"How much did he love her to get on an Aeroflot propeller plane in a snowstorm (with the plane's heat not working), flying over six hours from Kiev to Novosibirsk (transferring at Omsk)? "I arrived absolutely frozen and exhausted, took a taxi to her apartment, where her mom took one look at me, pushed me into a hot shower and poured me a large cognac.""
"That same determination sparked his family's emigration to San Francisco in 1989, and his successful reinvention as a lighting craftsman, a master fixture restorer and designer. His 1977 marriage to his "chosen one'' has tempered like steel, their bond strengthened through migration, raising a family, starting two businesses, suffering a stroke during COVID-19 stress, and now tariff worries. Walking into his shop/atelier, Yury's Lights & Beyond on Divisadero Street, is to step into a glowing crystal forest:"
"All available wall space is jammed with shelves holding lighting hardware, shades, and bulbs. His workshop, a daunting jumble of wires, bulbs, switches and tools, finials and fixtures, is in the back. The store is crammed and cozy at the same time, seemingly in chaos but one that makes sense to Yury, who threads his way through the clutter in cardigans and Uggs. (" I hate to be cold.")"
Yury met Liya, an 18-year-old from Novosibirsk, in 1977 and fell in love instantly. He tracked her down, flew over six hours in a freezing Aeroflot propeller plane, and was cared for by her mother on arrival. That determination led his family to emigrate to San Francisco in 1989 and to his reinvention as a master lighting craftsman and fixture restorer. His 1977 marriage endured migration, family-building, two businesses, a stroke during COVID-19 stress, and current tariff concerns. His shop, Yury's Lights & Beyond, is densely packed with chandeliers, lamps, hardware and a busy workshop in the back.
Read at Mission Local
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]