Revisiting My Orphanage in Russia 23 Years Later 

You can go ahead and visit me on Instagram here - instagram.com/alexgilbert or Facebook facebook.com/nzalexgilbert :) Thank you!

I also lived in the orphanage in Novosokolniki Russia, I was adopted when i was 11 so i remember everything. Thanks for sharing.

Hey there I have just come across your story. I am from Arkhangelsk too, my daughter was born in 1993 she is nearly your age, I remember well those 90th it was a very difficult time! So hello земляк 👋

I am adopted from Russia also- I was adopted in 1997 from Tver Russia. I know my birth parents name but they did not want contact with me, I believe they were on the run. I enjoyed what you had to say about your memory and how you don’t remember your time in the orphanage.

Your parents have done an incredible job raising you. I absolutely LOVE your spirit!!

This young man is so mature, caring and special. I just want to meet him & give him a hug. Love him & his dad's relationship! I'm praying for his Mom 🙏 Amazing story! God continue to bless this sweet family! 🙏💙💛

I just stumbled upon this looking for info on my orphanage, in Voronezh Russia. It's so nice to hear you say you have no anger towards your birth mom. People are always shocked when I say the same. I'm going back in August and can't wait. thank you!

His parents lucked out. What a great guy!

Alex, your biological Father is fantastic, love how he has welcomed you with open arms into his family. Beautiful, so happy for you.

That looks like a very nice orphanage. You looked like a well-cared-for two-year old, a happy, sweet little boy.

Thank you so much for posting this. My son was 5 and a half when I adopted him in Ukraine; he also remembers almost nothing from his early years. I am glad that you pointed out how much the people working in the orphanages care and try to do the best they can; that has also been our experience. It is wonderful that you want to try to do something for the orphanage where you spent the first years of your life. You are a terrific young man.

I plan on revising the Russian orphanage I was at in a few years! Saving money! I still remember a lot so hopefully it will help me with closure!

Children's memories don't start forming till 4-5 on average, so it makes sense you don't remember the orphanage. My earliest memory was 4 years old.

Me and my older birth sister were adopted (ages 3 and 7) in Wales. None of us remember being in care, although my sister can remember life before foster care. Interesting to learn someone else also doesn't have memories from being in foster care/orphanage

Gosh....you're just AN INCREDIBLE, SWEET & LOVING person, Alex. I don't have proper terms to praise your parents for the upbringing they provided you and your brother, Andrei. And your birth father, he's lovely...so is his family❤❤❤❤

18.10.2018 me and my husband adopted my little girl..we name her Kayla Faith❤ she just make me falling in love and cant wait to see her growing up infront of my eye....i hope kayla will find her birth parent..when she get ready and understand the situation.your story is so inspired.God bless you and big familys alex❤

You as a smiling baby makes my heart melt😍❤️🥰

For some reason, this was very emotional and touching to me. Honestly, it brought tears to my eyes.

Your story is so touching. It is nice to know others have a similar story to me.I was adopted from Russia too but I came to America from 7. I would like to revisit someday also. I remember a lot.

You are so lucky to get out from there and being adapted by wonderful parents.

My girlfriend recommended this video to me knowing my story. I was born in October 1997 in an orphanage in Moscow, Russia. By December 1998 I had been adopted by an American family. I’ve lived out my life here in America but I find myself always wondering what my story is. I know next to nothing about my birth parents. Orphanage “thought” she was young. She seemed to have been gone right after the delivery. I don’t know where to begin. I just want to know what they look like. But there are many hurdles.

As many people here, I was also adopted in Russia! I was actually born in 1994 and was adopted in 1999. I'm in the USA now but was originally from the village of Trenkasy, Cheboksary District, Chuvashia. I'm just starting my search for my parents so best of luck for everyone out there and discovering their roots!

May every child have such great loving parents like yours! 🙏

YES a project for the Orphanage!!! I would love to help you in any way I can!

What a beautiful story and tribute to his biological and adopted parents. I had tears in my eyes when he met his biological parents. There are so. many stories of adopted children and it was a blessing that he has a very heartwarming story to tell. Obviously, He was blessed. He will do great things to help the orphanage and other families. Such a God's gift to search his heritage.

Alex you are such an amazing young man! I am enjoying watching the journey of your life! God Bless you and your family! 💙💚💛☮

Wow Alex, you have the look of both your parents, and you can see you are related to the siblings as well. How wonderful for you to have been able to meet them and that they have accepted you into their lives. Your story has warmed my heart.

i was adopted from moscow russia in 2000. this is very cool that you get to go back and visit. i hope i can soon one day.

