Tamara Nikolayevska, Retired Professor, Dead at 85

The following is courtesy of John Everett & Sons Funeral Home.

Tamara V. (Shvetsova) Nikolayevska, age 85, a retired Professor of Russian Language Studies, died suddenly early Tuesday morning, September 18, at her Natick home. She was the beloved wife of the late Leonid V. Nikolayevskiy.

Born in Kuray, Siberia, Russia, she was a daughter of the late Vassili Shvetsov and Elizaveta I. (Ozhogina) Shvetsova. Tamara was raised and educated in Insar, Mordovia, and continued her education at Moscow State University where she earned a Master’s Degree in Russian Linguistics in 1949.

Tamara married Leonid in 1950, and the couple made their home in his native town of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine. She was employed that same year with the Dnipropetrovsk National University where she was to enjoy teaching about the Russian language for the next 32 years. She specialized in ethno-linguistics and the variations of the language, ie. Bulgarian, Russian and Orthodox Russian. Tamara never tired of her chosen subject and was a lady who was perfectly suited to her career.

After Leonid’s death in 1983, Tamara maintained their home and was very involved in the care of her grandchildren. She did much to foster their educations and at young ages her efforts shown through in their language skills and sociability. In July of 2001, Tamara left the Ukraine and her beloved homeland of Russia behind, immigrating to Natick to be with her daughter and become a part of her youngest grandchild’s life. She grew to love the town and spent many happy days visiting with friends and a daily swim at the Zdorovie Adult Day Health Center in Natick.

She is survived by her three daughters, Nina Nikolayevska of Dnipropetrovsk, Olga Nikolayevska of Kerch, Ukraine, and Elena Lebedev of Natick; and three grandchildren, Leonid Shevtsov and wife Lesya of Dnipropetrovsk, who are expecting Leonid and Tamara’s first great-grandchild later this month, Nadya Kurazh and husband Alexander of Kerch, and Peter Lebedev of Natick. She was also the sister of the late Rita Shvetsova.

Her funeral will be held in the John Everett & Sons Funeral Home, route: {:controller=>"listings", :action=>"show", :id=>"john-everett-sons-funeral-home"} --> on Monday, September 24th at noon. Father Anthony Perkins, Pastor of Saint Michael Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Woonsocket, RI, will officiate. Burial will follow at