Sonia Gandhi’s Name Has A Russian WWII Connection: The True Story Behind ‘Edvige Antonia Albina Maino’ | India News

Sonia Gandhi was born in Marostica, Italy, on a cold winter night on December 9, 1946, and was given the traditional name Edvige Antonia Albina Maino in honor of her maternal grandmother. But his father, Stefano Maino, had another, more striking name in mind; this name was linked to Russia, of all places. It is this link that explains how Antonia got the name Sonia.

Debt to Russia

The interesting reason why Stefano Maino calls himself ‘Sonia’ has its roots in his experiences during World War II.

War Service: Like most Italians at the time, Stefano was a supporter of Mussolini and joined the 116th Vicenza military unit to fight on the Italian side during World War II. This was a particularly brave unit.

Russian Rescue: The Italian unit could not withstand the first attack of the Russians and was destroyed. Stefano and several of his comrades managed to survive thanks to the help and support of villagers from Russia. Especially women of Russia helped wounded soldiers by dressing them.

Naming Your Daughter Out of Gratitude

Having survived the war thanks to the efforts of the Russian people, Italians were determined to show their gratitude as deeply and personally as possible.

a hostage: Those who were rescued by the Russians preferred to give their daughters Russian names. This devotion explains why Edvige Antonia Albina Maino became Sonia.

Life in Turin In 1956, Sonia’s family moved from Marostica to Turin, a city with extensive industries in northern Italy that attracted many job seekers.

Family Life: While Sonia and her two sisters were growing up, her father, Stefano, was a hard-working man with traditional values ​​and faced the typical conditions a working-class family often finds itself in. Its resources were modest enough for food, clothing and a small stone house.

New House: They settled in Orbassano, a suburb outside Turin. Stefano, generally reserved, occasionally visited Pier Luig’s bar to watch the Juventus football finals on television, and frequented the bar where Sonia went to buy her favorite ice cream.

READ ALSO | Sonia Gandhi’s Birthday: Was Rahul Gandhi Caught Shouting at His Mother in the Presence of His Father? Watch Shocked Eyewitness Narration | VIDEO