I was adopted from Kazakhstan Oskemen near Russia. I was in the exact same shoes as you and visited back when I was 10 years old. Be proud of where you come from, love from England 💙

I was adopted on russia when I was 1 year old. It's amazing. I wish I could go back there one day.

What a sweet man. What a beautiful baby boy and I still see that little baby boy in him. I would have loved to adopt him. I would love to adopt a baby from this orphanage. It just warms my heart. Bless you.

This is incredible! My brother and I got adopted from Tomsk in 2006 and we are in the same process of finding where we came from and hoping to go back and visit where we came from and to find our birth mom. Thank you for sharing.

I love the way think and talk and request others for adoption and give these young children a better home. It’s so true that adoption is needed or else these orphanages will be over loaded and the children will get neglected. The staff can’t give care as the family would do to the adopted children mostly. Of course cases happen but rare.

So many Russian kids were abandoned in 90-s after the collapse of USSR. I've met russian adoptees even...in UAE. 14 and 9 years old brothers adopted from Russia at early age, both were quite fluent in Russian and as I understood, Arab parents never kept them away from their origin. Even encouraged them to contact with their former compatriots.

Thank you for sharing your journey. I cannot imagine anyone watching this without having their hearts ache for you. You are loved by all of us watching your journey.

Such a courageous thing to do to see The Orphanage where u were left till that loving couple from NZ came and those little children waiting to be adopted if that's the case made me sad but you giving gifts made the story amazing

Hey I’m also adopted from Russia I really enjoyed your video !

Oh man this is so touching. A wonderful story!

Loved the video. I'm adopted from Yaroslavl, Russia and hope to return one day!

I’d like to go back to my orphanage in Russia I’m 27 now was 5 when I was adopted I was born in Perm

Awesome idea! Every child deserves a loving family.

What an angelic smile as a handsome kid. Awesome kid. Thank you for these great videos. Amazing Alex! Love from india 🇮🇳

His father was so nice and so were his adopted parents. He was so lucky after all.

What a wonderful soul you have you are an inspiration

I'm adopted too, but my experience is a bit different than yours. After meeting my biological father I realize we have nothing in common. I no longer let it define me and it's a meaningless fact. Everyone is different of course. All the best and thank you for sharing.

Admiring your journey. Thank you for sharing with us.

Mate this has brought a tear to my eye... what a wonderful but heartbreaking story... you seem a fine young man and a credit to yourself.. 👍

I am deeply touched by your wonderful nature.May you always be blessed!

Thanks Alex for your videos and the love you have inside.

Thank you for sharing this with us. I saw your video on Reddit and found your channel here, a very touching story.

For some inexplicable reason, your story strikes me hard. You give off such gentle and kind vibes I can't help but follow your journey through your self- rediscovery. Also you're from New Zealand, a country in my bucket list to visit some day. Nothing but love to you and your family Alex. Keep doing the great work!

what you are sharing is incredible - thank you

Loving touching journey. . I'm so happy for you to be able to meet both your parents and the bond between your birth father and yourself. . you're a very courageous young man. . God bless. . .

Bless those that cared for you and all children. Good on ya mate. Respect from a Kiwi brother

Beautiful action visiting the orphanage. Fantastic idea about helping the orphanage. The kids need a lot!

A lovely and loving story. None of us know what we come into this life for...you have found such an important purpose. The road has risen to meet you and the wind is at your back. ❤

Wow, well done, a very touching story, and going back to see it, as many of us forget our past, you've gone back, well done you, I hope your project goes well too

Oh my god. As soon as you showed me your nurse I had tears. Oh. My. God.

Im fighting back the tears, you've such a strong person God bless you

you have clearly grown up to be a fine young man .. and a wonderful human being you have become .. you do both your birth parents and your adoptive parents proud .

Very cool. I didn't see this until now. Looks like a nice place with good people. Glad you had a good start.

Your story is amazing! I have helped several people reconnect. Including siblings of mine who never knew I exaisted. Bless you on your journey

I was adopted in Australia (just over the diatch) by Australian parents. It is so important, for those interested, to see their 'roots'. Few children remember before three years old which is normal. Thank you for sharing this experience - it is so lovely to see the children being cared for in a different manner than media purported years ago. ADOPTED KIDS ROCK!

I plan on adopting from russia or Romania when im older (probs a 10+ as they rarely get adopted as they are classed as too old)

Happy Birthday Alex! I hope you are doing well!

