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Last Ship to Freedom: Uncovering My Grandmother’s Tale of Fleeing Post-Imperial Russia by Tamara Buzyna Adams
Category: Historical Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Memoir, Ebook
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ABOUT THE BOOK
As the Russian Civil War reached its final, tumultuous stages, 11-year-old Lydia Komarkoff and her parents had already spent 11 months living aboard the steamship Kherson adrift in the Black Sea, seeking refuge from the chaos engulfing their homeland. But on November 14, 1920, their fate took a drastic turn. Swept up in a mass exodus, they joined 150,000 desperate refugees fleeing Crimea, crammed onto 126 vessels in a frantic bid for survival. With the devastating defeat of General Peter Wrangel’s White Army, their last hope crumbled, forcing Lydia’s family to abandon everything and everyone they had ever known for an uncertain future.
It was their last chance at freedom.
Adjusting to life aboard the Kherson was an 18-month odyssey, a seemingly endless voyage that tested Lydia and her family at every turn. They endured harrowing battles against a typhus epidemic, coal shortages, food insecurity, and the relentless instability of exile, all while witnessing haunting sights, like frantic, abandoned horses disappearing into the depths of the sea. Even in the darkest of moments, Lydia found glimmers of hope, resilience, and the will to persevere.
Thoroughly researched and lyrically written by her granddaughter, genealogical expert Tamara Buzyna Adams, this narrative breathes life into Lydia’s diaries, offering an intimate, firsthand account of displacement through the eyes of a child. It is a rare and deeply personal glimpse into the struggles of exile – the fear, the small joys, and the unbreakable spirit of a girl forced to grow up too soon.
A century later, Lydia’s story remains strikingly relevant, showing the strength of refugees then and now, as well as the challenges of isolation and survival, from global crises to the COVID-19 pandemic. By uncovering her grandmother’s past, Buzyna-Adams brings family together and reminds us of the enduring power of perseverance and connection.
As the Russian Civil War reached its final, tumultuous stages, 11-year-old Lydia Komarkoff and her parents had already spent 11 months living aboard the steamship Kherson adrift in the Black Sea, seeking refuge from the chaos engulfing their homeland. But on November 14, 1920, their fate took a drastic turn. Swept up in a mass exodus, they joined 150,000 desperate refugees fleeing Crimea, crammed onto 126 vessels in a frantic bid for survival. With the devastating defeat of General Peter Wrangel’s White Army, their last hope crumbled, forcing Lydia’s family to abandon everything and everyone they had ever known for an uncertain future.
It was their last chance at freedom.
Adjusting to life aboard the Kherson was an 18-month odyssey, a seemingly endless voyage that tested Lydia and her family at every turn. They endured harrowing battles against a typhus epidemic, coal shortages, food insecurity, and the relentless instability of exile, all while witnessing haunting sights, like frantic, abandoned horses disappearing into the depths of the sea. Even in the darkest of moments, Lydia found glimmers of hope, resilience, and the will to persevere.
Thoroughly researched and lyrically written by her granddaughter, genealogical expert Tamara Buzyna Adams, this narrative breathes life into Lydia’s diaries, offering an intimate, firsthand account of displacement through the eyes of a child. It is a rare and deeply personal glimpse into the struggles of exile – the fear, the small joys, and the unbreakable spirit of a girl forced to grow up too soon.
A century later, Lydia’s story remains strikingly relevant, showing the strength of refugees then and now, as well as the challenges of isolation and survival, from global crises to the COVID-19 pandemic. By uncovering her grandmother’s past, Buzyna-Adams brings family together and reminds us of the enduring power of perseverance and connection.
Tamara Buzyna Adams
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A Lifelong Passion Turned First-Time Author
Tamara Buzyna Adams is a first-time author, showcasing her meticulous research skills and her ardent passion for genealogy. Deeply immersed in her own family’s history project alongside her mother, Helen, she brings over 25 years of experience in uncovering and preserving ancestral stories from her Russian, Ukrainian, and Finnish heritage. Using her parents’ adventurous spirit, she vivaciously seeks out any experience, especially travel, that brings her closer to understanding not only her own heritage but of those surrounding her.
