Passed Away from Old Age at 89
Founded Organization for Descendants of Independence Activists
Received Korean Citizenship with Her Daughter
The granddaughter of Governor Yi Wi-jong, known as the Hague Special Envoy, passed away in Russia at the age of 89.
On the 26th (local time), the family and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Russia announced that Ms. Lyudmila Yepimova passed away on the 25th due to old age. The family conveyed the news of her death, saying, "She was at an age with a healthy mind, vitality, and interest in life, but illnesses related to old age did not give her the opportunity to continue living."
Granddaughter of Governor Yi Wi-jong, Lyudmila Yepimova (left), and great-granddaughter Yulia Piskulova (right). Photo by Yonhap News
Ms. Yepimova was the great-granddaughter of Lee Beom-jin (1852?1911), the first Korean Minister to Russia, and the granddaughter of Governor Yi Wi-jong (1887?unknown), who was dispatched as a special envoy to the 1907 Hague Peace Conference in the Netherlands along with Lee Jun and Lee Sang-seol. Governor Yi, the second son of Minister Lee, married Elizaveta, the daughter of Russian nobleman Baron Nolken, and had three daughters. He was the first Korean diplomat to marry a Russian woman. Ms. Yepimova is a descendant of the second daughter among them.
Governor Yi grew up in the United States, France, and Russia, following his diplomat father. At the time of the Hague Special Envoy dispatch, his fluent foreign language skills played a decisive role in negotiating with representatives of various countries. Although he could not attend the conference due to Japanese interference and the indifference of other countries, the envoy group exposed Japan’s aggression and insisted on the invalidity of the Eulsa Treaty. Afterwards, Governor Yi actively engaged in the anti-Japanese independence movement, traveling between Vladivostok and Saint Petersburg in Russia. The exact details of his final fate remain unknown.
Ms. Yepimova worked as a chemical engineer throughout her life at an aviation industry research institute. In 1995, she took a leading role in establishing an organization for descendants of independence activists in Russia and participated in numerous broadcast interviews and writings about the independence struggle. In 2015, she and her daughter, Yuliya Piskulova, were granted Korean nationality through a special naturalization process for descendants of independence activists. Ms. Piskulova studies Korean history and conducts academic activities related to Korea-Russia relations.
She recalled her mother, saying, "She was very proud that our ancestors Lee Beom-jin and Yi Wi-jong contributed to liberating Korea from Japanese invasion, and she was grateful to receive Korean nationality." She added, "She always respected Korea and was proud that her historic homeland was an independent and prosperous country," and "She was always thankful to be able to help the descendants of patriots and preserve the memory of Korea’s independence struggle." Furthermore, "Her children and grandchildren respected her and took her as a role model," and "It was also my mother who instilled in the family an interest in Korean history and the fight for independence."
Ms. Yepimova’s funeral will be held on the 27th at a church in Moscow, attended by family members and Ambassador Lee Do-hoon to Russia.
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