Letters from Vladivostock, 1894-1930: (Letters from Vladivostock, 1894-1930)

In 1894, Eleanor L. Pray left her New England home to move with her merchant husband to Vladivostok in the Russian Far East. Over the next thirty-six years — from the time of Tsar Alexander III to the early years of Stalin's rule — she wrote more than 2,000 letters chronicling her family life and the tumultuous social and political events she witnessed. Vladivostok, 5,600 miles east of Moscow, was shaped by a rich intersection of Asian cultures, and Pray's witty and observant writing paints a vivid picture of the city and its denizens during a period of momentous social change. The book offers highlights from Pray's letters along with illuminating historical and biographical information.

Table of Contents:
List of Place Names Maps Introduction: Between the Two Bays: Eleanor Pray's Vladivostok, 1894–1930, by Birgitta Ingemanson Biographical Sketch: The Smiths and the Prays, by Patricia D. Silver PART I. THE PEOPLE 1. A Victorian Home in Siberia Eleanor Pray's New Life Rituals and Celebrations 2. Women's Work and Leisure Clothes and Home Designs Charity Bazaars Sports PART II. THE CITY 3. Vladivostok Scenes Natural Beauty, Picnics, and Excursions City Landmarks and Man-Made Attractions Street Vignettes, Human Interaction 4. Historic Names Magnificent Ships Nikolai and Alexandra Lindholm Connections Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich Prince Heinrich of Prussia Isabella Bird Bishop Richard Theodore Greener 5. Life at the Dacha Early Visits, 1900–1907 The Novogeorgievsk Estate The House and Garden Dacha Entertainments Philosophical Musings War PART III. THE HISTORY 6. The Russo-Japanese War, 1904–1905 Waiting for War The Attack on Port Arthur, the Petropavlovsk The Bombardment of Vladivostok Summer and Fall 1904 Mukden The Baltic Fleet and the Battle of Tsushima Peace 7. The Riots of 1905–1906 The November Days 1905 Vladivostok's Bloody Sunday 8. Wars, Revolutions, and Foreign Intervention The War Afar, 1914–1916 The Year of Two Revolutions, 1917 Allied Intervention, January 1918–April 1920 Japanese Occupation, 4–5 April 1920 to 25 October 1922 A Red Cross Sampler 9. A Window Flung Open: New Beginnings The Soviet Victory Kunst and Albers to the Rescue Same Home, Different Times Acknowledgments Glossary of Uncommon Terms Frequently Used by Eleanor Pray Appendix: Biographical Notes on Persons Frequently Mentioned in the Letters Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Birgitta Ingemanson is professor of foreign languages and cultures at Washington State University. Patricia D. Silver, Pray's granddaughter, preserved and organized the letters.

Review :
"Pray's letters are a treasure trove." DHelen Hundley, Wichita State University "A magnificent collection of documents." -Steven Marks, Clemson University