Farewell to Russia: A Conversation on Adoption, Memory, & Healing

  • Wednesday, November 18, 2026
  • 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
  •  November 18, 2026
     6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

In honor of National Adoption Awareness Month, we’re hosting a powerful conversation with the author and translators of Farewell to Russia: Memories of When I Was Kola.

This memoir follows the author, Nikolai Prestia, as he navigates growing up in 1990s Russia. He examines his early relationships with birth family, the child welfare system, and eventually, finding permanency through adoption. The book centers themes of loss, memory, resilience, and healing, and gives us a unique perspective to deepen our understanding of the diversity of experiences in the adoption constellation.

In this panel discussion, we will hear from the Nikolai as well as the mother-daughter duo who translated the book: adoptive parent, Teresa Fiore and her daughter Daniela Chaudhary Fiore, who is from Colombia and joined her family through adoption. We look forward to welcoming them back to speak to the book’s impact on their lives, as well as their personal experiences with adoption.

Please register below to claim your free ticket to this event. We look forward to having you join us!

Venue:  

Address:
120 East 16th Street, Floor 11, New York, New York, 10003, United States

Details Price Qty
Free Ticketshow details + $0.00 USD  

Save the date Farewell to Russia

About Spence-Chapin

Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children is a non-profit organization with over a century of expertise in adoption and support services. We are dedicated to ensuring every child finds a loving family and creating a world where adoption is celebrated and every family is supported.

We provide a full range of adoption services, including domestic, international, and special needs adoptions, along with comprehensive post-adoption support. Our programs serve the entire adoption triad, offering community support, counseling, and resources for birth parents, adoptive families, and adoptees.

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Thank you for your interest in adopting through Spence-Chapin! We are able to share the profiles of children who are considered to be the most in need and are waiting internationally to be matched with an adoptive family. The children featured on this page have been waiting for the longest to find families and consist of children who are older, part of a sibling group, or children with a diagnosed medical condition. In order to respect the privacy of these children, this page has been password protected.

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3. The confidentiality obligation shall continue indefinitely, including at all times after my association with Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children.

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7. Thank you for your interest in providing a loving home for a waiting child! We look forward to connecting with you soon to continue discussing adoption paths at Spence-Chapin. We hope that you like us on Facebook, follow us on twitter, and keep up with our families through our adoption blog!

Warm regards,
The Adoption Team at Spence-Chapin

Phone: 212-400-8150
Email: [email protected]

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