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