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“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, КВІТЕНЬ 2019 WWW. UNWLA .ORG 11 received as a gift from Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva or divulge a borscht recipe from Russian dissi- dent and writer Luidmilla Alekseyeva. Nadia was also a great partner in revolutions: Together we braced the cold winter of the Orange Revolution in 2004, serving as election observers to make sure justice won and then again for the Revolu- tion of Dignity in 2013 – 2014 when she arrived from the f ailed Vilnius negotiations and we pounded the pavement for weeks before she had to return to her desk job in DC. She was out on the Maidan in her wool beret and her fleece - lined sensible, low - heeled boots, talking to people on the street, soaking in local color. Her eyes would take on a certain twinkle as she sensed change was coming. Nadia had an adventurous streak. She loved to travel, and I was fortunate enough to be a regular travelling companion; together we explored the forgotten castles of western Uk raine in the 1990s, the mar- kets and mosques of Istanbul, the cobblestone streets of Lviv, the bridges and canals of Venice, the gently rolling hills of the French countryside, the U.S. historic treasures of Charleston, South Carolina, and Jef- ferson’s home, Monticello. And we enjoyed watching the breathtaking sunsets of Cancun and the lush nat- ural sounds and smells of the Carpathian Mountains. And everywhere we went, Nadia, a tried and true historian, would explore antique shops and bookstores in search of o ld maps and archaic manuscripts, deciphering their meanings, searching for links between the past and the present, or a foreboding sign for the future. More often than not, the maps would feature Ukrainian ethnic lands, and the books would relate to Ukrain e’s centuries - long struggle for independence. Nadia also had a unique mysticism about her. Sometimes when we traveled, she was sure she had been there before and felt she could relate to the place and time centuries earlier. She felt a strange con- nection t o Roksolana, the girl from Rohatyn who ruled the Ottoman Empire. Nadia always promised to write a tell - all book about the real story; that was just one of her many unfulfilled plans. She also had a deep interest in astrology as it related to planetary move ments and studied them closely, believing that they held answers to the mysteries of the universe. Nadia had pain — both physical and emotional — in her life, but her strong Christian beliefs eased these moments. She turned to God for comfort, turned to praye r for solace and was always willing to forgive and move on. Life dealt her several blows: losing her Mom in her 20s, then her Dad, who was her role model and quiet hero; she had a special connection with him and cherished weekly phone calls with Tato. Then , 14 years ago, a bout with breast cancer knocked the wind out of her, but she never complained. She was disciplined about her care and thankful for her UGC, Ukrainian Girlfriends’ Club, that provided the support and care she needed during her illnesses. T hey were her community. When Nadia turned 60, she began half - jokingly telling her friends that she had just reached the midpoint in her life, as she was convinced that she would live to be 120, with all the new breakthroughs in medicine and new technologie s available to us in the 21 st century. How I wish that had been true! She wanted to live and this last battle had her holding on to hope that a new clinical trial would work, that a Japanese diet would help her cope with pain. She was Nadia, and she lived with hope. She left us much too early, and I will miss my dear friend deeply. But I know that the spirit of Nadia will always be with me! Vichna Pamyat! ________________________________ Author Marta Kolomayets was born in Chicago and earned a Master's degree in journalism from the University of Illinois, Urbana - Champaign. She worked for The Ukrainian Weekly and opened its foreign press bureau in Kyiv in 1991. She was also a stringer for the Associated Press and Newsweek in Ukraine. Having worked in Ukraine for the last 28 years, she is currently the director of the Institute of International Education Representative Office, which runs the Fulbright Program in Ukraine. Marta also serves on the boards of the Ukrai nian Women's Fund, UCARE orphans' organization, and the Ukrainian Catholic Uni- versity's Light of Justice Awards. She is a member of Plast and a member - at - large of the UNWLA. She and Nadia Diuk became friends when Nadia moved to NYC in 1984. _______________ _________
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