"THIS girl will marry in a land situated far away from here" these were the words that an old soothsayer said to Nina Ivanovna's mother more than 50 years ago.

At this time Nina was a nine year-old-child always using a long thread for embroidering which was the reason for the prediction. Nine years later the same beautiful Russian girl met a charming youth and took the train to Bulgaria, his native country. Her native Magnitogorsk and the imposing Ural mountains were left in oblivion forever. Nina had no idea where she was going and no concept of her future life. All she knew about Bulgaria was that it had fertile land. But the 18-year-old lass was in love and this was the most important thing. That was how the life story of a present attentive grandmother unfolds.

Arriving at the Central Railway Station in Sofia Nina asked her husband if they were going to change the train because Bulgaria's largest city did not seem big enough for her to be a European capital. "It was a dark and cold winter evening and everything seemed ominous like in a nightmare," Ivanovna remembers. Then, in distant February 1963, she began to wonder how she would live in Pazardzhik, her husband's small native town.

It appeared everything was very different to Magnitogorsk, a relatively modern city built in 1929. It made an impression on Nina that they sold bread, nails, and sausages at one shop. But soon she met so many warm and bright people that she felt she could call this country her home. This made her forget about all the seemingly "strange things and habits" and started putting her life in order. Nina still thinks Bulgarians are the friendliest people she has ever met.

After several months, she and her husband moved to live in Sofia and she started working at the computing centre in Kremikovtzi, then the biggest metallurgical factory in the Balkans. There Nina met many new friends that helped her get used to the job and learning the language. "One of my colleagues always corrected me when I was making mistakes in Bulgarian. One day she got confused and started explaining something in Russian to a mechanic who came in our office. It was great fun," Nina remembers with a smile. She still does not speak Bulgarian perfectly and explains it is because it is very similar to Russian and you can understand almost everything even without learning. Moreover, during the forty-five years of communist rule, Russian classes were obligatory for all students. Nina insists on mention that it was different in other communist countries. She visited former Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland but people she met there were not so friendly and did not want to communicate in Russian despite knowing the language. Nina still thinks Bulgarians are the friendliest people she has ever met, not only because they helped her while she was new in the country, but also because they know to appreciate the value of the smaller things in life. She explains with sadness that nowadays poverty has led many Bulgarians to feel anxious and uncertain but they are still "wonderful nation".

One of her most precious memories is connected with the first Bulgarian wedding she visited soon after her arrival. Never before she had seen such gaiety in the open air among the picturesque nature. At this event she learned to dance "pravo horo"- a traditional Bulgarian dance where people hold hands and play together. Nina thinks this dance unites people and explains this was the first time she felt really happy in Bulgaria. Soon she had another important reason for joy and celebrating, because she gave birth to her first child, a beautiful daughter that became Nina's pride and joy.

Some years later, she started working in ? big publishing house and had the chance to take many business trips around the country. She visited small villages and big cities and become very familiar with Bulgarian nature and habits. Ivanovna fell in love with the Black sea coast which she finds "indescribable beautiful and inspiriting". What Nina thinks should be resurrected is the vibrant agricultural economy that existed in the period that she was actively travelling. "I miss the trim wheat fields and colourful fruit and vegetables gardens - this is what I call a splendid view," she shared.

Nina describes herself as a happy person. "I have been a spoilt child, loved wife and respected grandmother. I found happiness here in Bulgaria and lived a sterling life. What more can I ask from life?" the 60-year-old lady said.



- Penka Angelova contributed to this report.