Valentina grew up in Novocherkassk in the Rostov Region and as a child witnessed part of the 1962 events in the city (see Novocherkassk massacre). Later in life she learned that her mother, then 23, had saved the life of a policeman during those confused and tragic days. Her father was Ukrainian; the city of Novocherkassk has many historical ties with Ukraine, as do its present inhabitants (pop. 170,233 in 2016).