Victoria Tsoi biography

My name is Victoria Tsoi, I am a writer from Russia, was born and live on the island of Sakhalin. I said my name is Victoria, but this is not a real name. My name is Ok Song, so my grandmother called me.

She was 16 years old when she arrived at Sakhalin. Then the island was part of Japan. In the year, Russia lost the war of Japan and in the southern part of the island became a new governor. For the development of new lands, labor was needed. And the Japanese empire took out thousands of young people from Korea. They worked in mines, harvested forests, built roads, factories and airfields.

It was a very hard life. They worked 16 hours a day. For non -fulfillment of the plan, they were sent to the Tacobei prison and from there did not come out alive. The Second World War ended in the year and Japan announced its surrender. And then the Japanese began to hastily leave the island. But thousands of Koreans remained on the island, they were simply abandoned and they had no opportunity to return to their homeland for more than 50 years.

My grandfathers and grandmothers were one of them. I was born in the USSR. It was the era of the iron curtain, and the family almost did not talk about the past. I had a Korean name in my passport, but I preferred me to be called in Russian. I studied at a Russian school. The last Korean school was closed long before my birth. I did not know the Korean language, and almost did not understand my grandfathers and grandmothers.

In years, restructuring began in the USSR, large changes began in the country. Russia and Korea restored diplomatic relations, and then finally our old people were able to go to their homeland. Not all, those who have survived before this happy day. Since then, much has changed. There is a Korean school on Sakhalin, festivals of Korean culture are held, there is television and a newspaper.

And the connections between our countries are not interrupted. A special program for the resettlement of Sakhalin Koreans in Korea has been adopted. A whole microdistrict was built in the city of Ansan. About that, about the fate of the Sakhalin Koreans, I wrote a novel. It is called "when I will be the sea." Our old people asked before death to be cremated and dispelled by dust above the sea.

They hoped that at least their part would swim to the distant homeland. Last year, my book won the Sakhalin literary competition and was published. This is my first book and it turned out that our story is interesting not only to the Koreans, such values ​​as love for their homeland, for parents, stamina, devotion, desire for a better share for children are universal values. The circulation of the book was sold out in two months.

The book was bought as a gift, sent to their relatives to other cities and even countries to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan. The book was sent to the libraries of our island and they told me that readers were waiting for their turn to read it. Russia is my homeland, here I was born and raised. Korea is my second homeland, this is a place where my grandfathers and grandmothers dreamed to return until the last days, my parents now live in Inchaon.

I can’t choose which of the two countries is more important for me. And I think that it is not necessary. It seems to me that the concept of multiculturalism is correct when you retain traditions, but also absorb the best achievements of other cultures. I observe the custom of respect for the elders, make Kimchi and cannot imagine myself without Russian literature. And also about the relationship.

My friend gave the novel to his colleague to read, and he decided that he needed to make a film. At first I did not believe that he was saying seriously. None of us are connected with the cinema. But he found the phone of one Russian director, and now we are discussing the script of the film. Each time after the end of the calls, I need time to believe that everything happens in reality, that we are true - we discuss the script of the film according to my book.

It's amazing! But is it not for this that literature and cinema are needed - to unite people? We live on the same planet and we are all interconnected. Thank you for your attention.