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I, my husband Lev Gendler and our son Arkadi Gendler. This photo was taken in Kiev in 1947.
There were two rooms and a kitchen in Lev's family's apartment. My husband and I lived in one room. Lev's parents were religious. They celebrated Sabbath and Jewish holidays. On holidays his mother and father went to synagogue. They had matzah at Pesach and fasted at Yom Kippur. My husband and I were not religious. Lev began to work as an engineer in the Ministry of Furniture Industry. My father-in-law helped me to get a job as human resource inspector at the Bolshevik Plant. I joined Komsomol at the plant. I obtained my Komsomol membership card at the Komsomol Committee of the plant. I believed it was an important step in my life.
We earned little money. Life was hard in Kiev after the war. There were no goods in stores and markets were expensive. My husband received 600 rubles and a loaf of bread cost 300 in the market. On 7th December 1946 our first baby was born. We named him Arkadi, after my father: my father's Jewish name was Arl-Itzhok and my son's Jewish name was Arl. We could hardly make ends with our salaries. Subcarpathia became a Soviet territory. Before 1945 it belonged to Hungary. They had a need of forestry engineers and my husband was invited to work at Zakarpatles Forestry Office in Uzhhorod. They promised to give us an apartment. My husband was appointed to the position of chief engineer at the forestry of Chinadiyevo in 50 km from Uzhhorod. Chinadiyevo was a small town. Men worked at the forestry and women were housewives. We received a small house. My husband went to work and I stayed at home with our son. I planted vegetables near the house and bought a goat and chicken.
