They didn't want her to leave the country because she was so small and didn't talk. 19 pounds. Wore a size 18 months. She was not a good example of Russian-ness you see.
We had to fly out at the last minute when the orphanage director was on vacation, because the humanitarian group we were working with was afraid the director would stop us from taking her when we got there.
Word was the Russians were going to send her to a mental home where they drug the kids and tie them to the beds. I have the video where the doc talks about all the horrid things that were supposedly wrong with her. We had to fight tooth and nail to get them to let us adopt her.
She is now an awesome 14 yo, bright, speaks perfect English, and well-liked by everyone. The staff I work with think she is beautiful and so do I. :-)
Oh and she gets along with her brother, adopted from Georgia, just fine.
This Half Jewish Russian -Ukrainian orthodox girl I know had to come her with her family because the Russian Mob warned her Jewish father to leave in 91’ because his little business was to successful for the locals. They couldn’t have a JEW showing everyone in the town that he was doing better than everyone else who drank , gambled, fought and thugged their way through life.