The Kim family album

People ask me, always in the same tone, "Are you related to...?". Here is the answer, once.

Kim, Pak, Li, Choi (Tsoi in Russian), Ten (Tyan), Son, Shin, Ogai, Tskhai, Ni: these are the old Korean surnames. A few dozen families make half of all Koryo-saram in Irad. The Kims are the most numerous in Korea, and in our valley. This means that the same name tells you nothing. It tells you only that the family is probably from the north of the peninsula, from the Far East, and that its grandparents probably had a field.

No, I am not related to Director Kim, who ran the tractor combine in Kobozev (1969-84, an Order of Labour on his chest, I only know he was famous). We have the same surname and, as far as I know, no common grandmother. I once met him at a conference. He said "namesake!", and I said "Comrade Director!" and we laughed. That was all.

No, I am not related to Bar Kim, in the Old City of Talas. That is a karaoke bar. It was opened by another Kim family in 2004 and later bought by a gentleman called Tskhai (also Koryo-saram!), who kept the name. My son told me I could sing there for free. I told him that after 1979 I had not sung in public.

My Russian name is Viktor. My Korean name was never used. My mother used to call me "Vitya", and my father "Viktor Pavlovich" when he was angry. In the passport it is Viktor Pavlovich Kim, born 03.03.1949. In my heart it is Vitya.