ABOUT IGOR LABZIN
Who is Igor Labzin?
Igor Labzin (Igor Borisovich Labzin) is a Russian-Australian author. He is also a translator of Russian books into English. Like many Russian emigres, Igor’s parents fled Russia in 1922 during the Civil War. Igor’s passion is exploring the personal accounts of people who tell the stories of history. Not only as Russian emigres, but as refugees across the world. His gripping memoirs help and inspire those in many countries to re-connect with their heritage.
Igor’s published works include Russia and Revolution: My Father, The Officer, The Man in addition to an English translation of Sergei Mintslov’s, Faraway Days. His stories and articles recount a pre-revolutionary Russian people and identity, which was lost or displaced following the Bolshevik Revolution. This window is opened through researching his own Russian family.
Igor Labzin, In His Own Words
My Story
I was born in Surabaya, Indonesia in 1947 to Russian parents Boris and Vera. I attended a Dutch school, speaking Dutch there, Indonesian on the streets and Russian at home.
My best memories of childhood are of times when I sailed with my father Boris Labzin, a master mariner. My father’s love of sailing and the ocean is deeply embedded in me.
At the age of fifteen, I moved with my family from Jakarta to Australia. At this time in the 1960’s the situation in Indonesia had entered a period of turmoil. So my father was in exile – again.
To Australia
In 1962 we arrived in Brisbane, Australia. I had absolutely no knowledge of the English language. But like many refugees, this adversity proved to be only a temporary impediment. I quickly adapted to life in Australia and threw myself into my studies. Some years later, I graduated with an engineering degree from the University of Queensland in Brisbane. Following graduation, I worked as a structural engineer. My career took me to London, Montreal, and Canberra.
I continue to work as a structural engineer in my hometown of Brisbane. My wife Jay and I have two daughters who both live abroad. Larisa lives in the U.K. and Amelia in the U.S.A. This distance, along with research travel for my writing, gives Jay and myself a good excuse to go abroad often, which we both enjoy.
To Russia and Beyond
The books I wrote and researched began as a way to pass down to my daughters our family history. Little did I know the significant part that research would play. It has been important for my family and my extended family. I hope that it may help Russian emigres all over the world bind those ties back to a Russia ready to bring its displaced families home.
One Friday night I rang the famous Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg to ask if the “Labzin” treasure discovered in the 1980’s was there on display. I was going to St Petersburg and I was so intrigued by the story of my great uncles, Vladimir and Nikolai Labzin, that I wanted to see at first hand what they left behind when they hastily left St Petersburg in 1917. It turned out that the Labzin treasure was not at The Hermitage but it was just across the Neva River in the St Petersburg Museum.
I am fortunate to speak a number of languages including Indonesian, French, Russian, Dutch as well as English. This has helped me piece together research from many different countries for my books.
As well, it has opened up opportunities to meet with Russian researchers and family members around the world. This includes a recent reunion with distant relatives in Switzerland, sharing interesting stories over good food and wine.
My latest work “Russia and Revolution: My Father, The Officer, The Man” took me on journeys to Shanghai and Jakarta as well as Moscow and St Petersburg. Russian history has always been a passion of mine. The book was launched at the Prince Galitzine Memorial Library in St Petersburg.
Igor Labzin is Writing New Books!
Be the first to preview Igor’s new books, in addition to reading new articles and insights from Igor. He writes on Russian history, emigres, Australia and more.
