Olga Oskarovna Shestakova

14 Mar 1918 - 10 Apr 2010 

The life of Olga Oskarovna Shestakova (Ольга Оскаровна Шестакова), née Weinstein, was shaped by the political tumult of the 20th century. She was born in Botoşani, Romania. One can hardly imagine the travails her family endured that day. Her father, Oskar Yakovlevich Weinstein (Оскар Яковлевич Веинштеин), was an officer in the Russian White Army. Her mother, Elena Nikolaevna (Елена Николаевна), had been allowed to accompany her husband. Botoşani is where Olga Oskarovna was brought into the world as the army was in full retreat from the Reds.

From Romania, Oskar, Elena and newborn sailed to Herceg Novi, a coastal town in present-day Montenegro, arriving during Easter week. They were taken in by the local Russian Orthodox church. The family lodged in a one-room apartment; meals were cooked on a Primus stove. From Herceg Novi, the family moved to Peć, in Kosovo province, where Oskar worked buiding roads, literally, carrying rocks. At that time, the Serbian countryside was not industrialized. Olga was seven when she first saw an automobile.

The family's adjustment to life in Serbia was difficult. Elena, the daughter of an established physician, was raised in czarist Russia's cosmopolitan capital St. Petersburg. Elena had a beautiful voice and was an accomplished pianist. She began a career in opera but abandoned it after marrying; it was unseemly for an officer's wife to appear on stage.

Elena was industrious. Discontented with her husband's lot in Peć, she traveled to Belgrade to plead for a transfer. Her wish was granted. The family moved to Požarevac, a town 50 km SE of Belgrade. Oskar was hired to teach German, among other subjects. (He spoke several languages.)

Life improved in Požarevac. Oskar taught in the lycée and Elena began a career as a piano teacher. Before WWII, Russian émigrés were treated well in Serbia. The Serbian king Alexander, a Russophile, sponsored boarding schools for their children, where except for foreign language instruction, the curriculum was in Russian. At age 8, Olga entered such a school. In her old age, Olga still vividly remembered how she cried when she was packed off for the day-long train ride to the school.

In '32, the schools began to close. Olga returned to Požarevac to finish her studies. The return was not without difficulties. Despite having lived in Serbia for 13-14 years, Olga did not know Serbian well enough for her grade level. In '36, after finishing the lycée, Olga went to Belgrade. She enrolled in both the Univ. of Belgrade to study Mathematics and Astronomy and in the Conservatory to study music. She soon realized that she could not attend both schools and opted for music.

Olga met her future husband, Ilija Alekseevich Shestakov, during her student years in Belgrade. They married in Nov. 1941, six months after the Nazi occupation. Times were grim. Because of the war, Olga's parents were unable to travel to the wedding. It was a simple ceremony. Although the marriage had its ups and downs, it lasted 53 years, until Ilija's death in 1994. Their sole child, Aleksei, was born in Belgrade in 1949.

In the conservatory, Olga focused on the piano.  In June '43, she performed the Grieg piano concerto with the Belgrade Symphony Orchestra.  The guest conductor, Bucholtz, traveled from Berlin.  During the war, to earn money, Olga occasionally played piano on the radio.  She also had piano playing jobs in a cabaret.  She recalled how she would come home late and undress quietly in the dark in order not to wake her husband.  During the war years, she devoted much of her life to music.  She practiced five hours/day, summer and winter.  The practice room was not heated.  In winter, she said, she played livelier music--in order to keep warm.  

The post war years were difficult. During the war, her father, Oskar, the German teacher, was pressed into service by the Nazis as a translator. After the war, came retribution. In '46, Oskar was arrested in the middle of the night and taken to jail. For the next three weeks, Olga's mother, Elena, was allowed to visit him once per week to bring food and a change of clothes. After the third week, Elena was told that Oskar no longer needed her care. During the previous night, Oskar and 67 others, including the former town mayor, were shot. Their bodies were not returned for burial. Three years later, in '49, police again came to Elena's home. She, as "enemy of the people," was given 24 hours to leave the country. Her baggage was limited to only 60 kg.

On 6 Sep. 1950, Olga, Ilija and son left Belgrade for Italy. By then, Russians were no longer welcome in Serbia. Some left voluntarily; some were forcefully repatriated to the Soviet Union. The family settled in a refugee camp in Opicina, outside Trieste. They spent thirteen months in the camp; sleeping in tents and barracks. Ilija worked as a camp watchman, earning 5000 lire/mo. Olga's status rose when she was invited to play piano on the radio. She received 5000 lire for a 20 min. performance.

