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note from Dunia McMaster
Constantine Petrovich Yulutekov ( changed to Peters) b c 1820 in the Crimea, Yalta (now Ukraine) Russia here is a short extract from his diary which my father, Aubrey, his grandson had inherited, it is now nearly 130 years old. I had it scanned and keep it on my laptop so keeping the diary safe as it is now starting to fade.
This was a letter written to his father, who was still in Russia. He it translated into english and kept it in a form of a diary.
My Dear Father and Relations
That you should know it is I, Constantine Petrovich Yulutekkov, who is writing to you, I will tell you my history, some of which you know already.
I was born in the Crimea, Yalta a little village of Haluchta belonging to a Dutchman named Harrent. My father's name is Petro Yulutekov, my eldest brother's name is Diersmidoschka amd my sister is Dunia. My youngest brother is Daniel and my mother is Paraskoia.
In the time of the Emperor Nicolas, father refused to serve Herrent and as punishment was made a soldier.
He then goes on to explain the hardship his family went through, the death of his elder at the age of 12. Then his mother and sister going away and he having to go into slavery. then his mother coming back gettin ill, then dying and his sister going away with a Lady and he then going away to be a soldier to try and find his father. He landed up in Balaklava, met an English man. Joined the English Regiment as a drummer boy. Went to Constantinople, Ireland, India, where he was very sick so they collected money for him and went to London then found his way to South Africa on the Jane Simmons and landed in Port Elizabeth.........................
When he wrote this letter he had four children, the last was born the next year. She was my grandmother Dunia Constance (Connie), named after his sister Dunia in Russia. My dad was born to Connie and George Jacobus Janse van Rensburg in 1926. I was born in 1951 to Aubrey George and Marjorie (Witten) van rensburg, and they named me after both of them
Dunia