Meet your dedicated Genealogist

My passion for genealogy began when I was 11 years old, during a family trip to Moscow to visit my late uncle Vladimir. He had been secretly tasked by the Orthodox Church during the Soviet era to preserve and safeguard parish records. He was very much of an amateur genealogist, and loved our family's history.

In my uncle Vladimir's home, I couldn't help but notice the many portraits of ancestors and a beautiful handwritten family tree. That's when I learned that our family belonged to the old Russian nobility.

It was then that I first learned that my great grandfather, Vice Admiral Andrey Lazarev (1865-1924), Hero of the Russo-Japanese War, known for his defense of Port Arthur, and Knight of the Order of St. George, had settled in Beirut, Lebanon, after the Bolshevik Revolution. Until that moment, I had never really understood the link between my Russian and Lebanese identities. I eventually inherited my uncle Vladimir's collection, which included countless copies of records his organization had managed to protect. From that point on, I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to continuing my uncle's work, and reconstructing the stories of families.

In February 2025, the Russian Embassy in Lebanon organized a ceremony during which they have unveiled a commemorative plaque at the grave of Vice Admiral Andrey Lazarev, my great grandfather, over 100 years after his death, in presence of the Russian Ambassador. It was truly an honor for me to witness this historical event along with my family.