I, Larisa Shyhman (nee Trachtenberg) (from the left), with my friend and grandson Stanislav, Gennadiy's son. This photo was made during my visit in Moscow in 1989.
In 1945 I went to work as a radio operator in Zhuliany airport. I worked there until retirement. In 1954 my son Leonid was born. I wanted to stay at work. I liked my collective, I enjoyed it there and my colleagues liked and respected me. So after my second son Gennadiy was born on 17 March 1961 I returned to work at the airport.
My son Gennadiy is very nice. He is an ocean of charms. Always cheerful and smiling. He studied in Moscow College of Oil and Gas named after Gubkin. His wife Olga is so smart… She is also half Ukrainian and half Russian. our friends to help Gennadiy with employment in Moscow. He managed to get a job and stay in Moscow. On 13 March 1986 Gennadiy and Olga's son Stanislav was born. Gennadiy and Olga moved to Israel. Olga said they had to go and shortly after Stanislav was born in 1990 they managed to leave. They lived in Ramat Gan and now in Forsaba near Tel Aviv. I visited them in 1994. They had a wonderful life there. And they are doing well now. Gennadiy's family celebrate all holidays and observe traditions. Their older son Stanislav was circumcised after they arrived and so was their younger son, born there on 15 February 2000. They named him Gavrila after Olga's grandfather who was chief mechanic. There this name sounds like Gabriel. Stanislav's name is Sosl in Ivrit.
In 1992 my husband died having melanoma of the skin. So I am alone… We had a good life. I liked reading and going to theaters and cinema. After the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991 my life hardly changed, I was already a pensioner. I read and watch TV. I have many friends and we often get together, sort of a 'club for those who are over 30'. We laugh a lot, they respect me well. We celebrate Jewish and other holidays. I get along well with them. I don't care about nationality whatsoever. I have a small pension, but I can manage. I don't go out much. They come from Hesed to help me around. I am optimistic and how can one be otherwise? Life is short!
