Author: Hettie D.

My name is Henrietta (Hettie) Dombrovskaya. I was born in Saint-Petersburg, Russian (actually, back then – Leningrad, USSR) in 1963, and immigrated to the United States in 1996. I love Saint Petersburg, the city I was born and raised in, and I think it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. Similarly (but differently) I love Chicago, and can’t imagine myself moving somewhere else in the observable future. I have three children, Igor, Vlad and Anna, all adults living on their own, and one (so far) granddaughter Nadia. I also believe that my children are the best thing that happened in my life. As for my professional life, I am working in the field of Information Technologies. When I was twenty, I’ve declared that the databases are the coolest thing invented and that I want to do them for the rest of my life. Thirty plus years later, I still believe it’s true, and still, believe that the databases are the best. These two statements together imply that I think a person can have it all, and indeed, I think so! Keep reading my journals to find out how I did it.

MCA

I almost never make it to the Museum of Contemporary Art, and it’s hard to tell why – there are other museums which are not close to my office, and harder to get to. If anything, the MCA is between my work and my home, and not far from the Chicago Red Line stop. And, because I tend to consume too much information about what’s going on in the city, I learned that they have free admission on Tuesday evenings for all Illinois residents, so I decided to check it out (sort of “getting out of a familiar routine”). I went there on Tuesday when I had a midday doctor appointment, and worked from home, which is also not my typical way of going to the museums.

From Firelei Báez exhibition:

City in a Garden: Queer Art and Activism in Chicago Exhibit:

And I didn’t know these facts about the Montrose Harbor:

I was slightly disappointed that the permanent collection is not on view, and overall, there are fewer things on view than I expected. I am going to hold off getting one more membership: now that I know it’s not so difficult to get there (and it a purely physological thing that I flelt this museum was not on my way), I am happy to see all new exhibits during these free Tuesday evenings.

Other Weekend Activities

As I’ve mentioned many times, I love it when Lena visits me because we like the same things, and I can have a perfect weekend with her, engaging in all my favorite activities.

I always try to make her feel a little bit “on holiday” when she visits me, and she does the same when I visit her. That said, I cooked her favorite dishes, made tiramisu, and showed her some hidden treasures in Rogers Park. She also went on early morning walks and explored the neighborhood (as seen in the pictures below)

We talked for hours. We didn’t solve all world’s problems, but we definitely registered consensus over them:). Also, with Lena’s blessings, I aquired one more orchid:

Orchids 2026. Part 2

You might not believe it, but Lena and I agreed that this year, there were fewer orchids on display, and fewer interesting compositions. Still, there was a lot to see!

A couple of pictures of us (myself, my mom, and Lena).

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Orchids 2026. Part 1

I always find it difficult to put all the Orchid Show pictures in one post. It always feels overwhelming, although I am sure most of my readers will just glance through them. Still, I am trying to share the beauty.

This year’s theme of the Orchid Show was the 70s – mostly the music, but also the culture and aesthetics in general.

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More Pictures From The Rally

(from the Instagram of my favorite Chicago photographer)

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Lena is on the second photo (and I am not, although I was right by her).

About The Radio And Being In Direct Reach

I just think that people in the US can’t really understand the concerns of the European nations regarding potential Russian aggression. Yes, there was a Cold War. Yes, there was “duck and cover,” building bomb shelters, and such. But the US never experienced an actual Russian aggression, so all these scares were and still are very abstract.

I thought about that when Boris showed me his recent purchase last week. It was more like a joke for him, but the backstory is worth mentioning.

This is a Philips radio, which also has a large flashlight and a built-in siren. It can be charged from a wall outlet or a USB port, but it also has a built-in solar battery and, as a last resort, a rotating handle that you can turn to generate some electricity by hand. And in addition, it can be used to charge other devices via USB.

