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This photo was taken at my wife Asia German's 65th birthday party in a restaurant. Sitting from left to right: my cousin Mara Gershtein, my father brother Meishe Kagan's daughter; her husband Mikhail Gershtein, an excellent dentist; my wife Asia German; I; my sister Yulia Riabina; her husband Iosif Riabin; Asia's friend. Our friends, colleagues and Asia's younger sister Zoya German are standing,. This photo was taken in Kiev in 1989.
In 1963 I resigned from the army due to my health condition. By that time the relations between my first wife Maria Akimova and me were misbalanced. I divorced her immediately after I resigned. I went to my parents in Kiev. I was 43 and had to start life anew. Probably to make my life easier ‘Destiny’ sent me another wife Asia German. Asia was a dentist. We lived a happy life together. In 1989 my dearest wife Asia died. The diagnosis 'cancer' had been given to her shortly before her death. We lived together for over 20 years and I was always grateful to my destiny for having sent Asia to me.
In 1967 I went to work as supervisor of a design group for fire safety automation and communication in design institute. I wanted to retire in 1975, but my management convinced me to keep working. I finally retired in 1995. They occasionally invite me to work and I never refuse. My institute built a cooperative apartment building and I received a two-bedroom apartment in it. This is where I live now..
My younger sister Yulia finished the College of Economics after the war. She married Iosif Rabin, a Jewish guy. Iosif was born in Kiev and was my peer. When anti-Semitism developed, he changed one letter in his surname to make it sound Russian: Riabin. My sister named her first baby, born in 1947, Boris after mama's brother Boris Braginskiy, executed in 1936. Her second son Mikhail was born in 1950. Our relative working as chief accountant at the factory of artistic glass helped Olga to get employed after finishing the college. Yulia worked as an accountant there till she retired. Yulia died in 1994. She was buried in the Berkovtsy town cemetery. Iosif Riabin died in 2002 and was buried near Yulia's grave.
