Background
Irina Ratushinskaya was born in Odessa, Ukraine. Her father was Boris Leonidovich, an engineer, and her mother was Irina Valentinovna Ratushinsky, a teacher of Russian literature. She has one sister.
Her mother's family originated from Poland, and her grandfather was deported to Siberia shortly after the January Uprising, a Polish uprising against forced conscription in the Russian Army in 1863.
Irina was educated at Odessa University and was graduated with a Master's Degree in physics in 1976. Before her graduation she taught at a primary school in Odessa from 1975-78. She was poet in residence at Northwestern University.
She lives in Moscow with her husband, human rights activist Igor Gerashchenko, and two sons.
Read more about this topic: Irina Ratushinskaya
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