This is my cousin Velgemina Kakan, my aunt Maria's daughter is to the right, and I am to the left.
The picture was taken during one of his visits from France in 1960.
In 1938 I was offered a job in French chair of Moscow Foreign Languages Institute, I graduated from. It took pains to be lodged in the institute hostel.
The hostel looked like a wooden barrack, located in the outskirts of Moscow. Then I decided to move my mother to Moscow from Sevastopol.
Mother stayed by me the whole time. She shared all my tribulation and worries. We survived war in the hostel, and it always was easier for me as my dear person was close to me.
We had lived in the hostel with one shower on the floor and toilet, at the end of the corridor, one common kitchen with two gas cookers, cockroaches and rats until 1977.
I never gave up teaching. I taught French and practical French grammar. It was a difficult job. I would not wish anybody such a job.
In 1954 I defended post-graduate thesis, on grammatical topic and was conferred with a scientific doctorate degree in philological science. I took pains to defend the thesis.
I was working on my dissertation and teaching full time. I was lucky to have a historic library next to the hostel, so I could go there after work and deal with my dissertation. It was impossible for me work at home considering conditions I used to live at that time.
I worked as a senior teacher, and my salary was inconsiderable increased. I was very happy to make two useful things during my pedagogical career. We did not have French textbooks. We had to publish our own.
I along with the coauthor prepared student manual with exercises for the French department and French Grammar textbook. Those books were used for quite a while.
Then there were couple of editions for our students to be provided with the manuals. We received rather skimpy emolument for such work, but the pleasure was entirely ours. We did a good job that made teachers' and students' lives easier.
I began to work with post-graduate students. They were very different- gifted and totally without penchants. Some people from province also referred to our institute. They came to improve qualification without being prepared.
Some of them were more capable, others were totally incapable. Of course, It took a lot of time to have classes with them. A number of those teachers intending to refresh their knowledge, became post-graduate students, wrote dissertations and defended them.
Some of them were seeking even doctorate. So, I was satisfied with my job. It was difficult for me hold lectures. I did not enjoy it at all! The team of our teachers was very friendly. We lived like one family, being there for each other assisting and encouraging.
I did not have blood brothers or sisters, but I had a lot of cousins in Russia and France. I loved them as my brothers and sisters. They all emigrated from Russia in childhood, but they kept in touch with mother and me.
All my cousins came to Moscow for several times. I was in Paris once. .
My cousin Vilgemina could not obtain higher education. She was very civilized and educated. Before getting married Vilgemina stayed with her mother.
She took the linen embroidered by her mother to the customers.
She was not prosperous though. She got married shortly before war.
Her husband was a very educated man, and he educated her so to say. She was very polite, connoisseur of theatre and literature.
