Helen Yelena Fabianovna Hmelnicki

Helen (Yelena Fabianovna) Hmelnicki died peacefully on 19 July 2017 at the home of her daughter in Johnson City, TN, surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Kaunas, Lithuania, on 8 February 1922, the daughter of Fabian Konstantinovich Lapin and Xenia Aleksandrovna Kannenberg. Helen received her early education in parochial schools in Kaunas, and upon graduation, matriculated as a medical student at a university there. Forced to abandon her studies with the start of World War II, she spent the war years in Europe. In 1948, she married Semeon Sergeyevich Srebrianski, and together they spent several years in displaced persons camps in the American sector of Germany while awaiting permission to emigrate to the United States. Her daughter, Xenia (Kisa), was born in Germany prior to the family?s move to the U.S. in 1950. After working on a farm in Ohio for the family who had sponsored them, and then on a chicken farm in New Jersey, the family moved to New York City, where daughter Tatiana (Tania) was born. Like many in the ?migr? community, Helen had many careers as she worked assiduously to create the American dream for her family: hat maker, dressmaker and seamstress, nurse in a medical office, bookkeeper at Tolstoy Foundation and a florist concern, and a building manager and landlord. After the death of her first husband in 1967, Helen married Alexander ?Sasha' Hmelnicki in 1972. They spent several years in Florida, but finding it dull, returned to New York City, where they resumed their tradition of dancing at the Rainbow Room and hosting their children and grandchildren for Christmas and Easter holidays. In 1986 they retired to Johnson City. Helen was known for her creativity and skill in the fiber arts, and it gave her great happiness to know that pieces she had created were in the homes of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She read voraciously in five languages, loved gardening, the outdoors, and roasting in the sun at the beach. Helen was a gracious and elegant hostess and an excellent cook, famous for her chocolate and lemon cakes, piroshki, borshcht, sup s klyotskami, okroshka, kolduny, alatki and out-of-this-world mashed potatoes. Affectionately known as ?Babi', Helen loved life fiercely. She especially and with great patriotism appreciated and loved her adopted country, where she spent 67 of her 95 years. Helen was cherished by her family, who admired her for her fearlessness, kindness, tenaciousness, optimism, sense of humor and indomitable spirit. In turn, she was devoted to the family. She is survived by two daughters and their spouses: Xenia Semeonovna Srebrianski Harwell and Rolly Harwell of Johnson City, TN, and Highland Falls, NY, and Tatiana Semeonovna Radziewicz and John Radziewicz of Boston, MA. She is also survived by three grandsons, one granddaughter, and seven great-grandchildren: grandson Andrei Simon Srebrianski Harwell of New Haven, CT, and his three sons Carson, Raleigh and Simon; granddaughter Sofia Elena Srebrianski Harwell and her husband Andrew Collins of Toronto, ON, Canada, and their daughter Helena; grandson James Radziewicz and his wife Margaux of Marlow, NH, and their children Juniper and Julian; and grandson Thomas Radziewicz and his wife Cassie of Salem MA, and their daughter Dalilah. Her sister Irene Kovats of Orlando, FL, also survives Helen. A brother, Konstantin Lapin, of M?lheim an der Ruhr, Germany predeceased her in 1998. She was grateful to Rick LaRue for providing help at a crucial moment. Helen also leaves behind a special friend and neighbor, Jack Branscomb. Helen?s funeral will take place on 28 July 2017 at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Seraphim, Holy Dormition Convent Novo-Diveevo in Nanuet, New York, with interment at the Novo-Diveevo Russian Orthodox Cemetery.