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In 1948 I became an extramural student of the Pedagogical School in Mukachevo that was not far from Chinadiyevo. I finished school in 1952. I couldn’t find work since there was one lower secondary school in the town and no vacancies. My husband joined the Party in Chinadiyevo. It was mandatory for managers. In 1952 my husband became chief engineer of Zakarpatles Association in Uzhhorod. We received a nice apartment with all comforts in the center of Uzhhorod. I liked Uzhhorod at once. It was a lovely quiet town. People were friendly. There were many Jews in Uzhhorod before the war, but during the war most of them perished in concentration camps. There was no negative attitude toward Jews. Anti-Semitism began in 1952, after the doctors’ plot [17], but it had no impact on us. Local residents had no conflicts with Jews. I believe anti-Semitism was brought in by newcomers.
I remember how sad I was when Stalin died in March 1953. Stalin was our god. I cried and thought it was the end of the world. My husband also cried. When Nikita Khrushchev [18] spoke on the Twentieth Party Congress [19] denouncing the cult of Stalin I didn’t like it at all. I thought it was speculation to gain scores. Of course, now I understand that I was wrong, but this was what I grew up with. I learned a lot about Stalin’s evildoing after the rehabilitation of Yakov Bugdant, my mother’s sister’s, Sima’s, husband; arrested in 1937. I lost my faith in Stalin.
After we moved to Uzhhorod I went to work. I always liked sewing like my mother. I was good at it and went to work as an instructor at the garment school in the House of Officers of Uzhhorod. I received a small salary, but it was convenient that the school was not far from our apartment. I worked there until 1976 when I was offered to become a school teacher. I liked working with children and became a sewing instructor at school. I trained girls. Their parents were very happy about this opportunity for their daughters. I retired in 1979. I had good relationships at work. I never faced any anti-Semitism at work.
We didn’t observe Jewish traditions in the family. In my husband’s position it was not allowed to bring up our children Jewish.Of course, the children knew that they were Jews and they didn’t keep it a secret, but we were not raising them Jewish.
I remember how sad I was when Stalin died in March 1953. Stalin was our god. I cried and thought it was the end of the world. My husband also cried. When Nikita Khrushchev [18] spoke on the Twentieth Party Congress [19] denouncing the cult of Stalin I didn’t like it at all. I thought it was speculation to gain scores. Of course, now I understand that I was wrong, but this was what I grew up with. I learned a lot about Stalin’s evildoing after the rehabilitation of Yakov Bugdant, my mother’s sister’s, Sima’s, husband; arrested in 1937. I lost my faith in Stalin.
After we moved to Uzhhorod I went to work. I always liked sewing like my mother. I was good at it and went to work as an instructor at the garment school in the House of Officers of Uzhhorod. I received a small salary, but it was convenient that the school was not far from our apartment. I worked there until 1976 when I was offered to become a school teacher. I liked working with children and became a sewing instructor at school. I trained girls. Their parents were very happy about this opportunity for their daughters. I retired in 1979. I had good relationships at work. I never faced any anti-Semitism at work.
We didn’t observe Jewish traditions in the family. In my husband’s position it was not allowed to bring up our children Jewish.Of course, the children knew that they were Jews and they didn’t keep it a secret, but we were not raising them Jewish.
Location
Ukraine
Interview
Evgenia Gendler