Camel from Kyzylkum is an award-winning memoir that chronicles the remarkable journey of immigrating from the Soviet Union during the late twentieth century. It delves into themes of hope, struggle, family, and loss, offering a profound exploration of the human spirit's yearning for freedom and self-determination. Through the author's compelling narrative, readers gain a deep insight into life within the Soviet Union and the immense sacrifices and risks individuals undertake in pursuit of a better life. The memoir traces a gripping path from Ukraine to the Kyzylkum Desert in Uzbekistan, and onward through Austria, Italy, and finally America. Along this journey, the author navigates personal truths and aspirations, illustrating the resilience and determination required to forge a new path in unfamiliar lands.
Born in Ukraine and going to school there, Lara Gelya went on for the next 20 years to the Kyzylkum Desert of the Republic of Uzbekistan, working at geological sites and expeditions of the Mining Industry. At that time Ukraine and Uzbekistan were parts of one country—the Soviet Union.
In 1989 Lara left the Soviet Union, lived in Austria and Italy before she, at last, found her way to the United States in 1990. Starting her life from ground zero again, and trying on so many hats, she was able to make a lengthy professional career that led to her eventual retirement on the shores of sunny Florida. Lara's debut book "Camel from Kyzylkum" is a poignant memoir about hope, struggles, loss, and finding the strength and inspiration to reach again and again for a better life.
In September of 2022, Lara became an award-winning author as her book, Camel from Kyzylkum, was awarded the Literary Titan Gold Book Award.
When she isn’t writing or making her videos and pictures, Lara spends most of her time reading, gardening, cooking, traveling the world, wandering through nature, or catching her favorite shows.
Adolf Hitler's secret bunker during the World War II in Vinnitsa, Ukraine called the Wehrwolf.
Book Excerpt
Camel from Kyzylkum
During the time of the Cold War between East and West, the Soviet Union was closed off to outsiders. When the country entered a period of political “thaw,” and the flow of tourists to the USSR resumed after the war, they were offered tours of Moscow and Leningrad. Other major attractions included Crimea and Volga cruises. A small provincial city like Vinnitsa was not to be included in this tour list. What made Vinnitsa special and open to foreign tourists was one of Adolf Hitler’s secret bunkers, from which he and his generals monitored the Eastern Front during World War II. The bunker was built in 1941 and hidden in the pine forest. It was called the Wehrwolf, in reference to “wolf,” the translation of “Adolf,” Hitler’s first name. The bunker was built by Soviet prisoners of war, most of whom were shot dead and buried in a mass grave after construction was finished. There is an elaborate gilded monument to be found in the nearby village of Stryzhavka for the estimated 14,000 victims who were brutally shot.
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