Eliana Laurance's Story

1 min read

Published 5 June 2026

My name is Eliana. I’m also an identical twin—my sister’s name is Tatiana. We were born in Vladivostok, Russia, and adopted into the United States in 1996. We always knew we were the fourth birth in our biological family. Years later, we found our three older siblings, who were also adopted by an American family here in the States, and we’ve since been reunited.

Looking into my adoption has been a personal journey, hoping to find more answers about who I am. Being adopted already brings up so many questions about identity. I was adopted as an infant, but as I got older and began to understand where I came from, I found myself searching—just trying to see if there’s something more out there. Maybe one day, I’ll find the answers.

Adopted in 1996 from Vladivostok, Russia.

- Elena Kyngyrseva

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