My grandmother called me Dianulya. I was born in Minsk, Belarus in 1977.
The below image, an Unknown Woman by Kramskoy, was on the lid of a box of chocolates that my parents had on their living room table the last time I saw them. These are the kind of things I remember.
I really like the poetry and excerpts you’ve chosen. “The History of Love” is my favorite contemporary novel – its beautiful.