Svetlana Guryanova

Svetlana Guryanova passed away at the age of 86 on Monday, November 13^th, 2023.

She was born Svetlana Kovalik on February 8^th, 1937 in Kharkov, USSR, to Galina Beletskaya and Petr Kovalik, who were both doctors. She was proud to be from a family of doctors who served their country during times of crisis. Her father served in the Soviet Army, and when World War II came to Kharkov in modern-day Ukraine, Svetlana was evacuated with her family into modern-day Russia. As the Soviet Army advanced on the German front, she followed her father to Ukraine and then to Berlin, Germany, where she attended elementary school with other children of military families. After the war, her family relocated to Moscow, where she attended high school and then medical school. She became a pediatrician and later a pediatric ophthalmologist and loved taking care of children. She met and married Anatoliy Guryanov in 1965, who was a neurologist and a Navy doctor. Svetlana took great pride in her family’s commitment to medicine and military service. With Anatoliy, she had one daughter, Irina Guryanova, who would grow up to be a doctor herself.

In 1993, her daughter and former son-in-law moved to the US with their two children Masha and Eugene, and Svetlana became the bridge that tethered the young immigrant family to their relatives and culture in Russia. In the following years, she would split her time between her home in Moscow and visiting her daughter’s family in Massachusetts. She brought gifts, photos, and stories both ways and kept the families connected despite the distance between them. Over time, her stay in the US increased. She helped raise her two grandchildren, taught them Russian, took care of the home, and nourished the connection between families in Russia and America. Later, she permanently relocated to the US, living with her daughter in first Acton and then Beverly, Massachusetts. In 2018, she moved into a Russian-speaking residence at Royal Braintree Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, where she was beloved by residents and nurses alike.

She was a rock for her family, keeping everyone connected between Russia and the US, despite the miles between them. She always had bags of Russian candy, which she doled out to family throughout the year to mark special occasions. She had an impressive memory and carefully chronicled her family history, passing it down to younger generations. She loved cooking, doting on family pets, and spending time with loved ones. She practiced Russian Orthodoxy and cared deeply about the souls of those around her.

She is survived by her family in the US and in Russia. In the US, she is survived by her devoted daughter Irina Guryanova and son-in-law Bret Draayer of Beverly, MA, her grandson Eugene Popovskiy of Burlington, MA, and her granddaughter Masha Elkin of Boston, MA. In Moscow, she is survived by her sister Natalia Yezhova, niece Yelena Yezhova, and extended relatives. She will be missed by family, friends, and all who knew her.

In her rest, she joins her husband of 24 years Anatoliy Guryanov, who passed away at their daughter’s home in Harvard, MA on December 26^th, 1999 at the age of 72. She also joins her parents, Galina Beletskaya and Petr Kovalik. Svetlana and Anatoliy will be buried side by side in Harvard, MA.

Friends and family with gather for a funeral service on Friday, November 17, 2023, at 1:00 P.M. at the Badger Funeral Home, 347 King St., Littleton, MA. Burial will immediately follow at Bellevue Cemetery, Still River Rd., Harvard, MA.

For those who wish to attend the services remotely, please visit the link below prior to service time:

Livestream Link: https://iframe.dacast.com/b/156599/c/541147

Arrangements under the care of Badger Funeral Home, 347 King Street, Littleton, MA 01460 978-486-3709 www.badgerfuneral.com