Amaizing idea! 😍 help others is the best thing that you can do and more if it is a place where you were taken care of as a Child

Beautiful Story! Thank you. 🌺

Alex, what a heart you have! Wow! So glad you are having these experiences. Basically I do feel that most of us don't have memories from when we are two. You were pretty young when adopted. You are so blessed to have so any people that love you. Thanks for these great vids!

Dear Alex watching all your videos with tears and a lump in my throat and then joy for you ,i know you are being directed my GOD Love to you and your extended family .Trevor Gunston Queensland Australia.

My dad found when i was 28 still living with till today i turned 57 on 09th september

If you are loved,you can fly💜Good luck with your plans!

Your parents are wonderful People! Lucky you and Lucky them to have each other. Say them my big hello from Ukraine and thank everyone who has so deep and kind heart.

good job Alex,so proud of you

You have really had quite a remarkable journey.

you are incredibly selfless like your parents. It's inspirational, really.

You are a great person Alex!

I'm glad that you visited the place that you spent the first years of your life. I live in Sweden and I just started the process to adopt a child in Russia as well. Wish me luck!

Tears coming 😭

Thank you for sharing this beautiful story ;-)

nice to see you had gotten to see and say thank you to the woman who shortly may have taken care of you along with maybe many others. I very well think it must have been a great encouragement and could have been that ounce of inspiration to keep her going with pouring the good into what shes routinely been doing. Having myself been in an интернат for a number of visits, spending 6 months in a village by kiev.ive spent time with the kids often after their school hours or a day of the weekend doing some craft or team games with them... after some time i notice its not the things or peoples sacrificial gifts that are of great value to those kids. Its mainly that ounce of inspiration, the spent time together, and glimpse of encouragement beyond the bumps on the road that is treasured by many of those kids. Getting to know different kids.. and breaking the often fights and tensions especially amoung the older ones. Them growing on you and them getting used to you... cant help but notice the интернат's atmosphere and the positions the workers are in, the potential burnouts or heaviness the workers could experience. Its seems likea worker can give a sacrifice of self with out a certainty of seeing outcomes... So i think it must be a great deal to that woman to have been given that moment to see you in person way down the road... not in drugs, in troublesome endless paterns.. and see and hear "Thank you". And a great deal of your adoptive parents being willing to take the responsibility and continual effort on their end for you to have and be in a home. desided to share some thoughts here Keep up good work

God has had His protective arms around you all your life. God bless you.

I can see your sense of gratitude and nobility comes naturally from your birth dad...and guess your upbringing

Such an amazing story. I have a very similar story of being adopted when I was two from novosibirk and I’ve had many of the same thoughts you express in this video!! I hope to learn more about my origin as you got too

Усыновление это огромное счастье !!!! У меня просто началась жизнь когда у меня появился мой сынулька! Всем любви 🇷🇺❤️🙏

Cool stuff man, really cool what you're doing. We can say a lot about life but the most important thing is how we treat others. Well done mate!

You are a good human being 💕

Your parents are so brave persons

You are an amazing young man!

Brilliant thanks for great video, 👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

Your story is amazing

This just came across my recommendations and it was very cool that you got to visit your orphanage. I am also adopted from Russia, but in the Kopesk region and I am not allowed to have contact with my birth family or send them anything. My adoptive mother hired a PI to find her and it turned out I have a half brother and sister. Unfortunately I am not allowed to return to Russia because of the government and other reasons regarding my adoption. It has been cool and fascinating to hear your story and maybe I will share mine too one day!

I have so much Respect for this Young Man. I seen documentaries about the some of the orphanages in Russia..Some are really bad..im so glad you were in a good one..The Nurses and care workers should get medals for everything they do..there hands are tied on how much care some children get depending on there health..

You are a great guy. Good luck mate

I’m from Moscow but was adopted by a polish American family in Michigan. My adopted mother’s grandfather was stationed in archangel during part of the Russian civil war fighting for the Americans. He was in the 339th infantry and a polish immigrant that left home at the age of 16. He was under the impression he was going to Western Europe but the men got sent to Russia instead. I can’t even imagine his disappointment when they told him where was actually going. He never talked about his time in that war.

Hello My name is Katia Anible and i wish i could visit the orphanage and the town i grew up. I was there till 8 but my mind blanked most of it out and on top of that i dont speak russian anymore. It was nice to hear of someone who was able to do it and I always wished i could help the orphanages also.

Your story touched me into tears.

You are a such wonderful soul god bless you I’m crying with your videos 😍

glad to hear you're well. a cheap impact would be to get some artists and create new colourful/child-friendly murals and repaint the existing

Amazing.

You were SUCH a cute baby!!! I would have adopted you too!