Who is Slava? The father of our Russian family is called Slava. Slava works hard. He works most days at a men’s clothing retailer and often works 24-hr shifts at the American Christian school as a security guard. We really haven’t been able to figure out when he sleeps. When he’s home he is kind, fun, and always smiling. Usually he arrives hungry sometime after everyone else has already had dinner. When the kids are doing their homework in the other room, I’ll often sit with Slava in the kitchen drinking tea, eating an omelet, and listening to him tell stories. Where’s he from? Before moving to Moscow, Slava and Sveta lived in Baku, Azerbaijan. They have fond memories of warm weather, watermelon, friendly neighbors, and trips to the sea. Slava served in the Soviet army before the fall of communism. He was trained as a radio operator and was about to be sent to the war in Afghanistan when the government began unraveling. He moved to Moscow and joined a friend...