About this talk

Trees will not grow without roots. Not a single person on earth could exist today without their ancestors - their personal roots. Usually people have knowledge of only 2-3 generations and these stories are told to their children.

It is wonderful to have absolute documentary confirmation of your family's origins. This would be your family heritage and will give future generations this knowledge forever. Ancestors will be honored and revered.

It is so exciting to know how your great-great-grandfather was named, but are you ready to find out that in fact he was married twice, and he was also prosecuted? Or to find out that the real names of your great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers were nothing like the ones you knew? What a shock!

Our service helps clients not only to find the names of their ancestors, but also how they lived in the old days. During the presentation of this project, Vasily and Sonya will show how this all comes TOGETHER.

About Sonya and Vasily

Sonya Shaipak joined The Together Plan first as a volunteer at first and now she is the Heritage Coordinator for the charity. Recently Sonya created two audio tours of cities in Belarus and has been helping to build a database of the country's Jewish historical heritage. She also coordinates Jewish heritage clubs in Minsk, Gomel and Polotsk, promoting Jewish culture among the local population.

Vasily Zaitsau, who has spent a number of years working at an international banking group, managing financial projects, once understood that money and businesses that are so valued in our modern life, really don't matter. At the same time, he took part in a couple of local Red Cross fundraising projects for children hospices. As a result, he concluded that the only real value in this world is people - around you and all over the globe. As a project manager, Vasily implements his skills in the Archive Service of The Together Plan, helping people to find their roots and identify ancestors.