I, Leonid Mariasis, student of the Tyumen Pedagogical Institute in Tyumen in 1947.
I was born on 20 September 1928. I was called Leon at birth. This name was written in the registry book of all Jews of Bendery town. Later I had the name of Leonid written in my passport. This name is more Russian and I've lived the rest of my life with it. Later it was officially proved that these are two identical names.
I had to go to the Rumanian grammar school, because all other schools were closed by the Rumanian authorities. I had no problems with the language; young children ach a new language easily. I had a teacher of Torah that came to teach me at home. His name was Ruzhanskiy and he was a Jew. He told me stories from the Torah and I always admired them.
In 1946 I entered historical department of Tumen Pedagogical Institute without a problem.
After, in 1955 I decided to change my profession. I wanted to enter machine-building institute in Sverdlovsk, but I failed. I got a refusal in a very friendly manner. Besides my being a deportee I was also a Jew. So, I went to work as a teacher of physics in Tumen. I arrived in Lvov in the end of 1956. I managed to get a job at school as a teacher of physics. I received a room at school. I worked in this school #28 for many years.
