Friedrich Falevich with his wife Dora Falevich

Friedrich Falevich with his wife Dora Falevich

This is me, Friedrich Falevich, with my wife Dora Falevich. I returned from the army and studied at college in Minsk.

I was home on leave and we had our photo taken. We had two copies. One was with Dora, and I took another with me to Minsk. This photo was taken in Slutsk in 1960.

After finishing school I entered the Finance and Economics College in Minsk. After my first year there I was regimented to the army. I was entitled to continue my studies after my mandatory service in the army.

I served in Uzbekistan, at the Soviet-Afghani border in Termez settlement. I did very well in the army. Everything was fine. I was assistant commander of a platoon.

There were 30 of us in the platoon. I went in for sports in the army: sprint, football and handball. My supervisors favored me. There were no complaints or demonstrations of anti-Semitism during my service.

I joined the Party in 1955, and went to study at the evening party school. I was elected a member of the regiment party committee. I have nothing to complain about. Everything was just right.

I would wish everybody to have such smooth army service as I did. The only burden was the climate. Termez was known as the hottest spot in the Soviet Union.

The splitting summer heat was hard to bear. This was the only saddening thing at the time.

In 1956 I was granted a month's leave and went to Slutsk. I got married during this leave, and I was a married man when I returned to my unit.

I've known Dora Liefshiz, my wife, since school. We were in the same class and we were friends. Dora was a Jew and also came from Slutsk.

Dora's father, Boris Liefshiz, was a notary in Slutsk, and her mother, Hana Liefshiz, was an accountant at the Zagotzerno grain stocks company.

Dora's older sister Galina was born in 1927. Dora was born in 1933. During the war Dora's family evacuated to Kazakhstan. After the war they returned to Slutsk.

After school Dora also entered the Minsk College of Finance and Economics. When I was in the army, Dora and I corresponded and sent pictures to one another.

When I came on leave, we registered our marriage at the registry office and arranged a modest dinner for our close ones. One month's leave flew by and I went back to my military unit.

I returned from the army in 1957, worked till the academic year began, and in 1958 resumed my studies in the college. Dora had finished college before I did.

She returned to Slutsk. She worked as an accountant. Our older son Boris was born in 1958. Slutsk is not far from Minsk, and I visited my family on weekends. I finished college in 1961.

Open this page