“The Miracle of Genetics”

My mother, Nataly, is a published journalist, poet and author and has also just released her memoir about her travels in Russia in 1990 & 1993.  Luckily, I must have inherited some of her “writing” genes.

My mum’s memoir Memories of Nataly Melnikoff (nee Gracheff), Sydney, Australia 2024

My mum travelled to Russia with my then husband, Greg Moore, to translate for STAR, my company involved in a gold-mining joint venture with a local Russian miner, Lenzoloto, which had rights to the world’s largest secret gold deposit, Sukhoi Log.  She made two trips when I had commitments in Australia, so she substituted me.  Her and Greg flew to Bodaibo in Siberia, the home of Lenzoloto, in “style”: the three-hour flight was in an old cargo propeller plane, which was previously used to parashoot Russian military into enemy areas. Although the plane was noisy and shook a lot, they feasted on Russian delicacies and Soviet Champagne, which is sickly sweet but was my mum’s favourite – she still talks about it today!

Bodaibo is very cold in winter - the average temperature is -29°C, but can dip down to as low as  -40°C.  At these temperatures the plane freezes over, so before take-off, the pilots use vodka to defrost the ice on the wings, and in good Russian tradition, take swigs as they go about it. Only in Russia!!     

Inside old military propeller plane that flies to Bodaibo, Siberia

Mum and me in our pool in Adelaide, Australia in 1962