Vitasha Ivanova doch'

Photo
THLady Vitasha Ivanova doch'
Information
Resides: Crown Province of Ostgardr
Status: active
Awards: Order of Precedence
Heraldry
Gules, a dragon statant wings displayed between three Russian orthodox crosses argent.
Award & Office Badges

Introduction

My SCA name is Vitasha Ivanova doch'. Pronunciation: [vee-TAH-shah • ee-VAHN-ah-vah • doch (ch as in cheese)]

You may simply call me Vitasha. If titles are preferred (such as in the event of Court or other formal events), I hold Grant level Art and Service awards from the Kingdom of Caid, so "The Honorable Lady" is appropriate for formal events. I am also a retired landed baroness and have been awarded a Court Barony, so "Baroness" and "Your Excellency" are also appropriate for formal occasions.

I began in the SCA in the Kingdom of Caid in 1990 when I discovered a local branch during club week at the college I attended. I wanted to try "all.the.things" and have dabbled in several of the arts (illumination, glass bead making, brewing, weaving, and more), as well as armored combat for war including shield wall and ballista. I find that I tend to wilt in the heat, so I have given up combat. Now you can often find me working on kumihimo or drinks such as sekanjabin or hippocras.

I met my spouse in the SCA, and our wedding had a Medieval theme. We moved to the Kingdom of the West for a few years before returning to Caid. We have raised a child in the SCA. Our family moved to the East Kingdom in 2022, and we are excited to continue our SCA fun here in the East Kingdom.

Persona

Vitasha was born in the summer of 951 to Ivan Mikhailov syn’ and Svana Roðbjartsdottir on a small farmstead in southern Kiev. She has been quite a handful for her parents.

Vitasha's father's great-grandfather is one of the Scandinavians who came down to Novgorod with Rurik and then onto Kiev with Oleg. Her grandfather had a large farmstead in the area of Kiev, and her father (Ivan) grew up there. At one point her father decided to go back to the Scandinavian homeland to "go viking". After four years away, her father returned to his family's home in Kiev with - Surprise! - a wife (Svana) from Gotland (in modern day Sweden). A year after returning home, Vitasha was born. Word was sent to her mother's family that a child was born. Svana's brother was in the Varangian Guard, and would sometimes stop by to visit the family when he was near Kiev. Vitasha's uncle was greatly upset when he learned that Vitasha was not being raised as a shieldmaiden, so he would teach her when he was visiting. Her parents originally viewed it as a novelty, but as Vitasha became older, her parents were afraid that such unladylike behavior would ruin her marriage prospects, so they told the uncle he could no longer teach her. Of course, lessons continued in secret when he came to visit. Eventually, things came to a head in an event that Vitasha will only speak of around a campfire with a cup of mead.

As predicted, Vitasha had become a very headstrong woman, and the marriage offers were not coming (and Vitasha was fine with that). Eventually, Vitasha met a Varangian Guardsman (Ilia Aleksandrovich) who loved her strong spirit, and he sought to win her heart. It took a while for Vitasha to decide that marriage to Ilia would be a good thing.

Vitasha is a modest landholder. It is practice at the time for a woman to be able to hold land and to give it to a female child to hold in her own name. So since Vitasha's family was so happy that she was (finally!) getting married, Vitasha was given land from her mother as a wedding gift when she married Ilia. She grows a variety of crops for her household and to sell, as well as having some farm animals. She also keeps her own bees and makes mead from the honey they produce.

Offices & Positions

East Kingdom

Crown Province of Østgarðr

• Minister of Lists, 01/2023-present
• Deputy Minister of Arts & Sciences for the Canton of Northpass, 09/2023-present

Kingdom of Caid

• Scribe for the Right Noble Brewers' Guild of Caid, 1999-2000
• Secretary for the Right Noble Brewers' Guild of Caid, 2012 to 2018
• Lady-in-Waiting for Patrick II and Kara II, 06/02/2012-11/03/2012
• Royal Brewer for Conrad II and Aisha, 11/02/2012-06/07/2013
• Royal Brewer for Athanaric and Sigriðr, 06/06/2015-01/09/2016

Barony of Gyldenholt (Kingdom of Caid)

• Gyldenholt Brewing Guild Mistress, 2007-2016
• Gyldenholt Keys (Deputy to the Chatelaine), 2007-2008
• Gyldenholt Chatelaine, 2008-2010
• Lady-in-Waiting for Wulfric and Lasairfhíona, 2007-06/14/2008
• Lady-in-Waiting for Ursul and Colette, 06/14/2008-06/17/2012
• Lady-in-Waiting for Giles and Giuseppe, 06/17/2012-2014
• Baronial Brewer for Giles and Giuseppe, 2014-2016
• Lady Gyldenholt, 12/13/2015-06/11/2016
• Seventh Baroness of Gyldenholt, 06/11/2016 - 07/25/2020
• Gyldenholt Chronicler, 2017 - 2019

Shire of Wintermist (Kingdom of Caid)

• Wintermist Youth Officer, 199?-199?
• Wintermist Lists Officer, 199?-199?
• Wintermist A&S Champion, 1995 (or 1996)
• Wintermist A&S Champion, 1997 (or 1998)
• Wintermist Guild Mistress for the Over-the-Hill (Wintermist) branch of the Right Noble Brewers' Guild of Caid, 1995-1996
• Wintermist Seneschal, 2000-2001

