Valuables were packed and the children were moved to an estate south of Gatchina owned by Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov, the brother of one of Natalia's closest friends (Nadine Vonlyarlarskaya) and the father of the famous writer Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov. George was friends with Nabokov senior's niece, Sophie Vonlyarlarskaya. Their plan was discovered by the Bolsheviks, and the children returned to Gatchina, once again under house arrest.
The family made preparations for departure and relocated the children to a country estate near Gatchina owned by Vladimir Nabokov's brother-in-law, who was also the father of famous writer Vladimir Nabokov. George befriended Nabokov's niece, Sophie, but their escape plan was discovered by the Bolsheviks, and they were sent back to Gatchina, where they faced another period of confinement.