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I worked in a shop few months and then I went to the army. I served in the engineering troops and my unit was in Kiev region.
I have good memories about the army. There was no discrimination and senior comrades always supported the newcomers. We had plain, but sufficient food. There was one Jew from the Western Ukraine in my platoon. Once, during our leisure time in the barrack one guy began to provoke me telling about ‘zhydy’ and caricature features that people ‘granted’ to them. I understood that he was doing it on purpose and if I didn’t react than anybody would humiliate me. I didn’t think long: I approached him and hit him on his face heartily, from all Jewish people, so to say. My fellow comrades started talking: ‘Good for you, you’ve done right’. ‘However, none of them spoke in my defense till I did it myself, but it strengthened my authority in the unit.
I have good memories about the army. There was no discrimination and senior comrades always supported the newcomers. We had plain, but sufficient food. There was one Jew from the Western Ukraine in my platoon. Once, during our leisure time in the barrack one guy began to provoke me telling about ‘zhydy’ and caricature features that people ‘granted’ to them. I understood that he was doing it on purpose and if I didn’t react than anybody would humiliate me. I didn’t think long: I approached him and hit him on his face heartily, from all Jewish people, so to say. My fellow comrades started talking: ‘Good for you, you’ve done right’. ‘However, none of them spoke in my defense till I did it myself, but it strengthened my authority in the unit.
Period
Location
Kyivska oblast
Ukraine
Interview
Grigoriy Stelmakh