I am photographed when visiting a friend. Kiev, 1948.
We were so happy to hear the word 'Victory!' in May 1945! We began to get prepared to go home from evacuation. We returned to our apartment. There was no furniture left. Varia, our nanny, watched where our furniture was gone and our mother demanded it back. Later my mother's brothers and sisters also received lodgings. Meyer stayed with us. I lived there until I got married.
In Kiev I went to the 9th grade of school #53 in 1945. There were Ukrainian classes introduced in the 5th grade in all Russian schools in Kiev. I hadn't studied Ukrainian in evacuation and was dismissed from these classes. I had many friends and we went to the cinema, theater or just for a walk in the park missing many classes at school. I already decided to enter Theatrical College after school and focused on literature and history.
After finishing school I entered the Theatrical College. I have dim memories of the years of my studies, 1946 - 1951. we studied and had rehearsals, went for walks and to dance. We often went to the cinema. After finishing college I went to work at the theater for young spectators where I met my husband Vilia [full name Vilen] Dreezo. Vilia went to work at our theater as electrician. He was promoted to electric engineering manager. We met and Vilia courted me for a while. We got married in 1954. We had a civil ceremony in a registry office. There was no wedding party. We lived with Vilia's mother, Ida. They had two rooms in a communal apartment in the house for writers.
I'd rather not talk about my private life. I didn't have it. My son and I lived in a one-room apartment since early 1960s. I left my theater to looke after my son and if I had stayed at the theater I would have returned home late at night. I was a housewife for few years. I didn't get a chance to go back to work at the theater: there were no vacancies. In 1960 I went to work as a consultant at Kiev Institute of advanced training of teachers. I was responsible for making arrangements for conferences, discussions of new school curricula, innovations and school academic plans. I retired from this position in 1984.