Determined Roots: A Granddaughter’s Mission Comes to Life
Tamara’s indomitable spirit, undoubtedly inherited from her ancestors, enabled her to pursue her ambitious ideas of researching her grandmother’s diaries and searching for descendants, and she was successful.
From Diaries to Times Square
After five years of researching her grandmother’s diaries, her work reached a remarkable milestone in November 2024, when her book cover was displayed in New York City’s Times Square. The next day, she presented a six-hour seminar on her findings to the spellbound descendants of those who had been on the ship with her grandmother. Her dedication comes full circle with the publication of her first narrative book, Last Ship to Freedom, in fall 2025.
A Scientific Mind Behind the Stories
In addition to her extensive genealogy research experience, Tamara holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Elmhurst College (now Elmhurst University), and a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from Florida A&M University. Her background in science and research is evident in her attention to detail when uncovering family histories and piecing together her past.
Balancing Motherhood, Medicine, and Memory
Tamara lives in Alpharetta, GA with her husband and 2 children. Before pursuing genealogy, as a pediatric Occupational Therapist, she specialized in improving fine motor skills, enhancing upper body strength, and supporting functional daily activities to promote independence and well-being. She later embraced the role of a stay-at-home mom. While raising her children, she actively volunteered in their schools.
Creative at Heart - with a Love for Snow and Prehistoric Bones
Her hobbies span a wide range of creative and adventurous pursuits, including photography, graphic design, scrapbooking, card making, travel, and anything related to snow. In her free time, she enjoys diving into genealogy websites to research her friends’ family histories. Fun fact: She has always been fascinated by dinosaurs since childhood and dreams of joining a dinosaur dig one day! Perhaps a different kind of genealogy, tracing the lineage of prehistoric giants!
Website:
https://www.tamarabuzynaadams.com/
A Lifelong Passion Turned First-Time Author
Tamara Buzyna Adams is a first-time author, showcasing her meticulous research skills and her ardent passion for genealogy. Deeply immersed in her own family’s history project alongside her mother, Helen, she brings over 25 years of experience in uncovering and preserving ancestral stories from her Russian, Ukrainian, and Finnish heritage. Using her parents’ adventurous spirit, she vivaciously seeks out any experience, especially travel, that brings her closer to understanding not only her own heritage but of those surrounding her.
Determined Roots: A Granddaughter’s Mission Comes to Life
Tamara’s indomitable spirit, undoubtedly inherited from her ancestors, enabled her to pursue her ambitious ideas of researching her grandmother’s diaries and searching for descendants, and she was successful.
From Diaries to Times Square
After five years of researching her grandmother’s diaries, her work reached a remarkable milestone in November 2024, when her book cover was displayed in New York City’s Times Square. The next day, she presented a six-hour seminar on her findings to the spellbound descendants of those who had been on the ship with her grandmother. Her dedication comes full circle with the publication of her first narrative book, Last Ship to Freedom, in fall 2025.
A Scientific Mind Behind the Stories
In addition to her extensive genealogy research experience, Tamara holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Elmhurst College (now Elmhurst University), and a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from Florida A&M University. Her background in science and research is evident in her attention to detail when uncovering family histories and piecing together her past.
Balancing Motherhood, Medicine, and Memory
Tamara lives in Alpharetta, GA with her husband and 2 children. Before pursuing genealogy, as a pediatric Occupational Therapist, she specialized in improving fine motor skills, enhancing upper body strength, and supporting functional daily activities to promote independence and well-being. She later embraced the role of a stay-at-home mom. While raising her children, she actively volunteered in their schools.
Creative at Heart - with a Love for Snow and Prehistoric Bones
Her hobbies span a wide range of creative and adventurous pursuits, including photography, graphic design, scrapbooking, card making, travel, and anything related to snow. In her free time, she enjoys diving into genealogy websites to research her friends’ family histories. Fun fact: She has always been fascinated by dinosaurs since childhood and dreams of joining a dinosaur dig one day! Perhaps a different kind of genealogy, tracing the lineage of prehistoric giants!
Website:
https://www.tamarabuzynaadams.com/