Overall, it can be viewed as a perfect “rescue me if I am lost in the woods while hiking” device, except for one small thing. The first time this radio appeared in a store was when the Finnish government was seriously preparing for potential Russian aggression and asked all citizens to have a three-day food and water supply, and to note the location of their nearest bomb shelter.

Half of Europe experienced direct Russian aggression over the last hundred years. Many cities were shelled and partially or almost completely ruined. Many countries lost big chunks of their territory. It’s very real and very close. It’s in people’s memories. And I don’t know how to get it into my countrymen’s heads that it’s not OK.

Support Ukraine Rally

This weekend, my best friend Lena from Ann Arbor came for her annual “Orchid Show visit.” Now, this visit has another, somber meaning. Although the show runs from the beginning of February to the end of March, we try to plan Lena’s visit so we can attend the rally in support of Ukraine, marking the dark anniversary of the full-scale invasion.

Igor was there before us, in a better position and with a better camera, so the pictures are mostly his. Also, I will come back to this post to fill in the names of the speakers, because I am not 100% sure of most of them.

One thing I noticed is that over these four years, everyone learned to say “Slava Ukraine!” without an accent. And the Lithuanian Consul General gave the entire introductory part in Ukrainian, which caused uproar from the crowd. As always, I was happy to see Dick Durbin, a great supporter of Ukraine (and I learned that his ancestors were from Lithuania!)

Pre-rally: Senator Durbin talking to the Iranian activists

The rally started with the USA and Ukrainian Anthems.

Senator Durbin took the stage and told the crowd that there is support for Ukraine on both sides of the aisle, and that he will keep fighting.

‘The only fight we can’t win is the one we do not fight!”

Consul General of Lithuania Reginmantas Jablonskas

It was cold, but we stayed there for an hour and a half, and the whole time I was thinking about our visit to Vilnius in March 2022 and how there were Ukrainian refugees everywhere. We could not imagine back then how long the full-scale war would last, and we hoped for a quick victory for Ukraine. I know that we need to focus on our fight at home, because our victory at home will benefit the rest of the world, but I still feel that I am not doing enough to support Ukraine. Not talking enough about the war, and letting people to forget.

Last week, Boris asked me whether people around me know how often Kyiv is shelled. I told him: oh, I know! And he asked, “What about the others around you?” Again, I understand that out atmost focus is here and now, but still…

How Low ICE Can Go

ICE arresting Native Americans – I don’t know how much lower they could possibly go!

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Mäkelä Conducts Sibelius

On Thursday, I was at the CSO again, and it was another exceptional program. I am still in the process of familiarising myself with our new future Musical Director, but I am getting to know his style more and more.

During the first part of the Thursday concert, Mäkelä was conducting Sibelius’ Lemminkäinen, and the program book was full of the Helsinki pictures, so I overloaded my neighbor with extra information about the Sibelius Monument, Kelevala, kantele, Larin Paraske, and Akseli Gallen-Kallela (his Lemminkäinen’s Mother was in the program book). In short, lots of unsolicited information :). I think she barely survived :).

Mäkelä was fantastic (and also, as I said, I am slowly “growing into him.” I can’t find a recording of Mäkelä conducting Lemminkäinen, so here is the only one I found. I am sure I will have more opportunities to listen to Mäkelä conducting in the years to come, and hopefully I will be able to share more videos.

Prairie Postgres February Meetup

Knock on wood, but for the longest time now, each meetup is a success. I can’t recall when was the last time we had a meetup with poor attendance. Once again, there was a great presenter, tons of questions, my favorite “active crowd,” and long conversations after the talk.

The thing I like the most is that attendees collaborate and interact between the meetups, without me:). I know that they come not only because I am an influencer, and not only because we have pizza, but also because they value their interactions. Yesterday, two PUG members asked me whether I wanted to know about the project they started together. I replied with an enthusiastic YES, and they told me about something really awesome they built as a follow-up to some of our “after-sessions” discussions. I love it!