Selected text
Now I must return to 1943, when the Soviet club was opened in Shanghai.
Paul and I were active members. It was a very interesting and merry place.
There were parties, concerts and lectures about the USSR. I took part in
the performances. We sang Soviet songs, saw Soviet films. Representatives
from the Soviet Embassy came and told us about the position at the front.
They showed orders and medals. We listened to the Soviet radio.
After the victory in Germany, later in Japan, the prestige of the Soviet
Union grew, especially among the Russian-speaking population of China.
At last in 1948 a Shanghai Russian newspaper published a decree of the
Soviet Government that all interested Russian-speaking people could depart
forto the USSR. We decided to go to this remarkable country, which defeated
fascism, where all people had equal rights and all people were heroes. We
were not afraid of the difficulties. We were glad that our son, who was
born in 1946, could grow up in this wonderful country. To tell the truth,
my mother did not want to go there but we persuaded her. About 10,000
people wanted to go to the USSR. Russian immigrant newspapers frightened
us: "You will be deported to camp in Siberia. Change your mind! Where are
you going?" But we did not believe them. My mother sold our flat and my
husband left his well-paid job.
We gave back our passports and at the end of 1948 we moved from Shanghai to
Vladivostok. We traveled for three days, but instead of Vladivostok our
ship arrived in the port Nakhodka. At that time there were camps with
watchtowers, which were enclosed with barbed wire. We lived there in a
barrack for one month. Before us, Japanese captives had lived there. There
were people of different nations among us. There were some Jewish families,
too. In Shanghai we were told that we could choose where we would live. We
chose Ukraine or the Caucasus. In Nakhodka we were told: "Choose! Siberia
or the Urals." We were afraid of Siberia and we decided to go to the Urals.
We were put into vans used for heated goods, and were given food. We
traveled for one month.
Paul and I were active members. It was a very interesting and merry place.
There were parties, concerts and lectures about the USSR. I took part in
the performances. We sang Soviet songs, saw Soviet films. Representatives
from the Soviet Embassy came and told us about the position at the front.
They showed orders and medals. We listened to the Soviet radio.
After the victory in Germany, later in Japan, the prestige of the Soviet
Union grew, especially among the Russian-speaking population of China.
At last in 1948 a Shanghai Russian newspaper published a decree of the
Soviet Government that all interested Russian-speaking people could depart
forto the USSR. We decided to go to this remarkable country, which defeated
fascism, where all people had equal rights and all people were heroes. We
were not afraid of the difficulties. We were glad that our son, who was
born in 1946, could grow up in this wonderful country. To tell the truth,
my mother did not want to go there but we persuaded her. About 10,000
people wanted to go to the USSR. Russian immigrant newspapers frightened
us: "You will be deported to camp in Siberia. Change your mind! Where are
you going?" But we did not believe them. My mother sold our flat and my
husband left his well-paid job.
We gave back our passports and at the end of 1948 we moved from Shanghai to
Vladivostok. We traveled for three days, but instead of Vladivostok our
ship arrived in the port Nakhodka. At that time there were camps with
watchtowers, which were enclosed with barbed wire. We lived there in a
barrack for one month. Before us, Japanese captives had lived there. There
were people of different nations among us. There were some Jewish families,
too. In Shanghai we were told that we could choose where we would live. We
chose Ukraine or the Caucasus. In Nakhodka we were told: "Choose! Siberia
or the Urals." We were afraid of Siberia and we decided to go to the Urals.
We were put into vans used for heated goods, and were given food. We
traveled for one month.
Period
Year
1943
Location
Vladivostok
Russia
Interview
sarah zauer