In Oct '51, the family left the camp for Venezuela. Most camp residents dreamed of moving to America, but US visas took a long time to get; some spent four years waiting. However, one could emigrate to Venezuela immediately. Besides, Olga's mother was already there. So, in Nov. Olga and family boarded the Americo Vespuci in Genoa. After three weeks at sea, they arrived in the Venezuelan port La Guaira. During the trip, Ilija bonded closely with his son as Olga was in bed seasick the entire time. The family settled in Caracas. They lived in a garage for the first three weeks. Life improved when they found a two room apt. outside the city. It was there that Olga discovered the rich, diverse insect life of the tropics. Eventually, their financial position improved. Ilija found steady employment as a draftsman while Olga and her mother established a music school. The business thrived. Their students gave well-attended, annual recitals.

Ilija had an unusual childhood. He lost contact with his family in 1921, at age 12, when his boarding school moved from China to Serbia. In '51, while in the refugee camp, he discovered that his mother and brothers survived the war and were living in California. He longed to reunite with his family. So, in '58, shortly after the overthrow of the Venezuelan government, the family moved to San Francisco.

Once again, Olga started from scratch, in a new country, learning a new language. At the end of her life, Olga claimed to know 6-8 languages: Russian, Serbian, Spanish, English, as well as a smattering of French and German as those were taught in Serbian schools. Numbers 7 and 8 were dog-speak and cat-speak; Olga loved animals.

In America, Olga's life, while never luxurious, was comfortable. She loved San Francisco's climate; it was never too hot nor too cold. She had hot water, indoor plumbing, the heater worked and food was plentiful. Her son once came upon an old photograph of her and Ilija strolling hand-in-hand when they were dating. When Aleksei marveled at how trim his father looked, Olga replied that during their student years they never had enough food.

Olga always loved music. In San Francisco, she met a well-known cellist, Aleksei Gregorevich. A.G. was 20+ years her senior and was from another era. When he heard about Olga's arrival, he contacted a mutual acquaintance to have him ask Olga for permission to call and introduce himself. A.G. and Olga played together many years, mainly at home. Over a 10-20 year span, they covered the entire musical repertoire. Olga said she learned a great deal from A.G. Olga's son regrets that at the time he preferred watching TV instead of listening to live performances of Beethoven, Brahms, Grieg, Mozart, ..., being performed in the next room.

Olga was generous and frugal; possibly, to extreme.  Her son does not recall ever seeing her eat in a restaurant.  She not only sewed all her clothes, but often prepared outfits for friends, sometimes before they even asked.  Olga loved her family.  After coming to America, except for a brief sojourn to Canada, she only left the US once---to visit her brother in Yugoslavia.  She also brought her brother and her grand-nephew Vladimir to visit her here.  In 1998, she arranged for Vladimir and his new bride Tatjana to emigrate to the US from Yugoslavia.  They lived with Olga until they got on their feet. 

Olga played the piano to her last days. After Ilija died, she teased her friends saying she kept busy by spending time with her boyfriend. When the friends jealously asked for his name, she coquettishly replied, "Chopin." Late in life, her other love was playing piano four hands with Claudia Markevich. Music is how her son remembers her. One of his most cherished possessions is a grainy cassette tape of her playing that she made for him when she was in her eighties. He dearly laments the loss of a Venezuelan 78 recording of Olga playing Chopin nocturnes; the disc perished in a house fire.

Olga worked all her life. Besides piano lessons, she also taught Russian. Her able pupil, Dr. Hoyt came regularly for weekly lessons for nearly 45 years. Even after retiring, Dr. Hoyt stayed in touch. In 2007, after Olga's serious fall, he visited her in the hospital. After her release, Dr. Hoyt continued his weekly visits until her last days.

Olga's last years were difficult.  Although her mind stayed sharp until nearly the end (because of music, she claimed), her moving parts wore out.  The smallest task: getting up, walking, climbing stairs was a challenge.  However, she never lost her spirit or her faith in God.  She insisted on living out her days in the home she loved and lived in for nearly 50 years.  Assisted living was of no interest to her.  Having moved so often in life, she repeatedly said she wished to move only once more--to the cemetery.  Besides, she said, she was comfortable at home.  Her neighbors were friendly and helpful.  She was so happy that her friends Elza, Suzanne and her numerous Russian friends lived nearby and stayed in touch.  Olga was particularly appreciative of the help and attention provided by her wonderful caregivers Zina and Inna.

Olga Oskarovna is survived by her son, daughter-in-law Janet, and grandson Adrian.  Her other kin, on her side of the family, is her nephew Đorđe Jovičić, Olga's grand-nephew Vladimir Weinstein, Vladimir's wife Tatjana, and their two daughters, Ada and Tara.  On Ilija's side, is Olga's dear sister-in-law Nina Shestakoff, her daughter Anya Artigiani and her family:  husband Frank and their three children, Frank Jr, Garrett, and Ilyana.