Vanya and Dasha Pazetti. Belarusian orphans adopted by Italians are looking for relatives

When Ivan was 6 years old, and his sister Dasha was one year younger, the spouses Maura and Luca Pazetti took them from the Velikolyetchansky orphanage into their family. Today, these children with typical Slavic names bear an Italian surname, live in the town of Bergamo, and speak a foreign language. The Italian life of these two Belarusians is going quite well; they are surrounded by a loving father and mother. You wouldn't guess from the smiling and sociable teenagers that they once had to experience loneliness and a feeling of abandonment, which social orphans often feel.

And yet, after 10 years, they wanted to visit their homeland, see the house where they were born, and also visit the boarding school from which they went to a faraway country. Their parents supported them, arriving in the Vitebsk region together with them. During their visit to the Velikolyetchansky orphanage, a correspondent for "VV" managed to talk with this family.

As Maura and Luca admitted, they couldn't have their own children, and they didn't want to resort to medical measures. Therefore, adoption was a well-considered and deliberate decision for the couple. They submitted an inquiry and, in response, were offered to raise a brother and sister from Belarus. In February 2004, the foreigners came to the village of Bolshie Lettsy to meet the children and returned a month later with the decision to take them into their family.

– We prepared a lot for this event, – says Maura. – We learned many Russian words, although later it was no longer needed – the children mastered Italian faster than we learned their language. Of course, at first, we had some concerns – we worried that there would be no connection with Ivan and Daria, or perhaps they would feel unwell in our family. As parents, we were afraid of not living up to expectations, of not coping with this responsible role.

Since the adoption, Maura has become a homemaker to dedicate herself to raising her son and daughter. The children have grown up, and now they have many friends and hobbies. For example, 16-year-old Vanya studies computer design, plays football diligently, and dreams of becoming a famous athlete like Mario Balotelli, an orphan who was also taken in by an Italian family at one time. Dasha is interested in the profession of a cosmetologist and attends special courses. The Pazetti family also has a favorite pastime – cooking authentic Italian pizza.

And yet, although the children have long since integrated into their new life and have practically forgotten the Russian language, they try not to forget their roots. The most touching moment of their trip to Belarus was discovering, upon arriving in their native village, the existence of a half-brother and half-sister who are now adults and independent. Upon returning to Italy, the younger Pazettis intend to maintain contact with their newly found relatives. Daria has expressed a desire to refresh her knowledge of the Russian language and is even considering returning to Belarus after finishing her studies to live there for some time, to better understand the land where she and her brother come from.

No less touching was their visit to the Velikoletchansky orphanage.

“As my brother and I walked through the corridors and rooms where we once lived, fragments of our childhood came back to memory. We even recognized our caregivers, and they recognized us, which is doubly pleasant,” Dasha shares her impressions.

The visit of the Pazetti family coincided with an event within the framework of the ongoing campaign "A Family for Every Child," which took place at the boarding school under the auspices of the Vitebsk regional organization of the Belarusian Women's Union. Many mothers, foster parents, guardians, and heads of family-type orphanages gathered here to share their parenting experiences and discuss pressing issues. Today, more and more of our compatriots are willing to give warmth and care to children abandoned by their biological parents.

For instance, in the Vitebsk district, there are currently 50 guardianship families raising 66 children, 22 foster families (49 children), and 33 children are growing up in 3 family-type orphanages.

However, there are still children who hope to find a family. The Velikolechanskoye orphanage has 110 wards, of whom only three are not social orphans; sadly, most are alone despite having living parents. But it is already known that very soon 5 children will find new mothers and fathers, and in total, it is expected that around 20 children will be placed in families this year. This will allow for the closure of two kindergarten groups at the boarding institution.

Despite how well the educators care for their charges, every child dreams of their own family. And in the district, efforts are being made to make this dream a reality.

Natalia Ryzhkova, "Vitebskiye Vesti"