Yet, the events outside their small world gripped the entire vast country, leaving no one untouched. The revolution that unfolded in Petrograd in late February reverberated in Kiev. The overthrow of the tsarist government, followed by the fall of the Provisional Government in October 1917, spurred Ukrainians to forge their own state. However, the path forward was uncertain – a conundrum of how to navigate the Great War with minimal losses, reconcile the aspirations of the people with the interests of landowners and industrialists, and address the demands of diverse political factions. The challenges were manifold, and solutions varied greatly. The future of the fertile lands of Malorossiya (Little Russia) was a matter of contentious debates…
As power changed hands, governments succeeded one another, and the World War metamorphosed into a civil war. Throughout these tumultuous years, the armies of different factions swept through the lands of the Poltava Region: the Red, the Austro-German, Petliura's haidamakas, the Directorate troops, the White Volunteer Army, and, once more, the Red Army. This list omitted the fleeting raids of atamans Makhno and Grigoriev!
During this tumultuous period, all military operations were accompanied by a series of hardships for the local population. Contributions, seizures, and levies became a common occurrence, further exacerbating the already trying conditions. In the midst of the chaos, robberies became the norm, taking advantage of the lawless atmosphere prevailing during those turbulent times with peasant uprisings flaring up here and there throughout the province.
Amidst this turbulence, the orphaned Mirachevsky family struggled to survive. The young widow, Olga, shouldered any available work, mopping floors or accepting whatever odd jobs came her way. In times of scarcity, they traded clothes and utensils for food. As Leonid grew older, he joined in to lend a hand whenever possible.
Throughout this tumultuous time, Olga harbored a deep longing to return to her homeland, the picturesque Podolia Governorate, to the embrace of her family, the Shpirkans. As soon as the turmoil began to subside, she set her sights on packing her belongings, seeking to fulfill her heart's desire. Meanwhile, young Leonid pondered his future path and, without hesitation, gravitated towards the calling of the railroad, a passion that had beckoned him since childhood. With conviction, he set his sights on Kiev, where his uncle, Andrei, resided, and fate favored him, casting a benevolent smile upon the seventeen-year-old lad.
Fate intervened as the Railway Construction Technical School presented a golden opportunity. Leonid's admission was secured with the support of his mother's petition and the compelling documentation, for he was indeed the son of a distinguished railroad employee.
Though this momentous event brought joy, it also heralded the departure of Olga, as she embarked on a journey to Chervona.
However, there was something else that Leonid regretted about leaving Solonytska station, which had become his cherished home. His mother discerned the melancholy in his eyes and correctly surmised the cause, but she playfully inquired:
«Do you not wish to leave, my dear?»
Leonid endeavored to respond with confidence, «What gives you that impression?»
«I sense a lack of cheerfulness,» she observed.
«All my friends will remain here. Ivan has no plans to go to Kiev…» Leonid paused, hesitating, before adding, «Perhaps I'll visit him again to bid farewell.»
Olga understood her son well; his sorrow did not stem from leaving his friend but rather from his thoughts revolving around the captivating Olga Gurko. Ah, such is life, he must live it and eventually choose a life partner…
Leaving the house, Leonid hastened towards Olga's street.
Chapter 4: Fragile Girl Shoulders
The untimely demise of Olga's mother left her to navigate the challenges of life prematurely. Tatyana, a sturdy and resilient Cossack daughter, was the very embodiment of tenacity, refusing to be cowed by anything, not even illness. Her children could scarcely recall a moment when their mother was unwell, for she was always steadfastly tending to their family's welfare.
Her husband, Sergei, a short, agile man with a neatly trimmed beard, toiled diligently as a railway worker, earning a modest income. To augment their means, the Gurko family relied on their garden's bounty, livestock, and the toil of their hardworking children, two sons and two daughters.
Olga, had a particular responsibility: tending to the geese. Though the task was not particularly onerous during the summer, guiding them to the river, where they knew the way, she could go for a swim or lay down with a book. The crucial part was not forgetting to keep an eye on her wards so they could safely return home, her wandering thoughts sometimes led her astray.
«What on earth is this?» Mother couldn't fathom. «She stares into space as if she's not here.»
«Come on, mom! Look at that cloud! It looks like a ship…» Olga found it challenging to tear her eyes away from the sky, which enticed her with its captivating shapes.
«A ship!» Tatyana exclaimed, raising her hands in exasperation. «You have ships and dogs on your mind, but you forgot about the geese! Now, we have to go looking for them from all over the village again. Look, they've run away!»
«Excuse me, mother…» Olga swiftly drove the flock of feathery mischief-makers into the yard with a skillful wave of a twig, cackling playfully as if making fun of her.
«You, stupid,» Olga said, her irritation directed at the geese. «Their necks may be long, but they can't see beyond their beaks.»
«Do you want them to stand up and stretch their necks to look at the sky too?» teased her sister Maria. The mother joined in the laughter, admiring her daughters, «They're all so lovely.»
By the way, Olga was well aware of the fairness of the reproach. Recently, a neighbor's goose was crushed by a freight train on the tracks. Had the birds run towards the railroad, it would have been a disaster.
Even Maria, who was closest to Olga in the family, occasionally scolded her younger sister when they were peeling walnuts with disdain from the poisonous green peel, working together:
«Shorty, stop daydreaming, hurry up, or we'll be at this all evening! I need to wash my hands.»
For the local children, household chores were part of their routine life at Solonytska station. However, Olga seemed to approach these tasks with a sense of duty. She appeared as if she were brought here from some other world with her thoughtful gaze. Yet, she was not a quiet girl. Quite the contrary – with her pretty, round face and lively dark eyes, she was remarkably bright and quick-witted. Her sharp tongue occasionally caught others by surprise. Her thoughts, though, often wandered far away, perhaps to the horizon line where the steel rails disappeared.
The realization of dreams came to fruition after enrolling in a women's gymnasium. The district town of Lubny on the Sula River, surrounded by lush green gardens, boasted of its size and featured two gymnasiums – one for men and another for women. The local train conveniently took the children of railroad employees there without any charge, and the journey was brief and not too far.
Olga's immediate and lifelong affection for her vocabulary lessons began. Finally, her fantasies found expression in correct, compelling, and eloquent words. Books, the cherished companions of romantically inclined young ladies, became her favorites, although not the sole ones.
During her trips to the gymnasium, Olga somehow managed to forge a friendship with Leonid Mirachevsky. Or perhaps, he became her constant and caring companion.
«But Leonid is mine, only my beau,» Olga mused. «He looks out for me… He'll offer me his hand or carry my backpack. Besides, he doesn't care about the ridicule from the boys. Being with him is genuinely fascinating.»
He was truly