Yashka (Botchkareva)

WWI Memorial Series - #1

My Life As A Peasant

One morning I went to the post office to ask for mail.

"There goes Botchkareva!" I heard a man cry out.

"Ah, Botchkareva! She is for the old regime!" another fellow replied, apparently one of the Bolshevik soldiers.

There were several of them and they flung threats and insults at me. I did not reply but returned home with a heavy heart. Even in my own town I was not safe.

"My Lord," I prayed, "what has come over the Russian people? Is this my reward for the sacrifices I have made for my country?"

I resolved not to leave the house again. Surely this craze would not last long, I thought. I spent most of the day reading the Bible and praying to Heaven for the awakening and enlightenment of my people.

On the 7th of January, 1918, I received a telegram from Petrograd, signed by General X. It read: "Come. You are needed."

• Author: Maria Botchkareva
• Pages: 340
• Paperback
• Published in 2021