Christmas twice over

Galina Ledogorova left Russia for a new start but couldn't quite escape her homeland, writes Andrea Jutson.
Instead of waiting for work to fall into her lap, Galina Ledogorova made her own. A full-time actress in Russia, with stage shows, radio and eight films to her name, Galina couldn't find work when she arrived in New Zealand. It was just after perestroika - Soviet economic and social restructuring in the late 1980s - when crime and inflation spiralled out of control. Galina had come here to start a better life. She ended up starting her own Russian academy. She's run the Russian Youth Cultural Centre for six years, where ex-pat Russian children and young adults can learn about the old country. Galina teaches drama, crafts, painting, literature, history and the Russian language. Her home in Mellons Bay is dotted with mementoes of home - the typical wooden Russian doll, with eight little sisters nestled inside, a precious tea silver samovar, brightly painted wooden cups, and a tiny, finely decorated wooden box. Get her talking about Russian food, and her eyes light up. ``Russian culture is very rich. When we have guests, we put out so much food, they can't believe it. It doesn't need to be a birthday or Christmas, in Russia we eat lots of food and talk, talk, talk.'' Each Christmas she stage manages a special production in Russian - this year's is Russian Fairy Tales. Her pupils from all over Auckland will act out fantasies in their own language. Each production involves six months of hard work, not only rehearsing, but sewing costumes and painting sets. Galina sews many of the costumes herself, but her pupils pitch in with the painting, and others from the Russian community also lend a hand. The music, however, is Kiwi-made. Galina bumped into composer Andrew Anderson at a party, and the two have collaborated on shows ever since. Don't expect to see Santa Claus at this performance. In the Baltic states, children get presents from Ded Moroz (Father Frost) and his granddaughter, Snegurochka, the Snow Maiden. Christmas is celebrated on January 7 - Russians use the old Julian calendar. Galina gets round this by celebrating Christmas twice. Russian Fairy Tales, November 25, 7.30pm, Ellerslie War Memorial Hall, 138 Main Highway, Ellerslie. Cost $15. See www.russiandrama.pisem.net