Alexandra Sangadzhieva, Autobiography

Duration: 30 mins 29 secs

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Description:	Alexandra talks about her family, the place where she was born, and the deportation of the Kalmyk people in 1943. Her whole family (consisting of six children and the parents) was exiled to Siberia when she was seven. Her family was poor, but they managed to take their most valuable furniture, a big mirror, with them to Siberia. Not long after the family arrived in Altaiskiy krai, Alexandra’s father died, and then her sister. The family exchanged their mirror for food. After finishing elementary school at the age of 12, Alexandra worked as a milkmaid. Gradually their life improved. The locals treated them well. Apart from their family, there were four other Kalmyk families in the same village. When the Kalmyks were pardoned, Alexandra’s family returned to Elista where they arrived on 10 May 1957. In the beginning, they lived in a barn but later moved in to a barrack. Two days after her arrival, Alexandra went to work in a construction company. She was the brigadier of a team of plasterers. She got married, and her oldest daughter was born in 1960. She soon received a 3-room flat from the state. Later, Alexandra worked as a courier at the People’s Court. After giving birth to a son and another daughter, she worked as a cook in a kindergarten.

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Alexandra talks about her family, the place where she was born, and the deportation of the Kalmyk people in 1943. Her whole family (consisting of six children and the parents) was exiled to Siberia when she was seven. Her family was poor, but they managed to take their most valuable furniture, a big mirror, with them to Siberia. Not long after the family arrived in Altaiskiy krai, Alexandra’s father died, and then her sister. The family exchanged their mirror for food. After finishing elementary school at the age of 12, Alexandra worked as a milkmaid. Gradually their life improved. The locals treated them well. Apart from their family, there were four other Kalmyk families in the same village.
When the Kalmyks were pardoned, Alexandra’s family returned to Elista where they arrived on 10 May 1957. In the beginning, they lived in a barn but later moved in to a barrack. Two days after her arrival, Alexandra went to work in a construction company. She was the brigadier of a team of plasterers. She got married, and her oldest daughter was born in 1960. She soon received a 3-room flat from the state. Later, Alexandra worked as a courier at the People’s Court. After giving birth to a son and another daughter, she worked as a cook in a kindergarten.


Created:	2018-05-12 18:21
Collection:	Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (AUTOBIOGRAPHIES AND FAMILY TREES)
Publisher:	University of Cambridge
Copyright:	University of Cambridge
Language:	xal (Kalmyk; Oirat)

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