Leonid Karlinsky's family

Leonid Karlinsky's family

My parents, Meyer and Bertha Karlinsky, with me, Leonid (in the white shirt) and my younger brother, Victor (in the sailor suit). This photo was taken in 1937 in Novosibirsk. In 1935 my mother went to Kharkov, and my younger brother Victor (Vitia) was born there. My father and I visited my mother at the maternity hospital and talked with her on the telephone - she had a telephone in her room, which for me was a rarity. This was one of my brightest memories, when I held a phone receiver in my hands for the first time in my life. I also remember that we travelled home from the maternity hospital in an open carriage. Mama and I stayed in Kharkov with my mother's older sister, Ethel, while Papa went to Chuguev. Although both my parents came from traditional Jewish families, they didn't observe any of the Jewish traditions. Neither my brother nor I were circumcised. I believe that my father became a Party member under the influence of my mother. We only spoke Russian at home, and even when my parents used Yiddish words, it was meant as a joke and delivered with some sarcasm. After my retirement, I moved to Kiev with my family. My father's sister Margola helped me with the move. She gave me a permit to register for residence at her apartment. We have lived in Kiev ever since.
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