Still, it's very instructive to see that, even today, your relatives still deal in the ancient ''conspiracies'', or whatever these might be called.
Unfortunately, the only time I've ever visited Russia was in 1971, cultural exchange programme, all that garbage, and was stuck in Leningrad at the university for most of it. Got to see Kiev for ONE lousy day (mutter, grr)
It was all part of the kingdom of Poland at one time, mostly slavic tribes. The history is a very long and complicated one.
It's too bad you never got to spend time in Keiv. Standing by the old city gates is where alot of the early history of all Europe past through. It's where I get my blue eyes and blond hair from.