Event Staff

East Kingdom

• Kitchen staff, Barleycorn - Østgarðr Provincial Championships 9/2/2023
• Kitchen staff, Deck the Halls of Valhalla - Østgarðr 1/20/2024

Kingdom of Caid

• Event Steward for Calafia/Gyldenholt Friendship 2009
  

Classes taught

East Kingdom

• Viking Wire Weaving, Deck the Halls of Valhalla (Østgarðr) 1/14/2023
• Drinking Vinegars, Lions End Scola (Østgarðr) 5/20/2023
• Viking Wire Weaving, Lions End Scola (Østgarðr) 5/20/2023
  
• Children's Kumihimo, Farmingdale Demo (Canton of Lions End, Østgarðr) 6/3/2023
• Finding Quality Period Resources, Canton of Northpass A&S Workshop (online - Østgarðr) 11/5/23
• Brewing - Tasty Winter Drinks (Hippocras, Clarrey, and Posset), Canton of Northpass A&S Workshop (hybrid - Østgarðr) 12/10/23
• Kumihimo, Deck the Halls of Valhalla (Østgarðr) 1/20/2024

Kingdom of Caid

• Yes, Virginia, Brewing Can Be Non-alcoholic, Collegium Caidis 2009
• Non-alcoholic brewing, Collegium Caidis 2010
• Fruit Wines, Collegium Caidis 2011
• Non Alcoholic Brewing 101, with Levi ben Daniel, Collegium Caidis 2013
• Kumihimo, Collegium Caidis 2013
• Period Wine Drinks, Collegium Caidis 2015
• Temple Rings, An Tir/West War 2015
• Non-alcoholic brewing (What to Drink at a Dry Site), Collegium Caidis 2016

Displays & Competitions

East Kingdom

Østgarðr Northern A&S Workshop & Public Demo: Vinegar and Sekanjabin tasting and discussion (4/8/2023)

Kingdom of Caid

Pentathlon 2015

• Needlework: Other: 2nd place Journeyman
• Brewing: Beer: 2nd place Journeyman (Kvass)
• Brewing: Wine: 1st place Journeyman (Hippocras)
• Storytelling: 2nd place Apprentice
  

Pentathlon 1997

• Needlework: Counted Thread: 2nd place Apprentice
• Heraldic Display: Other: 2nd place Apprentice
• Brewing: Wine: 2nd place Apprentice

Projects & Publications

East Kingdom

• The Tasting Room: We Wish You a Merry Hippocras! published in The Østgarðr E-Horse, December 2022 (a reprinting of Hippocras from the January 2015 edition of the Gyldenholt Press, Caid)
• The Tasting Room: Wine Comparison - Pinot Grigio published in The Østgarðr E-Horse, March 2023 (a reprinting of Hippocras from the April 2015 edition of the Gyldenholt Press, Caid)
• The Tasting Room: Sekanjabin published in The Østgarðr E-Horse, June 2023 (a reprinting of Hippocras from the October 2014 edition of the Gyldenholt Press, Caid)
• Treasures of the Vikings: Jewelry published in The Østgarðr E-Horse, June 2023 (previously printed in the Winter 2018 edition of the Gyldenholt Press, Caid)
• Treasures of the Vikings: Historical Places published in The Østgarðr E-Horse, June 2023 (previously printed in the Autumn 2017 edition of the Gyldenholt Press, Caid)
• The Tasting Room: Kvass published in The Østgarðr E-Horse, September 2023 (a reprinting of Kvass from the October 2015 edition of the Gyldenholt Press, Caid)
• Treasures of the Vikings: Viking Runestones published in The Østgarðr E-Horse, September 2023 (new, not a reprint)
• The Tasting Room: Posset published in The Østgarðr E-Horse, December 2023 (new, not a reprint)

Kingdom of Caid
Quarterly article "The Tasting Room" published in the Gyldenholt Press

• Syrups, October 2014
• Hippocras, January 2015
• Wine comparison - Pinot Grigio, April 2015
• Sekanjabin, July 2015
• Kvass, October 2015
• Non-Alcoholic Drinks (How to Make Sure Site Owners Let You Come Back), April 2016

SLOVO (the newsletter of the Slavic Interest Group)

• Towards a Recipe for Period Kvass - Winter 2011

Photo Collections

• Nordic Imagery: A collection of photographs from the Nordic lands created to assist scribes with designs for scrolls. (2022)
• Viking Wire Weaving: A collection of photographs showing wire weaving techniques that was used as examples for a Viking Wire Weaving class at the Østgarðr event Deck the Halls of Valhalla (2023)
• Drinking Vessels of the Vikings: A collection of photographs from the Nordic lands created to assist brewers with choosing drinkware to compliment their drinks especially for paneling, and for potters with designs for their wares. (in progress) (2023)

Scrolls

Image Preview	Award	Recipient
‎	Chiron	Ursul Vladislavl' pravnuk
(illumination)	Dolphin	Merewen of Warthwic
(initial letter)	Lux Caidis	Svana Laransdottir
(illumination)	Knight	Ilia Aleksandrovich

In Case of Court

My pronouns are she/her/hers.
Surprises are welcome. Please let my spouse Ilia Aleksandrovich know in advance.

More Information

For more information about my participation in the Kingdom of Caid, please see my Caidan Wiki page.