On February 29, Lidija Gorbunova, the wife of Anatolija Gorbunova (from May 4, 1990 to July 6, 1993), the Speaker of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia, passed away, according to the record “Timenote.lv”.
Born in 1944 in Nizhny Novgorod in a family of repressed people as the granddaughter of a Latvian archer. A wonderful cook, fluent in Estonian. Met her husband Anatoly Gorbunov at the age of 14.
Lidija Gorbunova the family comes from Zemgale – Iecava. Studied radio technician at the Riga Polytechnic Institute, but stopped his studies because of his family. With Grazin Landsbergieni and Ingrid Rietel carried the burden of the diplomatic protocol of the years of the restoration of Latvia’s independence.
****
Lidija Gorbunova’s daughter-in-law Inga Gorbunova writes: “I couldn’t bring myself to write for quite a long time. But today, when it’s the first Easter without her pies, stuffed eggs, roast, that special mashed potatoes that only she knew how to make, and multi-star Metaxa in polished crystal glasses, I feel , that I have to say it.
A month ago, a woman died who was like a second mother to me for the last thirty (because we met so long ago) years. My youngest son Oma Lydia. I think today that my mother has never spoiled me like she did all these years.
Lydia was such a soul of the family. Outwardly quiet and always in the background, but in reality – with a terrible convulsion. No lily of the valley. Neat Mistress with character, always with an opinion that a connoisseur could not miss, even if she kept it to herself. She read a lot. Everything – newspapers, magazines, books. Many, many books, I just can’t deliver. She especially liked detectives. And she loved dogs very much.
A great cook. Maybe that’s why I only know how to cook this and that well, because there was always a fridge full of Lidia’s dishes at home. On Sundays, we had lunch together and then it was always prepared so that my grandson (and me too, “you just work all the time”) would have something to eat until the following Sunday. Lydia’s love language was food. And she loved her grandson so much that her love warmed me too. It is often the case that you don’t get lucky with your in-laws, as they did with me.
And now I’m actually confused. From the fact that nothing is the same anymore. Some very important stage in life has ended. As it happens when loved ones leave. We didn’t dye eggs at home today. Somehow it didn’t get painted, because Oma always did that. Onion skins with all those little flowers and herbs, you know. As in the old days, traditionally. I think that coloring of eggs is now completely over. But in the morning I baked thin pancakes and I think she taught me that too.
The day before she died, Lydia called me. Survived that she messed up the date of my birthday by one day, normally she never did that. We talked long and wide about everything. We agreed that I would take something to read during the holidays. I woke up the next morning and thought I should call her and tell her how grateful I am for the warmth I always receive from her. But she was already dead then.
But, you know what? I truly believe that our loved ones and important people do not leave us. As long as we don’t forget them, they are here. We just can’t meet anymore”.
