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I was born in an apartment house, which was situated on the corner of the streets ‘Tzar Simeon’ and ‘Tetevenska’, now ‘Budapeshta’. Afterwards my family moved house to Pavlovo quarter because at the age of five I got dysentery. My father decided to rent a little house in Pavlovo and to live there until my recovery. There came my granny Reyna in 1935 when she decided to move to Sofia. During that period – 1935-1936 - the rest of grandpa Isak’s family (my mother’s father and Dzhamila) lived in Sofia as well. I remember they lived on the corner of ‘Bratya Miladinovi’ and ‘Makriopolska’ and afterwards in ‘Opalchenska’ street, but my memories are fading.
And after Pavlovo, we lived on 51 ‘Bratya Miladinovi’ street, afterwards on 41 ’Pop Bogomil’ and finally, before the internment [7], on 2 ‘Makriopolska’. My father liked us to change our premises because he was educated in Europe, and in Europe people used to move house more frequently than in Bulgaria and they prefered to live in lodgings.
I remember our place on 51 ‘Bratya Miladinovi’ and ‘Makriopolska’. We rented the place until 1937-1938. It was a three-storey apartment house, which still exists. Our two-room apartment was on the third floor; the owners lived on the second floor. Our neighbors were Bulgarian and we were on best terms with them. There weren’t any other Jewish families in the apartment house but opposite us, in ‘Bratya Miladinovi’ street too, lived the Primo family who we were friends with. We rented two rooms and a kitchen but, as we weren’t in a blooming financial situation, we had a tenant in one of the rooms. My father, mother and I used to sleep in the other room. The toilet was in the apartment and, since my mother was very house-proud, she kept it immaculate. My father also cared a lot about the toilet. He, as a person educated in Europe, used to say that in Switzerland and Vienna whenever you want to rent a place, you first go into the toilet. My mother had also cut some pictures, art reproductions from the magazine I used to receive then – ‘Kartinna Galeria’ [’Picture Gallery] [‘Kartinna Galeria’ – a Bulgarian monthly illustrated magazine. On print in Sofia between 1905 and 1925. Editor-in-chief – G. Palashev. In 1920 its name was changed to ‘Kartinna Galeria za Mladezhi’ (’Picture Gallery for Young People’). As an appendix to the magazine there was a special file with color reproductions of pictures by Bulgraian and foreign artists. The magazine played a significant role in the artistic cultivation of generations of Bulgarians.] – and had put them in the toilet for decoration.
And after Pavlovo, we lived on 51 ‘Bratya Miladinovi’ street, afterwards on 41 ’Pop Bogomil’ and finally, before the internment [7], on 2 ‘Makriopolska’. My father liked us to change our premises because he was educated in Europe, and in Europe people used to move house more frequently than in Bulgaria and they prefered to live in lodgings.
I remember our place on 51 ‘Bratya Miladinovi’ and ‘Makriopolska’. We rented the place until 1937-1938. It was a three-storey apartment house, which still exists. Our two-room apartment was on the third floor; the owners lived on the second floor. Our neighbors were Bulgarian and we were on best terms with them. There weren’t any other Jewish families in the apartment house but opposite us, in ‘Bratya Miladinovi’ street too, lived the Primo family who we were friends with. We rented two rooms and a kitchen but, as we weren’t in a blooming financial situation, we had a tenant in one of the rooms. My father, mother and I used to sleep in the other room. The toilet was in the apartment and, since my mother was very house-proud, she kept it immaculate. My father also cared a lot about the toilet. He, as a person educated in Europe, used to say that in Switzerland and Vienna whenever you want to rent a place, you first go into the toilet. My mother had also cut some pictures, art reproductions from the magazine I used to receive then – ‘Kartinna Galeria’ [’Picture Gallery] [‘Kartinna Galeria’ – a Bulgarian monthly illustrated magazine. On print in Sofia between 1905 and 1925. Editor-in-chief – G. Palashev. In 1920 its name was changed to ‘Kartinna Galeria za Mladezhi’ (’Picture Gallery for Young People’). As an appendix to the magazine there was a special file with color reproductions of pictures by Bulgraian and foreign artists. The magazine played a significant role in the artistic cultivation of generations of Bulgarians.] – and had put them in the toilet for decoration.
Location
Bulgaria
Interview
Reyna Lidgi