Elizaveta Dubinskaya’s mother, grandmother and brothers

This is my mother, grandmother and brothers. The photo was made during World War I in Boguslav. At the time my father was in captivity in Austria. Sitting are, from left to right: Eidlya Dubinskaya (my mother), Leah (my father's mother), elder boy - brother Leonid, and younger brother Yakov.

I knew none of my grandparents: they died before I was born.

The name of my grandfather - my father's father - was Yankel Dubinsky; my grandmother's name was Leah. I don't remember her maiden name. I don't remember when they were born. Grandmother Leah was born in Boguslav, but I don't know where my grandfather was born. My grandfather was some kind of a craftsman, and grandmother Leah worked around the house. My grandfather left for America (prior to the Revolution), but failed to get rich and died there. So, my grandmother remained a widow. She earned her living by cooking for people. People would come and eat at her place, and they paid a little for that. She was a very good cook, my father always praised her roast meat; my mother could never please him with her own cooking, she could never cook quite as tasty as his mother.

My mother's name was Eidlya, her maiden name was Reznik. She was born in Shenderovka, Kiev province.

My mother worked around the house. I don't remember whether she had any brothers or sisters, while my father had a sister. Her name was Menya, she was born in 1880. He might have had more brothers and sisters, but I know nothing of them

I was the fifth and the youngest child in our family. My eldest brother was Yakov, he was born in 1911; then brother Leonid was born in 1914, then sisters: elder - Rozalia, born in 1908, and Maria, born in 1919. Elder sister Rozalia went to a Jewish school, while Maria went to a Ukrainian school (she started in the Jewish school, and after two or three years there our parents decided that she should better study in a Ukrainian school; many did so back then.)

Our brothers were much older than me, so in my childhood I played and made friends mostly with Maria because we were the closest in age.

My brothers Leonid and Yakov worked and studied at the night school. Yakov became a driver, while Leonid entered the tank college and became a tankman. He was called up during the Finnish war, and then both of them fought against the fascists. Yakov was killed, I believe, outside Uman in 1941. Leonid was wounded, but returned home. Then he lived in Chernovtsy, but I did not have any relations with him. He did not like the fact that my father was helping me more than any other of his children, and we never were friends with him. I don't think he is still alive.