Zoya Lerman with her sister Svetlana Feldman,
and her cousins Alla Lev, Stella Levina, and Nata Roiter

In this photo taken in Kiev in 2001, I am standing in the back. My cousins are Alla Lev (left), Stella Levina (center, by the wall), her sister Svetlana Feldman (sitting next to her), and Nata Roiter. This photo was taken in a cafe in Kiev in 2001. On the wall are some of my paintings. I would like to tell you about my cousins who were in the evacuation with me. They were very dear to me. Stella Levina Averin (maiden name - Feldman), the daughter of my mother's sister Evgenia, was educated at the Institute of Literature. She married a Russian doctor named Victor Averin. Victor worked at the maternity home. Although it was an ordinary district hospital, all high officials brought their wives to Victor. He worked so hard day and night, that his work resulted in the severe disease of his legs. Then he couldn't work any more, and he was in despair. Stella decided to take him to America. Victor lived for two more years and then died. He didn't reach the age of 60. Their son Peter lives and works in the USA. Natochka Miliavskaya (married name - Roiter), the daughter of my mother's sister Faina, lived in Kiev almost all her life. She worked as Chief of a shop at the knitwear factory. Her son, Boris Krasnov, a theatrical artist, moved to Moscow. He is popular in Russia and abroad. He works for the most famous performers. He often gets job offers from foreign companies. Natochka and her husband moved to join their son in Moscow. She sometimes visits us in Kiev. Svetlana Feldman, Evgenia's daughter, studied at the mathematics and Physics Department of Kiev University. She was married and worked as a teacher of Physics and mathematics at school. Her son married, and his wife's family decided to move to Israel. Svetochka didn't want to go but she was afraid to remain here alone. So, she left, with her son's family in the 1970's to live in Israel. Later, they moved to the USA, but we never heard from then after that. I have no information about what they did for a living there, or how they lived. Allochka Lev (married name - Uhlina), Raissa's daughter, lived in Moscow. She learned Italian, French and German languages. She works as translator/interpreter.