Bella Kisselgof 's mother Sofia Rivkina's family

Seated left is my Aunt Luba Dolzhanskaya (maiden name - Dreitser), with her sons: Mosia (left) and Ziama (right); Mama's brother Grisha (Gersh) Rivkin (behind); and my mother, Sofia Rivkina (right). The photo was taken in Enakievo in 1930. My maternal grandmother told me a lot about her parents. I have photos of my great grandparents. My great grandfather's name was Gedalia Dreitser. He was born in the late 1830s. His parents lived in Novo-Vitebsk. He was the youngest of many sisters and brothers, but I don't know how many children there were in their family. When Gedalia reached the age of 18, he went into the tsarist army as a private. The term of service was 25 years. When it was his time to retire, he was given a house with furniture and all utilities, built in Novo-Vitebsk for him at the cost of the tsarist treasury. It was a usual thing at that time. Soldiers retired when they were about 43 years old and they were to start their life anew. The tsarist government made all necessary provisions for them to begin their civil life. They could choose where they wanted to settle down. My great grandfather chose Novo-Vitebsk so that he could be near his family. After he came to Novo-Vitebsk he married a young girl Bruha. I don't know any details about how they met or their wedding. They started having children almost every year or a year and a half. The oldest was their daughter Haislova, born in 1875. Ten there was another daughter born in 1877. My grandmother Riva was born in 1878, and in 1879 their daughter Luba (Liebe) was born. The youngest was Sonia, born in 1881. My aunt Luba married Aron Dolzhansky, an engineer. She was a housewife. They had two children: Ziama, born in 1923, and Mosia, Mihail, born in 1925.