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In the middle of February 1942, a messenger from Smolny came to our place. [Smolny monastery housed supervising Communist party and Soviet state bodies of the city.] He was well dressed and well-groomed. He brought us instructions regarding my sister’s and mine evacuation me. Those directions came from the Ministry of Petroleum Industry. You see, my sister’s husband (Solomon Mikhailovich) was evacuated to Nizhni Tagil and worked at a defense enterprise there. He held a very important post in petroleum industry; therefore, he managed to arrange our evacuation from Leningrad. He sent a telegram through the Ministry with instructions to provide our departure from the besieged city.
On the appointed day we put our belongings on a sledge and left our house. We had bought the sledge from our neighbors. I walked about 100 or 150 meters, and then understood that I was not able to make the next step: my legs went weak. My sister cursed me to get up: ‘Let’s go quickly, I’m afraid we may be late!’ I asked her to go alone, to save herself. So I persuaded my sister to go, and remained there in the street alone. My sister left the besieged city and reached Nizhni Tagil where her husband worked.Later I somehow crawled home, reached our apartment, and lay in bed to die.
On the appointed day we put our belongings on a sledge and left our house. We had bought the sledge from our neighbors. I walked about 100 or 150 meters, and then understood that I was not able to make the next step: my legs went weak. My sister cursed me to get up: ‘Let’s go quickly, I’m afraid we may be late!’ I asked her to go alone, to save herself. So I persuaded my sister to go, and remained there in the street alone. My sister left the besieged city and reached Nizhni Tagil where her husband worked.Later I somehow crawled home, reached our apartment, and lay in bed to die.
Period
Year
1942
Location
Leningrad
Russia
Interview
Boris Lerman
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