Winter Palace (42 page)

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The plane lifted up through the layer of clouds and on into the endless blue. Jeffrey leaned back in his seat with a very tired sigh, extremely glad the Consul General had made the travel arrangements for him. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to be home.

He picked at the bandages wrapped around his hands and looked out on the brilliant cloudscape. Tracers from earlier aircraft stretched out like long white ribbons across the sky.

Fatigue turned the previous hours and days into a jumble
of conflicting memories. He drifted into sleep, only to be jolted awake. He opened his eyes to find the stewardess leaning over him, asking if he cared for food. He did not, but accepted anyway. He thanked her as she set down the tray, refused her offer of something to drink, and turned his face back toward the window.

His eyelids drifted downward once more, weighted by the stresses and strains of the past days. This time he slid smoothly into welcome rest. His final waking thought was of Katya.

Acknowledgements

“The mind-set of the times threatens to strip our faith of symbols, rituals, dramas, mystery, poetry, and story, which say about life and God what logic and reason and rationalism can never say. Instead, we attempt to analyze and explain God. Scripture becomes mere religious information, and faith simply the progressive realization of moral or ‘religious' goals. From this perspective we cannot expect anything but flatness. One-dimensional faith, like a tent with only one peg, easily collapses. Yet, we Americans tend to secure our faith primarily with the one peg of logical thought.”

Reverend Lynn Anderson

(Church of Christ)

If I Really Believe, Why Do I Have These Doubts?

Throughout the journey of this novel, I have been constantly humbled by the gentle hospitality of people whose hearts were open to our Lord, and by the smallness of my own world. I hope I have managed to convey some of this spirit in my work. The writing of this book has coincided with Isabella, my wife, beginning graduate studies in theology at Oxford University.

Despite the strains of studying in this area for the first time (her previous studies have been in law and international relations), Isabella has continued to walk with me through the formation of this book, helping out at every turn. Truly, this work was completed in large part because of her loving assistance and bountiful wisdom.

Because of the importance of these dialogues among churches, all discussions on matters of doctrine and faith were taken verbatim from interviews I had with respective priests, bishops, and ministers. I have done this in hopes that people interested in becoming more involved in evangelistic efforts within the former Soviet lands—and make no mistake, help is desperately needed—might perhaps gain a bit more insight into the current religious culture.

United States Consul General to Saint Petersburg, Mr. Jack Gosnell, has spent more than twelve years serving his country in Russia and China. His knowledge is simply immense. It was a great privilege to work with him. His overview of the political and economic situation facing Russia today was both succinct and extremely perceptive. We are indeed fortunate to have a gentleman of such talents representing us in this volatile region. I would also like to thank his lovely wife and most talented staff for their gifts of assistance and hospitality.

While in Saint Petersburg, I was granted the opportunity to speak at length with a member of the nation's Foreign Ministry. I did so with the understanding that I would not name him. But I would nonetheless like to offer my very sincere thanks for the perceptivity and depth of analysis he granted me.

Vladimir Gronsky is editor of the International Department of the
Leningrad Daily News
. At the conclusion of my visit to Saint Petersburg, I was faced with the daunting task of pulling together the results of almost fifty interviews. Mr. Gronsky assisted me in rising above the mass of facts and related experiences, and searching out the overriding themes. With his honest advice as guidance, I was able to establish certain tenets that became central points in this story's development. I am indeed thankful for his patient aid.

H. Kozyritskiy is the Mayor of Sestoretsk, the region running from northern Saint Petersburg to the borderlands. In a discussion that was slated for fifteen minutes and ran to over two hours, he outlined with frightening honesty the
economic trials facing his region. If Russia is able to overcome the challenge facing it today, it will be in no small part due to the unsung efforts of men like him.

Reverend Allen Faubion and Reverend Larry Van Tuyl are pastors at the International Church of Saint Petersburg. For those traveling over, Sunday services are located inside the Concert-Theater Complex at 39 Nevsky Prospekt. (This was altered in this book to a location used by another Western group giving services only in Russian, as the story required a more permanent location.) I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks both for the excellent information granted to me in our discussion prior to the service, and for the most inspiring sermon. May the Lord richly bless them and their work.

Dr. Karl Keller, pastor at the Walnut Grove Lutheran Church in British Columbia, was a leader with Christian Embassy, and traveled with a group of Canadian Christian businessmen on a goodwill mission to Moscow and Saint Petersburg. They had high-level meetings within the national and city governments, and with military officials. I am very grateful that Dr. Keller was willing to take the time from his mission work to stop and share with me both his experience and his findings. Several of his observations have been worked into Reverend Collins' discussions.

The story of Alexander and Gregor's escape from Poland at the end of the war was drawn from the experiences of my wife's uncle, Marian Tarka. He was a member of the Polish Home Army, or AK, and when the Russians arrived and fellow members began to disappear, he had the idea of escaping into the Red Army. The story is his save for one fact; he survived his interrogation, and remained with the Red Army until discharged, while his friends made their escape into the woods and joined the AK and eventually left Poland. The route up through Scandinavia to London was one used by a large number of escapees in the turmoil before the Soviet's Iron Curtain was firmly fixed into place.

The story of Zosha's escape from the trek headed from
the Warsaw Uprising to the German concentration camp is also true. It is the story of my wife's aunt, Dusia Tarka, who escaped due to the courageous efforts of one young man, who slipped in and out of the line of German soldiers to save as many young people as he could. She never even learned his name.

Ryszard Litwicki was taken from his home in Lvov by the Germans to work at forced labor in Berlin, where during the bombing campaign he worked in a bomb depot. I am grateful that he survived the experience, and was willing to speak of his upbringing in what now is western Ukraine, and then was the area of Poland known as Galicia.

