Asia Matveyuk with her daughter Natalia Gorskaya’s family

In this photograph I am in the family of my younger daughter Natalia: I, Asia Matveyuk, am in the center wearing a pink shirt, on the left is my son-in-law's brother and on the right is my son-in-law Valeriy Gorskiy, then Natalia, my daughter, wearing a blue shirt, my grandchildren Maria and Yuriy, and my son-in-law's father Mikhail Gorskiy is sitting. This photo was taken by my son-in-law in Natalia's apartment in Zaporozhiye in 2003 on the occasion of my visit.

I worked as director of a pharmacy in Kherson for many years. I was secretary of the pharmacy department Party organization. Now I retired. Perestroika was a strong blow for my family, and it is not a deficit of material character that I mean, but it is of moral value. I have a rather good pension as a veteran of the war. My husband Vasiliy died in 1995, so little before our 'golden wedding'. It was so very hard for me. I continue to be a Soviet person. During the Soviet regime I felt that people needed me: I was secretary of the Party organization of pensioners and often met with veterans of the Great Patriotic War. Now I don't think anybody needs me. My activities and ideals don't mean anything and I've lost a lot. Most importantly, I've lost my idea and faith. I always attended meetings of veterans of our division in Odessa and also went to a meeting in Leningrad, but now I am hard up and cannot afford it. Besides, nobody wants this to happen. All of my fellow comrades happen to live abroad: in Russia, Baltic republics and Moldova and even to correspond with them is far too expensive, to say nothing of arranging meetings. Besides, not many of us are living. I am a client of Hesed and attend the Day Center, but I do not observe Jewish traditions or celebrate holidays at home. It's too far from me and I take no interest in them, but my daughter Natalia is close to the Jewish way of life. Her father-in-law Mikhail Gorskiy is head of the Jewish community in Kharkov and he gradually involves Natalia's family to the observance of Jewish traditions.

Natalia, my second daughter, finished the Conservatory in Kharkov. She married her Jewish fellow student Valeriy Gorskiy. Natalia and Valeriy live in Zaporozhiye [350 km from Kiev], where they have jobs. Natalia and Valeriy have two children: Maria, born in 1982, a student of the Theatrical College, and Yuri, who studies in the 8th form. My daughter and grandchildren visit me on summer vacations and stay a few weeks and we also call each other once a week. It is unfortunate that we cannot see each other more frequently.