With great sadness we record the death of Alyona Kojevnikov.
Alyona had been admitted to the Conquest Hospital in Hastings during a downturn in her course of cancer treatment and died there on Wednesday 26 November.
Her family emigrated from Russia to Australia where she grew up. Her language skills led her to employment as BBC Russian Service correspondent in Moscow and to becoming the official translator for high-powered meetings, including that of Gorbachev with Margaret Thatcher.
She retired to Rye, delighted to live in a town whose name in the Russian language means paradise. “Rye is all the paradise I need,” she said.
Alyona was an early contributor to Rye News writing this article about her love of our town.
She was also chair of the Rye Chernobyl Children group, founded by Janet Waddams.
Details of funeral arrangements are not yet known
Image Credits: Rye News .