TEARS AND SMILES.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20206, 17 January 1934, Page 7

TEARS AND SMILES.

Little Russian Girl Restored to Parents. LONG JOURNEY ENDS. (Special to the “ Star.”) WELLINGTON, January 17. With advance Press publicity of which any noted film star might be proud and which Bernard Shaw might expect as a right, the little Russian girl, Galina Bogatiroff, arrived at Wellington last night by the Wanganella from Sydney and was restored to her parents, from whom she had been separated since babyhood. The enormous interest taken by the public in the affair was reflected by the crowd who congregated on Queen’s Wharf to await the Wanganella’s Galina was located in the music room of the vessel with Miss M. Christie, who had taken charge of her on the trip' from Sydney. Galina was there surrounded by passports and other imposing documents, and parents and child were soon made known to each other. Greetings were first exchanged in Russian, and Galina, after brushing away a few tears was all smiles. Welcomes were showered upon her in English, and these she responded to with a smiling “ Thank you.” Then photographers got busy and flashlights flared and cameras clicked. Galina seemed relieved when it was all over. Later she left the ship and on the wharf received a posy of flowers from Salvation Army children. A few of the public saw the child as she was driven away, but the vast majority of the waiting crowd did not. Galina is just under twelve years of age. She has a sturdy figure, brown eyes and a pleasing smile. It is several months now since she left the Siberian town of Barnau, where she was cared for after being left behind as a baby by her parents. There was first of all a long journey of 4000 miles or so through Siberia to Vladivostok, en route to Japan. Then tfiere was a voyage to Sydney by the Atsuta Maru, and finally the crossing ot the Tasman by the Wanganella. 2° w that Galina has at last reached New Zealand, thanks to the efforts of the Red Cross Society, and has been reunited to her parents, her wanderings are finished, and, with her parents m peaceful Foxton, she will settle down to a less eventful life.