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Shlakis (Zoya) Collection
OCH.ZSC
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: Zoya Shlakis Collection
Creator:
Shlakis, Zoya, 1927-2010
Identifier/Call Number: OCH.ZSC
Extent:
54.94 linear feet
Date (inclusive): circa
1902-2009
Date (bulk): 1930-1949
Abstract: Zoya Shlakis was born in Mukden, China
in 1927, to Stayses and Alexandra Shlakis. Her father was of Lithuanian descent and her
mother a White Russian. The Shlakis family fled Russia for China, eventually settling in
Shanghai in 1936. In 1948, as Communist forces advanced across China, the Shlakis family
relocated to Taipei, Taiwan. In Taipei, Zoya acquired a visa under the 1948 Displaced
Persons Act, which allowed her legal entry into the U.S. The collection consists of records
documenting Zoya's life in Shanghai (ca. 1930s-1940s), correspondence with friends and
family, numerous Old China Hands activities, and photographs documenting the Shlakis family
from the early days in Mukden in the 1920s until 2008.
Language of Material: English,
Chinese,
Russian
Zoya Shlakis was born in Mukden, China in 1927 to Stayses and Alexandra Shlakis. Her father
was Lithuanian and her mother a White Russian. Due to the revolution and social unrest in
Russia, the Shlakis family fled Russia for China. After Stayses managed to secure a position
as a mechanic with the Chinese Postal Service, the Shlakis family moved from Mukden to
Nanjing and eventually to Shanghai in 1936. Their lifestyle in Shanghai was by some
standards unusual since, due to Stayses's job, they were given a residence inside the
General Post Office of Shanghai with fully furnished quarters, servants, and access to the
rooftop garden. During her time in Shanghai, Zoya was enrolled at Public and Thomas Hanbury
School for Girls, participated in theater at the local British Lyceum, and joined the Army
& Navy YMCA.
Due to deteriorating conditions in Shanghai following the Second World War, the Shlakis
family fled to Taipei, Taiwan in December of 1948. In Taipei, Zoya acquired a visa under the
1948 Displaced Persons Act, which allowed her legal entry into the U.S. After Zoya secured
travel documents for her parents, they joined her in the United States and lived with her
for the remainder of their lives in Los Angeles, California.
Zoya remained very active in the Old China Hands community, keeping in touch with old
friends, and helping organize and maintain records for the numerous Old China Hands reunions
and activities over the years. Her many trips back to Shanghai document the rapid changes
taking place in China's stride for modernity as well as the contrast between pre- and
post-Nationalist rule. Her collection offers unique perspectives on significant events of
the 20th century, including the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, living in pre-WWII Shanghai
as immigrants, life under Japanese occupation, and post-war society until the rise of the
Mao Zedong's communist state.
The
Zoya Shlakis Collection consists mainly of original
documents, photographs, correspondence, and ephemera relating to Zoya Shlakis's experiences
growing up in China as a stateless foreigner as well as her involvement with numerous Old
China Hands Reunions. The collection is divided into seven series:
Mukden,
Nanking, and Shanghai Memorabilia (1924-2004),
Old China Hands (OCH) Reunions (1988-2009),
Biographical Documents (1917-2007),
Correspondence
(1947-2009),
Photographs (ca. 1902-2006),
Ephemera (1906-2006), and
Audio-Visual (ca.
1920-2006).
Series I,
Mukden, Nanking, and Shanghai Memorabilia, includes
advertisements, school records, correspondence, documents, and scanned photographs with
provenance relating to Zoya Shlakis's personal experience throughout China. This series
mainly relates to Zoya's experience growing up in Shanghai.
Series II,
Old China Hands (OCH) Reunions, includes
correspondence, pamphlets, newsletters, contact lists, and organizational records of
numerous OCH Reunions. Shlakis helped organize a number of reunions as well as serving as an
administrator for the 1996 Reunion in Las Vegas, Nevada. This series is arranged
chronologically by reunion.
Series III,
Biographical Documents, consists of articles,
scanned photographs with descriptions, correspondence, newspaper clippings, publications,
and personal stories of living in Shanghai.
Series IV,
Correspondence, includes correspondence between Zoya
Shlakis and friends. This series is arranged alphabetically and chronologically within.
Series V,
Photographs, contains black and white photographs of
the Shlakis family living in Mukden, Nanking, and Shanghai. Many of the photographs outside
of China capture the numerous OCH gatherings as well as her personal life.
Series VI,
Ephemera, consists mainly of clothing, handmade
linens, handmade woodcarvings, trinkets, jewelry, silver and kitchen utensils. Some of these
items were brought over from Shanghai and others purchased in the U.S.
Series VII:
Audio-visual, includes VHS and DVDs, some with
commentary, from a number of OCH Reunions and the opening of the OCH Archive at CSU
Northridge. This series also contains a video cassette of Shanghai stock footage (ca.
1920s-1930s), and a DVD of Zoya's media coverage at the Grand Opening of the Shanghai Post
Office Museum in China.
Series I: Mukden, Nanking, Shanghai Memorabilia, 1924-2004
Series II: Old China Hands (OCH) Reunions, 1988-2009
Series III: Biographical Documents, 1917-2007
Series IV: Correspondence, 1947-2009
Series V: Photographs, ca. 1902-2006
Series VI: Ephemera, 1906-2006
Series VII: Audio-Visual, ca. 1920-2006
Related Material
The collection is open for research use.
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge.
Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials
protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires
the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any
use rests exclusively with the user.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Ruth Jackson-Gosenson, 2010
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual,
or see the
Citing Archival Materials
guide.
Tim Kaufler and Vicki Schmidtberger, 2012
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Ephemera
Documents
Photographs
Audiovisual materials
Textiles