Evgenia Wainshtock with her father Miron Wainshtock

I, Evgenia Wainshtock, and my father Miron Wainshtock. Photo made in Kiev in 1940 when I finished 1st form at school.

In 1938, after Father was released he demobilized and returned to Kiev. He became trade union leader at the container factory. Director of this factory was my father's best friend. We lived with my mother's family in Basseynaya Street. In 1938 I went to the first form of Russian secondary school in Kiev. I enjoyed studying and my father spent a lot of time with me. My father was an atheist, but he was very tolerant about my grandparents' faith. He was a convinced communist and was a member of the Communist party since he studied at the military college.

In 3 months before the war my father was sent to fortify the borders in Western Ukraine. He came to Lena's funeral in Kiev in a week before the war. The war began on 22 June 1941 my father put on his uniform and went to the registry office. There was a kerosene storehouse in the yard and when women that were standing in line saw my father wearing a uniform they burst into tears thinking about their sons, husbands and fathers that were to go to the war. My father stayed with us for another day while his military unit was being formed and then left for the front. We didn't hear from him for a long time.
I studied successfully at Russian secondary school in Samarkand. I was a shy and quiet girl, but I fought back like a fury when somebody tried to hurt me.

In 1943 my mother received a notification that my father was missing near Stalingrad. We loved him so much and hoped that he would survive.

After the war we returned to Kiev.