My Life

I was born in Russian Far East, at a controversial Sakhalin island. The island belong to the chain of islands of the east cost of Russia that is contested by Japan as their own. Around 1950, USSR was colonizing second half of Sakhalin island, as a result, a lot of young people was sent over or came over to build out the island’s economy. My parents were among those settlers. With musical and railroad engineering background, they end up serving in police force and military intelligence division - KGB. Their carrier defined my early childhood. Soviet military took our family across continental USSR and stationed us in many parts of the country such as Ural mountains and finally in central Russia - City of Ivanovo. All of that taught me to travel and to adapt to new surrounding from early days of my life.

Historically, Russian intelligence and military officers are often most educated people in Russia. Through out hundreds of years, they were a part of Russian elite - Intelligentsia. My family was not an exception. My parents taught me to love and respect books, science, technology and nature.

As I grew up, I was spending sleepless nights reading books. My face was well known in the local libraries. Eventually, local libraries were not enough and I became youngest reader who attended City Science library at the age of 9. I was reading away everything I can put my hands on in the library reading room. Till this day, I keep large library of books in the house which I read daily with my daughter.

Books helped me to developed interest in the radio electronics and technology. While I was attending school, I developed practical knowledge to make a variety of electronics devices from amplifiers to tape reel magnetic recorders. O...

... middle of paper ...

...fter week, I was piloting a plane to a different places while enjoying a bird's eye view and freedom of going anywhere. I’m still surprised how well developed civil aviation is in USA, and how addictive flying was for me.

My job took me to California. Unfortunately, carrier path I took, prevented me from flying in the past 2 years. Yet the interest in aerospace technology is getting expressed in volunteering for events at air shows and aviation museum.

Through all those years, I never lost touch with nature. Hiking and backpacking helps me to relax and get over work-related stress. Here in California, I hiked out with my daughter pretty much every single park in the vicinity.

So what is next? I think it would be scuba diving, flying ultra lights and to volunteer with local/state parks to help with park maintenance after deep cuts in the state parks budget.