Alexander Ugolev and his fellow-student
This photo was taken when we were doing practical student work at the Leningrad Military Mechanical Technical School, where I studied in 1947. I don’t remember who took this photo. We are standing at the lathe. I am on the left. My fellow-student stands beside me, I don’t remember his name. It is obvious that we posed for a portrait.
I managed to become a student of this School the following way. One day walking around the city I saw an advertisement of the Leningrad Military Mechanical Technical School. They offered two very attractive items: occupational deferment and a worker’s food-card. I didn’t worry about deferment at that time – I was only 16 years old – and the worker’s food-card which gave possibility to receive high food norm, could be of great use for me. I quickly submitted my documents to this technical school. My school certificate was full of excellent marks, so I entered it without problems. However, all new students were forced to work on the reconstruction of the city. I was a disciplined and law-abiding person – I didn’t object. Later I got to know that a worker’s food-card was offered not only by this technical school, but practically by each educational institution. So I had a choice, but at that time, when I was 16, I didn’t think about it. When I became a student, I refused to study the German language, and chose English.
After finishing the technical school, I worked in the central design office no. 34 for Navy armament named after Ilya Ivanov, as a designer. Later I worked in the central design office no. 7 at ‘Arsenal’ enterprise, and later yet, as a designer at the factory named after Kalinin. And after that at the ‘Metallist’ factory. From there I moved to the Engineering Castle to Ghipro-Energo-Prom – a State Institute for design of electro-technical enterprises.
There were no obvious conflicts at my work or during my study because of my Jewish nationality. But sometimes strange things happened, for example: I failed to enter the Military Mechanical College. They told me that I got a poor mark in the literature exam. It happened in 1952, when I worked at ‘Metallist.’ Later I passed examinations and entered the Northwest Forestry College. I finished the first course, but didn’t continue my studies there.
