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We lived in the military settlement. Our garrison was located at the former frontier of the USSR, which, after the annexation of Western Ukraine in September 1939 [17], was shifted to the west. There were 30 four-story brick buildings in the town, where soldiers and military families lived. There was a voentorg and a standard store, a movie-theater, the Red Army House for public and cultural performances.
Shepetovka itself was a small old town, where a lot of Jews lived. Even Russians and Ukrainians, who lived there, sometimes spoke Yiddish. There was a good school, where I studied up to the ninth grade with other children of the military. Father was provided with an official apartment with furniture. We had two rooms and good furniture. The house was heated with coal. But I don’t remember any water supply system. It was installed later. We had no animals, and no vegetable garden. We had a lot of books, all secular. Father read political literature and Mother liked novels. We subscribed to many newspapers and Mother attended the library. Father did too, but seldom, as he was a busy man.
Shepetovka itself was a small old town, where a lot of Jews lived. Even Russians and Ukrainians, who lived there, sometimes spoke Yiddish. There was a good school, where I studied up to the ninth grade with other children of the military. Father was provided with an official apartment with furniture. We had two rooms and good furniture. The house was heated with coal. But I don’t remember any water supply system. It was installed later. We had no animals, and no vegetable garden. We had a lot of books, all secular. Father read political literature and Mother liked novels. We subscribed to many newspapers and Mother attended the library. Father did too, but seldom, as he was a busy man.
Period
Year
1940
Location
Shepetovka
Ukraine
Interview
Nina Khlevner