Asta Aristova Papers, 1916-2004

Collection context

Creator:
Aristova, Asta
Extent:
2 boxes 1 document box, 1 half document box
Language:
Russian .
Scope and content:

The collection comprises Asta Aristova's writings and materials related to scoutism. Writings include autobiographical essays and articles, mainly about Aristova's experiences travelling in the Soviet Union, and her memoirs about life in Germany 1945-1949 "Chto sokhranila pamiat'". Materials about scout movement include Organizatsiia rossiiskikh iunykh razvedchikov's records, documents and publications, as well as general publications on scoutism.

Six issues of the newspaper "Russkaia zhizn'" were cataloged to SEEC in 2021. Aristova's articles published there were photocopied and stored in the collection.

Biographical / historical:

Anastasiia (Asta) Aleksandrovna Aristova (Tersky; 1936 -), biologist, scoutmaster, long-term mentor and teacher of the "Nizhny Novgorod" squad, author of "Skautskii borshch," "Chto sokhranila pamiat'" and numerous essays, editor-in-chief of the quarterly scout magazine "Opyt."

Her father, Aleksandr Il'ich Terskikh, engineer, a member of the White Movement. Her mother Elsa Iul'evna, née Piasse, engineer, was arrested in 1938 and sentenced to eight years' imprisonment under Article 58. Aristova with her father moved to Armavir, where her mother reunited with them after her releise in 1940. In summer 1942 the town was occupied by the Germans. In January 1943 the Tersky family moved to Lviv, where Aristova attended an elementary school. In 1944 the family went to Krakow, and from there to Regensburg, Germany, where she continued to study in the second grade and in 1945 went to the Russian gymnasium. In 1946 she became an active participant of the Organizatsiia rossiiskikh iunykh razvedchikov (ORUR). In May 1949 moved to the USA where Tersky family settled in Buffalo, New York.

After graduating from high school here, she entered the Biology Department of the University of Buffalo in 1954, obtained a Bachelor's degree in biology in 1957, and became a post-graduate student. In 1961, took a position as a high school biology and science teacher. In 1963 obtained a master's degree. For 25 years she taught biology, public health, Russian, German, math, English as a second language, and Russian history in high school in Los Angeles. Was involved in various student clubs. Seven times she went to visit Russia with youth groups and once to Western Europe. Worked with young people in the ORUR. In 1951 she started publishing her writings in the scout magazine "Svistok" (Munich), from 1964 - in the newspapers "Novoe Russkoe Slovo" (New York) and "Russkaia zhizn'" (San Francisco), in the magazine "Rodnye dali" (Los Angeles), and then in the "Kaliforniiskii vestnik." With the closing of the latter, published her works exclusively in the "Russkaia zhizn'", mainly it was publications in the column titled "Po belu svetu," she also gathered materials for the section newspaper's section "Dela minuvshikh dnei." In 2000, she published a book of her memoirs about the life of displaced people "Chto sokhranila pamiat'". She retired in 1991. In 2001, became editor-in-chief of the quarterly scout magazine "Opyt." After passing her exam in Washington, D.C., became an interpreter for seminars and groups coming from the former Soviet Union. (source: https://interpretive.ru/termin/aristova-asta-aleksandrovna.html)

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is located on-site.

Terms of access:

Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Asta Aristova Papers; Box and Folder (if known); Bakhmeteff Archive, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Libraries.

Location of this collection:
6th Floor East Butler Library
535 West 114th Street
New York, NY 10027, USA
Before you visit:
Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.
Contact:
rbml@library.columbia.edu