in WW2 the book brings to life how people survived those sad times under Communist rule. Olga's grandmother Katerina, an amazingly strong woman, suffered unjustly due to the loss of her husband, who could conceivably have been The Unknown Soldier buried at the Kremlin wall. After many years Katerina was pardoned, but it was too late for her to enjoy the little freedoms that provided. Three generations of Olga's family struggled to create a better life for all, believing the day would come when a Communist utopia would be achieved. Olga qualified as a Civil Engineer, ambitiously joined the Communist Party only to conclude after some seven years that the goal toward which she had worked was unattainable. She resigned and gravitated toward Capitalism. Forsaking her indoctrinated upbringing she took up Orthodox Christianity and business pursuits, establishing her own manufacturing company, which prospers to this day. She describes the difficulties experienced in a country converting to a different ideology, the corruption that she battled to overcome, the success she enjoyed and the self satisfaction it provided. Only to be swept away by the attempted murder of her husband, which resulted in the killing of her father-in-law. Since the police could offer no assurance of protection she and her husband fled Russia for Lebanon and eventually settled for a new life in South Africa. People waving Communist flags and shouting Communist slogans remind her of her own past struggles. She would like them to read her book and spare themselves the delusion she experienced.