Olga Kristman

Olga Kristman (nee Berlina) July 3, 1973 - July 23, 2023 We mourn the loss and celebrate the life of Olga Kristman, mom, painter, cyclist, reader, and curious mind. Olga was raised in Moscow by her parents, Vadim Gennakhovich Berlin and Tatiana Berlina. She emigrated to Toronto with her husband, Ivan and their son, Mikhail, in 1999. She kept in weekly touch with her mom, Tatiana; and happily, Olga and Mikhail were together in her last days. When she wasn’t cycling back and forth to work, Olga was an inspired artist whose bold and provocative oil paintings were a spirited revolt against all that was less than beautiful. As an artist, she was as uncelebrated as she was brilliant and unpretentious. Olga was dignified and unmoved by ordinary problems. She suffered no small talk but she was assuredly kind to anyone who didn’t bore her. Olga’s friendships were born of laughter and essential conversation, thus they endured. A gentle soul with a dark sense of humour, the only thing Olga found unforgivable was a cliché. Olga challenged those in her orbit to be better people, a force of grace and of chronic elegance. Olga’s smile was inimitable and she radiated a joy and a love of life. She spent her last years working at CBC Studios in Toronto. She is survived by her mom, Tatiana; her son Mikhail; her long time partner, Rob; and her beloved cats, Moss and Oakley. A fearless heart, Olga survived an earlier battle with cancer in 2014 and she had no intention of leaving us so soon. Olga was a lover of beauty, a lover of books, of intimate backyard hangouts, of questionably trained dogs, of candor, of live music, and of footwear of the first order. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Olga’s caregivers and all the staff at Kensington Hospice for their kindness and compassionate care and support. We invite friends and family to join us to celebrate Olga’s life on Friday, August 11 at 7pm at Christ the Saviour Orthodox Cathedral, 823 Manning Ave., Toronto. We will also gather on Monday, August 14 at 6-8pm at The Cameron House, 408 Queen Street West, to share music and stories and reflect on how Olga impacted our lives. Donations in Olga’s memory may be made to her favourite author Gerald Durell and his foundation to help animals all around the world (https://www.durrell.org/donate/), The Toronto Humane Society (https://www.torontohumanesociety.com/), to Kensington Hospice (https://www.kensingtonhealth.org/hospice), and to Princess Margaret Cancer foundation, (https://supportthepmcf.ca/ui/DonateNow/donations/start/)