Escape to Independence

The black walnut is a powerful symbol in the life of Peter Kirchikov.

Many years ago, he’d walk the fields of Russia during the fall months and stuff his pockets with the heavy nuts, then green and fresh from the trees. He’d dry them on shelves and in desk drawers and would wait for Christmas to arrive, when he’d finally crack them open.

Today, living in Vestavia Hills, Kirchikov hasn’t changed his ways. Although he’s free of the grip of Communist Russia, the bookshelf in his office is still lined with drying walnuts.

“They remind me of where I came from, of what I lived through,” Kirchikov said. “For me, it’s a strong image.”

In 1996, Kirchikov began the long process of putting that image into print, and in May he published the work. Walnuts On My Bookshelf: Memories of Living in Communist Russia, 1952-1991 is Kirchikov’s account of his life, from birth to escape, in a hostile land.

Kirchikov was raised in a Christian home, though his parents were not allowed to publicly show their religious beliefs for fear of persecution. After leaving his parents’ house, he attended college at Izmail State Teachers’ Training College in Ukraine, USSR, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in English.

His career soon took shape as a professional linguist, writer and interpreter for the Russian government, where he said he found himself “in the epicenter of the major events that led to the collapse of the empire.” He said that, as a writer, he “had to employ self-censorship, self-editing and no privacy to survive in the Iron Curtain country.”

Kirchikov said he always felt he was under surveillance and his whereabouts were monitored. The KGB – the Committee for State Security – always knew the exact time of his arrival at his destinations and kept a list of people he associated with, including friends, family and other writers. The KGB often tracked his movements and placed conspicuous operatives outside residences he’d visit, he said.

In April 1986, the catastrophic accident at the Cheynobyl Nuclear Power Plant claimed the life of one of Kirchikov’s sons. Although he was aware that his family, going back to his grandfather, had tried to emigrate from Russia, the incident caused Kirchikovs to try harder to get out.

Oppression lingered though, and the Communist regime prevented his family from leaving until September 1991, nine months after the USSR had begun to dissolve.

Kirchikov now works as a paralegal, but he has also dedicated much of his time to educating his new countrymen on Russian culture under Communist rule. He taught weekly classes at Bluff Park United Methodist Church on subjects from Russian holidays to the KGB.

“Peter Kirchikov has had as interesting and challenging a life as anybody I know,” said Bluff Park UMC Senior Minister Reid Crotty in a release about the book. “He has seen a lot and learned a lot along the way. Peter has presented numerous programs and classes for our congregation, and they have broadened our understanding of the world in wonderful ways.”

Kirchikov’s determination to preserve these memories – both with his book and the actual walnuts on his shelf – is designed to serve as a reminder of how different life is when freedom replaces oppression. He said that these days he celebrates more on the Fourth of July than his own birthday.

“‘The Russian Dream’ was to find a legal way out of the country for a better life in a Western country,” Kirchikov said. “The American Dream is still alive and well, and my family is blessed to call America our home, sweet home.”

For more information or to order on Walnuts on My Bookshelf, visit peterkirchikov.com or call 970-0765. Kirchikov said the book would be released in digital format this month.