Eugenia Krajewska is secretary to the Father Superior at the Marian Fathers monastery outside London. When she was eleven years old, she and her family were deported from Poland to a logging village just south of the Arctic Circle in European Russia. This life story made the chronicle of Ivona Aristonova's tragic past. It is very hard for us as Americans to fathom the suffering caused to literally millions of people by Stalin's policy of amalgamation and relocation, what was commonly referred to as Russification. Her story is in no way exceptional, and stands as a testimony to a tragedy that we as free men and women must strive never to permit to surface again.

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Some time ago, Reverend John Wimber spoke to the Holy Trinity Church in Brompton, England, on the desert experience. The section in this book that began with a reference to the sixty-third Psalm was drawn from his magnificent teaching.

Each year, bookstore owners from across the nation join together for the Christian Booksellers Association annual convention. This year, Dr. Joe Aldrich spoke at the Sunday service. His address was on the need for harmony among the body of believers. Great inspiration, as well as considerable
material for this book, was drawn from the gentleman's well-spoken wisdom.

Reverend Alec Brooks is former President of Bethany Fellowship, with responsibility for their worldwide missionary program as well as the Bible college. Currently he is teaching Theology, Marriage and Family, and Developing A Christan World View at this same college, and remains a member of the advisory board. He was most helpful in gaining a solid perspective on how an evangelical missionary pastor might view the Orthodox church—his words formed the discussion Jeffrey had with Reverend Evan Collins on the issue of icons. Alec has been a good friend and most helpful guide over the years. I am grateful for the opportunity to grow from his wisdom.

The gentlefolk at Christies auction house continue to show remarkable patience with the presence of an author with no possibility whatsoever to purchase any of the items he hovers around. I am especially grateful for Amelia Fitzalan-Howard's surprising eagerness to offer hospitality, wisdom, insight, and answers to what I am sure appeared to be an unending stream of questions.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth recently opened an exhibition in Buckhingham Palace of antiques and paintings collected by one of her forebears, King George III. I would like to extend my thanks to the staff who prepared both the exhibit and the excellent brochure. They proved an invaluable source of information for the period from which many of the antiques in this book were drawn.

The story of Communist Party and KGB bosses secretly attempting to establish a Party-controlled mini-economy for no other reason than greed is true. I would like to thank the BBC's Panorama news team for their excellent coverage of the story, and for supplying me with most helpful documentation as this book was being developed.

A very special thanks must be extended to two leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Anthony in
London and Metropolitan Ioann in Saint Petersburg. They were most kind in their offers of assistance and contacts. In both cases, I was an unknown American Protestant who simply wrote and asked questions. In both cases, I was answered with open-handed kindness. Thank you.

Bishop Kallistos, of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in England, is author of numerous books and articles on orthodox faith. I found his book
The Orthodox Church
to be a wonderful introduction both to the history and the present-day status of this church. I am also most grateful for the hours he so willingly shared with me. His kind assistance went far beyond discussing with me such painful subjects as KGB infiltration into the Russian Orthodox heirarchy. He was also most open in sharing what Christian faith means to a Russian Orthodox, where it parallels the Protestant faith and where it diverges. He is a kind and Spirit-filled man, whose assistance added greatly to the work on this book.

Diakon Vsevolod Chaplin, personal assistant to the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow, outlined a number of current issues facing the church in Russia today. He was open and frank about the trials besetting the church, both from within and without. He discussed the church's historical perspective to evangelical movements and the impressions of today. He then made introductions for me, both with the senior bishops and Metropolitans in Russia and with the Orthodox community leaders in Great Britain. This book's attempt to portray the Orthodox church's position with authenticity stems in large part from his very kind assistance.

Father Archimindrit Simon is personal assistant to the Metropolitan Ioann of Saint Petersburg. He was an extremely erudite individual, who helped to place the current problems and issues facing the Russian Orthodox community in simple, understandable terms. This was no small feat, as everything besetting the church today is a legacy of that which has come before. He and all his staff were burdened with the work of
ten. I am indeed grateful that he would nonetheless take an entire morning to educate me.

Bishop Michael Kuchmiak is head of the Ukrainian Eastern Rites Catholic Church for all of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. I was humbled by his willingness to rearrange extremely busy schedules to talk with me in depth about his church and the crisis it faces today as it emerges from forty-five years of illegality and persecution.

Marina Karetnikova is a deacon and lay minister in the Baptist church of Saint Petersburg. She is also a teacher at the newly opened Bible college in that city. She was extremely helpful in granting me a living history of the Russian Baptist movement and of the courage and faith demonstrated by its believers through these tremendously difficult times.

Father Graham Woolfenden was trained as a “Biritual” priest, meaning that he was most familiar with the Eastern Rites churches, as well as with the differences between them and the Catholic liturgy. He was most helpful in granting me this essential overview required before in-depth research could be started.

Valerie Morozov is Director of Education of the Bibles for Everyone Society of Russia. Their primary purpose is twofold: to supply Bibles in modern Russian and other Soviet tongues and to teach Bible classes to school-age children. Their number of classes has increased from ten in 1989 to one hundred thirty in 1992. They currently operate classes in foster homes, orphanages, hospitals, and reformatories. I am very grateful for his taking the time to discuss the situation facing them as they try to set up classes inside former Communist-run school systems, and for the overview of Christianity in modern Russian society. They are in dire need of both teaching aids and financial support.

DAVIS BUNN, a professional novelist for over twenty years, is the author of numerous national bestsellers with sales totaling more than six million copies. His work has been published in sixteen languages, and his critical acclaim includes three Christy Awards for excellence in fiction. Formerly an international business executive working in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Bunn is now a lecturer in creative writing and Writer in Residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University. He and his wife, Isabella, divide their time between the English countryside and the coast of Florida.