An Adoption Story is an online series where we follow the lives of adoptees' with their journeys. Sitting down with Russian-New Zealand adoptee, Alex Gilbert to give an insight to their lives that may come with challenges along the way.
CreatorAlex Gilbert
Alexei Zarya
Nov 23, 2022
Alexei was born in Ukraine but moved to Pskov, Russia at an early age. He was then adopted at the age of eight to New Zealand. Throughout his life he has learnt that staying positive helps him when times get difficult, living with Eisenmenger Syndrome.
Viktoria Rundle
Dec 3, 2022
Viktoria was born in the North of Russia, in a city called Severodvinsk. She was adopted at the age five by her New Zealand parents who also adopted another child from the neighbourhood city Arkhangelsk.
Anya Gibson
Dec 16, 2022
Anya Gibson, lives in the far south of New Zealand. She was adopted at the age of four from a regional orphanage inside of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Prior to her adoption, she was looked after by her grandmother.
Alex Kuch
Jan 12, 2023
Romanian adoptee Alex Kuch was adopted from Cluj-Napoca, Romania at the age of two by his German parents. His family then moved to New Zealand in 2006. Alex shares his journey of his reconnections with Romania and his birth family.
Vanya Syron
Jan 25, 2023
Vanya was adopted from an orphanage in Arkhangelsk, Russia in the late 1990s by his New Zealand parents. With information that his parents held onto about his birth family, he managed to get a letter through to his Birth Mother in 2010.
Alexei D'Ath
Feb 15, 2023
Alexei D'Ath was adopted from an orphanage in Pechory, Russia by his New Zealand parents. Born with spina bifida, Alexei shares his gratitude to his parents who saved his life.
Katya Reach
Mar 23, 2023
Katya Reach was adopted from an orphanage in Donetsk, Ukraine at the age of four years old by her American parents.
Zachary-Victor
Apr 8, 2023
Russian-American adoptee Zachary-Victor was adopted at the age of 8 months from Krasnodar, Russia. He was raised in Long Island to Brooklyn to pursue a career in music.
Nina
Apr 22, 2023
Nina was born from a small village called Bolshaya Vruda which is located just below Saint Petersburg in Russia. She was adopted at the age of three and a half years old by her American parents who then raised her in Rochester, New York.
Iván
Jun 19, 2023
Iván was adopted at the age of 13 months from Moscow, Russia by his Spanish parents. He was raised on the north coast of Spain. He had always known that he had birth family in Russia but later on he found out about having links in Armenia.
Marina
Jul 10, 2023
Marina was born in Staryi Krym, Crimea to then being adopted out from an orphanage in Simferopol by her Italian parents. With her life in Italy, she has grown up learning more about her roots within Crimea.
Felicita
Aug 7, 2023
Felicita was born in the city of Odesa, Ukraine to then being adopted at the age of 7 months by her Italian parents. She was raised in the small village town of Ascea. She shares her journey and story.
