Julia Bolkhovitinova was born on November 20, 1966 in Moscow, in the Soviet Union.
During her school years, she divided her time between studies and an active involvement in downhill skiing. Since the age of seven, she began competing first on the city, and then on the national, level.
After graduating high school, she entered Moscow State University in the Department of Physical Geography of European Countries, where, in her time as a student, she visited Bulgaria and Eastern Germany. At the time of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, she was involved in field studies in the part of the Baltics region which was highly affected by a poisonous radiation cloud. This event, though not officially determined to be the cause, was most likely related to her further diagnosis with blood cancer.
She graduated from Moscow State University in 1987, at the time that the country was implementing a historical transition to a market economy. Fluent in English, Julia started to work for one of the foreign companies located in Moscow.
In 1990, Julia unexpectedly became sick, and was diagnosed with leukemia, which had no effective treatment in the USSR. At that time, she was excitedly preparing to leave the country to go to the United States at the invitation of her American friends, who, after been informed of Julia’s health crisis, still welcomed her visit. Julia arrived in Washington, DC in the spring of 1991.
With open hearts, her friends gave Julia incredible support. She was connected with the Help Jocelyn Foundation in order to find a matching bone marrow transplant donor. This organization also helped Julia with her visa extension. On her own initiative, Julia found a job at the company of O. Roy Chalk, the entrepreneur and art collector who was actively developing business relations with the new Russia.
After moving to Washington, Julia was welcomed to stay in the homes of her many friends. She found her spiritual home at St. Nicholas Cathedral, where she was surrounded by love and care. Fr. Dmitry, Fr. Constantine, and especially Vladiko Vassily had long conversations with Julia. She became a close friend with many parish members, especially with Katya Moser and her family. At St. Nicholas, Julia was involved in many of the parish’s activities. She helped Rida von Luelsdorff with collecting and sending donations of clothes to Russia. She actively participated in the annual St. Nicholas Bazaar.
Academic colleagues and friends of Julia’s father, who had been a Fulbright scholar in the United States a few years earlier, offered wide support for Julia as well. The Fulbright Association launched a nation-wide fundraising campaign to finance Julia’s treatment. Contributions came from 23 states, the majority from people who never met Julia. The total amount of money raised, about $40,000, was enough to start Julia’s bone marrow transplant treatment at Georgetown University Hospital.
After gradual improvement and a full recovery, Julia decided to continue her education. She applied to a Master’s Degree program related to her original field of studies and was admitted to the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, in the fall of 1993. A tragic relapse of her disease interrupted her very first semester, and Julia returned to Washington where she died at Georgetown University Hospital on December 13, 1993.
May Julia’s memory be eternal!
