Ida Limonova's father Vladimir Sneiderman and his brothers

Ida Limonova's father Vladimir Sneiderman and his brothers

My father, Vladimir Sneiderman, and his brothers (from left to right): Emil, Pinhus and Abram. The photo was taken on Emil's 25th birthday in Kharkov in 1923. My father was born in Mitava, Kurlandia province [Latvia] in 1884. He was the first baby in the family. He studied at cheder, but he was very intelligent and very handy with things. He was very strong and healthy. After the family moved to Kharkov he found a job as a locksmith at the locomotive repair plant. He also had a good ear for music and soon began to play in the brass orchestra of the plant. My father's sisters and brothers were also born in the town of Mitava. I don't remember very much about them. All boys in the family finished cheder; the girls were educated at home. My father's brothers and sisters weren't religious. Emil, born in 1898, was a typesetter at a printing house in Kharkov. He was fond of singing. Pinhus, who was two years younger than my father, owned a hardware store in Kharkov. Abram was a bookbinder. He was married but had no children. My father quit the Red Army in 1921 and from then on played in brass bands. He performed at parties and weddings and often brought me along. He also took me to parades. The biggest parades were held on 7th November and on 1st May. We sang and danced at parades. I can hardly hold back the tears in my eyes when I hear a brass band playing. I recall my father and the old times and my childhood. I love listening to brass bands.
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