DP: Displaced Person

by Margarita Meyendorff

The daughter of a Russian Baron, Mourka (Margarita Meyendorff) was born in a Russian displaced persons camp in Germany - far from the opulence of Imperial Russia which was her birthright.

Her father danced with Anastasia, attended balls and military schools but a series of wars destroyed this privileged existence - and her parents were themselves displaced- forced to flee the ancestral estates and run through Nazi Germany.

After the war, under Allied occupation, Mourka was born in a German Displaced Persons camp and from then on, life became a series of extraordinary moves: As a tiny immigrant girl, Margarita's first American home was the estate of an eccentric millionaire impresario which served as a temporary enclave of Russian aristocrats - given quarters in elephant stalls.Her childhood ran like a roller coaster of highs - performing as a rooster to applause for the Russian Orthodox audience and lows - coping with her traumatized and disturbed parents.

At 18, Mourka escaped to the road- most often taking to the stage where she found her natural footing, but then always on the run - moving, displaced around the US and then Europe - hitting ecstatic highs as a performer and lows in her personal life.

In her search, she tours the country as a gypsy performer in a caravan and goes from a rusted trailer back to her ancestral castle...seeking, always seeking her rightful place and some sense of peace. Can she ever "unpack" and feel she is truly at that place which always been so elusive: HOME. She carries with her a suitcase filled with documents and treasured memorabilia, her Russian legacy.

Margarita Meyendorff's journey is thrillingly personal yet universal-the journey we all take, to find our true selves and safe haven.

Genres: Russia, Memoir, Nonfiction

328 pages, ebook

First published October 16, 2016

About the author

The daughter of a Russian Baron, Margarita Meyendorff (Mourka) was born displaced, far from the opulence of Imperial Russia that was her birthright. A series of wars destroyed this privileged existence, and Margarita’s life became a series of extraordinary moves. Her childhood ran like a rollercoaster of highs as a performer and lows in her personal life. Her journey is thrillingly personal, yet universal--the journey we all take to find our true selves and safe haven. Margarita Meyendorff is always, even in the most frightening situations, a spirited traveler--and a survivor.

Reviews

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very close to my heart. The fact that my mom wrote it is why. I learned how much of a difficult life my mom had and she has come so far. I cried, I laughed and I enjoyed her story Proud of you mom.

[Kim Witzak · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing story.

[Laura Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was riveted! Margarita Meyendorff would have been a Russian Baroness but turmoil in post WW II Europe flung her royal parents into the maelstrom- they were fortunate to flee with their lives. Margarita (Mourka) was born in a displaced persons camp in Germany- the cover shows her as an adorable toddler bearing the stamp- and carrying a pathetic pack on her back. But there was and is nothing pathetic about Mourka- she rides through some very rough spots in a tumultuous life and always saves herself through her many talents- singing, dancing, performing. Her life and loves make for gripping reading and I felt as driven as Mourka to find someone and some place, I would no longer feel "displaced." She takes the reader on a wild and gratifying journey and meets many Russian nobles, also displaced, and has a memorable encounter With Rudolph Nureyev, among others.
But you don't have to be an immigrant to identify- hers is the universal search for love and belonging.

[Judith Boggess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margarita Meyendorff took on the daunting challenge of weaving her Russian family genealogy into a remarkable and memorable memoir. She skillfully relays the tale of her family's fall from power and prestige in 1900s Russia, coming to America and her birth in a displaced persons camp, her struggle to find her identity, and the difficulty living not just surviving. Meyendorff tells the tale unflinchingly, honestly and without sympathy. Her memoir is enlightening, educational, entertaining, a compelling read. I started the book on Thursday and finished it feeling very satisfied on Saturday night.

[Kristy Boelens · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to quit after 20% into it. Just seemed like endless names and dates, no real story

[Tiffany L · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is much more about her life and finding herself rather than being displaced from Russia. There are also some major formatting issues which put the pictures over some of the text.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The memoirs of Mourka, born in a DP camp and came to America as a young girl. This is the family history. The ups and downs of her life.

[Margarita Meyendorff · Rating 5 out of 5]

The daughter of a Russian Baron, Margarita Meyendorff (Mourka) was born displaced, far from the opulence of Imperial Russia that was her birthright. A series of wars destroyed this privileged existence, and Margarita’s life became a series of extraordinary moves. Her childhood ran like a rollercoaster of highs as a performer and lows in her personal life. Her journey is thrillingly personal, yet universal--the journey we all take to find our true selves and safe haven. Margarita Meyendorff is always, even in the most frightening situations, a spirited traveler--and a survivor.