The Little Girl
Diana Suleymanova was one year old in 1991, the year in which the
Soviet Union collapsed. That began a difficult period of economic
depression and social stress in Russia and its formerly related
communist countries. Diana and her parents lived in Irkutsk, Russia,
just north of Lake Baikal in southeastern Siberia — up against Mongolia
and approaching China. (Lake Baikal is the oldest lake, the largest
lake in volume — 20% of the earth's unfrozen fresh water — and the
deepest lake in the world.)
Diana, a pretty little girl, had a medical problem that couldn't
be addressed in far-off Irkutsk. Her father, a professional soccer
player, and her mother, a soprano soloist and music academy teacher,
had no way to obtain the help Diana needed.
The
Lenin statue in Irkutsk, far-eastern Russia.
The Soprano
It was that year, in 1991, that Diana's mother, Elena (pronounced
Yelena), traveled with an Irkutsk choir to perform in Eugene, Oregon,
a "sister city" to Irkutsk. While in Eugene, Elena was
introduced to a musician, George King, who was anxious to research
his family genealogy in far eastern Russia.
The Genealogist
It was arranged that the Oregon genealogist would come to Irkutsk
to begin searching for his ancestors. He was welcomed for two weeks
into the hospitable Suleymanov home — where he learned of Diana's
medical need. And as a blessed fate would have it, he knew just
the right medical specialist in Eugene, Oregon, Dr. Gary Stewart.
The Physician
The relationship developed such that Dr. Stewart, a faithful Latter-day
Saint (and since then an Area Seventy of the Church), invited Diana
to Oregon for treatment. In 1993, all three members of the Suleymanov
family traveled there for the first operation. They came away not
only very grateful for the generous trip and medical care, but also
impressed with Dr. Stewart's example of Christian living and service.
Over time, four more trips for specialized care were made to Oregon.
Diana, like her mother, loves music.
The family's second trip to Oregon was in 2002. It was then that
the Suleymanovs were taken to see the temple in Portland, were introduced
to missionaries, and received a Russian-language copy of the Book
of Mormon. Dr. Stewart also presented them a copy of the Russian
Liahona magazine, in the front of which he wrote that
two missionaries would call on the Suleymanovs in Irkutsk — and
requested that the family listen to them.
Missionaries hadn't yet come to Irkutsk for proselyting, but the
mission president, who had received the referral from Oregon, visited
the city and met the Suleymanovs, who then helped the president
to become acquainted there. Soon, four Elders were assigned to Irkutsk.
Diana's father, Artur, became the mission president's and the elders'
advisor, helping them to get the Church established there.
The Soccer Star
Diana's father, Artur, a handsome star forward on Irkutsk's professional
soccer team, was recognized wherever he went. He had begun playing
professionally at age 22 after having served for three years in
the Russian Navy out of Vladivostok, Russia's "window"
onto the Pacific Far East. More of the year than not it is winter
in Irkutsk, but soccer matches continue year-round using snow cleats.
Artur played professionally until four years ago (he is now 42),
and he still plays on Saturdays for a company team — and holds its
record for goals scored.
The Conversion
The missionaries, once established in Irkutsk, asked the Suleymanovs
to attend their Sunday sacrament meeting. That was problematic,
because Elena sang professionally in one of the city's Russian Orthodox
Church choirs, always beginning at 9:30 on Sunday mornings. (Orthodox
services consist of a great deal of priest chanting, with responsive
singing by a small vocal ensemble.) But the elders had an answer
to that: they changed the sacrament meeting time to 11:30. The Suleymanovs
arrived at their first meeting, only to find that the congregation
consisted only of the four missionaries and the three of them.
The young missionaries, and then also a special senior missionary
couple, were loving and inspiring examples to the Suleymanovs. The
family was taught the gospel — and Diana was taught English.
The Suleymanovs' apartment community in Irkutsk.
Artur was quickly converted to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
Never having smoked or drunk liquor, personally believing that to
do so was not right, he had early on been impressed with Dr. Stewart's
and the Latter-day Saints' abstinence from such. He had also long
sought after religion and had been concerned with where to find
truth and what church to join. He felt that his life had been redirected
and fulfilled by Dr. Stewart's example.
Elena, however, feared that her spiritual emotions might have more
to do with the special relationship they were developing with the
missionaries and the several new church members in Irkutsk than
with true spiritual conversion. She wanted to know the truth — but
to know for sure that it was the truth.
After a year of Elena's wrestling, everyone involved, including
Dr. Stewart and his family in Oregon, fasted and prayed that Elena
might receive a spiritual confirmation of her testimony. She did,
and the family was soon baptized — by Dr. Stewart, who came to Siberia
to do so. The year was 2003. In 2004 the Suleymanov family traveled
to the Stockholm temple, where they were sealed.
The Suleymanovs Today
Today, Artur is the enthusiastic president of the Church's branch
of nearly fifty active members in Irkutsk. Elena is the branch Relief
Society president and conducts the music in sacrament meeting. Diana
is studying English and Spanish, and she entertains the branch on
piano, guitar and saxophone. Both she and her mother sing and play
beautifully (separately and together) in Church, at home, and in
the music academy where Elena teaches and Diana studies. Artur continues
to play recreational soccer on Saturdays; he works during the week
repairing and painting automobile bodies.
The Suleymanov family today.
If the reader was so fortunate as to have seen the television special
regarding the Helsinki temple dedication that took place in October
of 2006, and that was broadcast between the April 2007 Sunday general
conference sessions, they would have seen Elena Suleymanov singing
in the duet that capped off the Saturday evening cultural program
that President Hinckley attended.
P.S. Irkutsk —
a Hard History
