Selected text
My son got married in his 30s. His wife Laura is a Jew. Laura’s father came from Uzhhorod and her mother was born in Georgia. Laura finished Stomatological Faculty in Georgia and got a job assignment [21] to Subcarpathia. She met Arkadi and they got married. They didn’t have a Jewish wedding. Laura received a two-room apartment in a new district in Uzhhorod. After our daughter died our apartment became too big for us. We offered our son to exchange apartments and moved into their smaller apartment. In 1988 Arkadi and Laura's daughter Victoria was born. She was named after my daughter. My granddaughter studies in the 9th grade. After finishing she wants to enroll in the Stomatological College in Uzhhorod.
When in 1970s Jews began to move to Israel we didn’t consider this option. We had no relatives there and were afraid of going to a different country. I didn’t quite understand why people were leaving their country where they grew up, but I supported and helped our acquaintances with packing, buying things and selling their belongings and gave them moral support. Also our close friends left, whom we corresponded with later on. At first we did it trough our common acquaintances to avoid any impact of this on my husband’s career. When perestroika began we could correspond without intermediates. I was glad to hear that they didn’t regret their move and that they were having a good life. By now they have passed away and now their daughter writes me.
Наш сын тоже не изъявлял желания уехать, а вдвоем с мужем уезжать я не хотела. А теперь уже поздно об этом думать.
When in 1970s Jews began to move to Israel we didn’t consider this option. We had no relatives there and were afraid of going to a different country. I didn’t quite understand why people were leaving their country where they grew up, but I supported and helped our acquaintances with packing, buying things and selling their belongings and gave them moral support. Also our close friends left, whom we corresponded with later on. At first we did it trough our common acquaintances to avoid any impact of this on my husband’s career. When perestroika began we could correspond without intermediates. I was glad to hear that they didn’t regret their move and that they were having a good life. By now they have passed away and now their daughter writes me.
Наш сын тоже не изъявлял желания уехать, а вдвоем с мужем уезжать я не хотела. А теперь уже поздно об этом думать.
Location
Ukraine
Interview
Evgenia Gendler