The object that I chose to represent my family history, inspired by the Tenement Museum, is my grandma's cooking apron. One the apron, you see a Russian pattern inspired by what we call a Matryoshka, also known as a nesting doll. Every time I see this apron I instantly know my grandma has either just finished cooking a meal or one will soon be ready to eat, bringing me familiarity and a sense of comfort. Although my grandparents and parents lost their nesting dolls when immigrating to the United States of America, they are very big in Russian culture and that apron reminds my grandma of the collection she built while living in Russia. The idea behind Russian nesting dolls is that each generation is contained within the previous one. This goes hand in hand with my upbringing and how my Russian family constantly passed on their knowledge whether it was academic, cultural, or wisdom. My grandma has taught me a lot within the kitchen while she wears that apron. I've learned basic things such as prepping ingredients and cooking secrets of hers. Also, a numerous amount of Russian recipes, such as borscht, pelmeni, blini, pirozhki, and more. In the future, I hope to have the apron passed down to me so that I could introduce it to my children and grandchildren just as my grandma did.

– Kate Krichevsky

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant