A RUSSIAN CHILD

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 83, 5 October 1933, Page 8

A RUSSIAN CHILD

VOYAGE TO NEW ZEALAND

APPEAL FOR COST OF FARE

Tho following cable message was received yesterday by the secretary of the Wellington Red Cross Society (Captain1 M. S. Galloway) from the League of Ked Cross Societies:— . . ' "Paris.—Bogatiroff. Hopeful obtaining reduced terms expense journey Barnaoul-Tokio. -Estimated fifty English pounds. Can you cable this amount and meet subsequently ..minimum journey" Tokio-Ncw Zealand?" This .message relates,to ; the story ol; tlie.long-lost ltusaian child Galina Bogatiroff,' who, after some three years' negotiations "and search, was ultimately. 'found'in a remote village in Siberia. To the initiative of. the Wellington Red] Cross Society and the co-operation of tho League of ■ Red Cross Societies,.' Paris, the credit is mainly due for they discovery of the -whereabouts of Galina^ Bogatiroff, now some 17 years of age. V ■The girl as a baby in arms was..left: ; behind by her parents during , their-i flight' from the Bolsheviks. She was then a child of a few -weeks old. The; infant; became .ill > .-a'nd'..the-. parents, to.; reach safety, were faced with a jour-" ■ney of 400 miles across the snow in ai;J sleigh, 'a-journey^ they' felt, that the'j child in her then state of healt^.. would not: survive. They left her in charge of! an aunt,1 and continued their flight. Sub-, seguently they reached New Zealandarid, settled at Foxton. They havo sineo become naturalised- British subjects. , For many years they attempted to trace the whereabouts., or! their daughter. ' As stated,' -it ' was only through- the assistance of the Wellington' Red Cross Society, the Lcaguo of Xcii Cross Societies, Paris, and the 'Ked Cross Society at. Moscow- that tho' search was successful. Tho child .was found at Stretensk, Siberia. ' Captain Galloway stated that the estimated cost of the voyage will be about £80, of which amount tho Eod Cross Society has. in hand £15 as the result of a broadcast appeal. The Wellington Bed Cross Society lias received a letter from the League of.Bed Cross Societies urging that everything possible be done to.finalise the matter, as; the aunt with whom;tho child has been living had been arrested, but, has since been liberated. Subsequently, .how' ever, althbuglv no details have been given.as to'the reasons for the arrest) after her r liberation she was further punished \>y ,;being sent to Western Siberia. ' '■.'.'.': . . .. "..-'. Tho: calls upon the resources 'of the Rod Cross Society in Wellington have been so: heavy during the past few years in meeting cases of need among our own people that it has not the necessary finance to cover the costs incidental to transport of tho girl from Russia to her parents. Tho parents have long hoped, said Captain Galloway, to see their lost child ' again, and when apprised of the difficulty in/finding-the necessary finance and the prospects Cf the negotiations breaking down through lack of the' amount, of money required, were obviously affected. It is felt ;tliat a knowledge of the facts of the case and what the reunion will mean to the family will appeal to many generoushearted people, Tvho, despite the depression, will contribute, within their means, to this laudable object. The Red Cross Society will be glad to receive contributions as cxpeditipusly as possible so as to enable the socioty to remit the .amount to the League of Red Cross Societies, Paris, thereby facilitating the young girl'a:beirig'BchVon' liei- long journey. ' Any -contributions sent to -"the Red .Cross Society will be publicly acknowledged. ■