Nevada Focus: Sisters reunited after 61 years

Their reunion last week in Carson City, though, was a testament to persistence that reached across continents.

Tania and her siblings were separated when the Soviet Union was at war. Her mother died when she was 4 years old. Her father remarried, had three more children, and left them.

Anastasia and her two brothers moved from family to family. Due to numerous runaway attempts, they were soon separated. Tania made friends with the Danish ambassador and his wife and lived with them until the age of 18. The children were able to keep in touch through letters, but only for about one year.

"I moved, she moved, and we ended up lost from each other," said Tania. "I had not heard from her in 61 years, until I got a phone call from Ben (Gillard) at the American Red Cross in Reno. He said she was looking for me."

Tania had married and moved to Tsingtao, China, but she and her husband were then shipped to the Philippines to live in tent camps. After the war ended, they came to the United States on Jan. 25, 1951, and started a new life in San Francisco.

"But after five years, I got my citizenship and changed my name. It was Tatiana Vishnevsky. I changed to Tania.

"My husband and I saved our money and moved to Menlo Park, Calif., where we bought a house. I went to work at Emporium department store in Stanford Shopping Center. I worked there for 30 years, retiring when I was 62."

Tania's first husband died of leukemia. She married Ed Kruger 11 years ago, and moved to Carson City shortly thereafter.

But while Tania was living a new life with her husband and sons, Dimitry and Victor, Anastasia was living what was described as a "Soviet hell."

"Anastasia was singing in the opera for Soviet Russia," said Tania, translating for her sister. "They owned her."

Tania and her husband tried many times to find her sister, but were never successful. About 10 months ago, Anastasia went to the American Red Cross in Russia and asked for their help. They told her they could not.

Then, she went to the Red Cross in Tallinn, the capital of Eustonia where she lived, and found the help she needed. Due to the fall of the Soviet Union Dec. 25, 1991, the American Red Cross has gained access to records of people held in concentration camps during World War II. They did not find Tania, but they were able to connect the name Vishnevsky to Tania's son in Palmdale, Calif.

After moving to Carson City, her name was not available when the Red Cross did a search in California. "Ben called Dimitry and got the new information on my name and where I was. It was a most exciting day when Ben called and said my sister was looking for me. But, she could not get a visa. Russia told her no and did not say why.

"So I went to Sen. (Richard) Bryan's office and talked with Virginia Demmler and asked for help. He sent a letter to the embassy in Tallinn, asking them to reconsider their decision. And they did. It seems Russia would not let her out because she was born in China."

"Sen. Bryan's office is often asked to help out in these situations," said Karen Kirchgasser, Bryan's press secretary. "It is a fairly standard request and we often send correspondence on the person's behalf. We are happy they are now together."

Through Tania's translating, Anastasia expresses her joy in seeing her sister after 61 years. And she likes Carson City and the surrounding area.

"It looks like Switzerland, all the mountains with snow. She likes the fresh air and the quiet. It is heaven up here," explains Tania.

But another chapter will soon begin. Through the sister's conversations, Tania has discovered that her brother Michael, who she once thought was dead after being taken from the camp in China, is still alive, and may be living in Siberia.

"I was told maybe he was shot, but Anastasia said no. So we are going to find him, too," said Tania, "So we can all be together again."

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