Seraphima Gurevich's uncle,Yankel Zastavkis, with
his wife Clara Zastavkis and their daughter Lialia Zastavkis

This photo, taken in Leningrad in 1940 shows my mother's younger brother, Yankel Zastavkis, his wife Clara and their daughter Lialia. Uncle Yankel sent the photo to grandmother and grandfather in Polonnoye, signed: ?To my dear parents from their loving son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter?. My grandparents had 11 children. They also adopted 2 children of my grandmother's brother. The boys in the family studied in cheder and the girls had a teacher teaching them at home. All the children finished the eight-grade lower secondary school in Polonnoye. They were a very close family. There was a typical atmosphere of a Jewish family in their house, full of love and warmth. My mother's family was a model of generosity, care and love for me. Yankel was born after my mother. He finished lower secondary school in Polonnoye. Yankel was influenced by revolutionary ideas. After the Revolution of 1917 he became a Komsomol activist. He moved to Leningrad and became a party official. He was married. His wife's name was Clara. They had a daughter. Her name was Elizabeth, but the family called her Lialia. During the war Clara and Lialia were in the blockade of Leningrad. In 1943 when the blockade was broken, they were taken to Moscow and then to Tashkent. Yankel was fighting on the front. He was wounded several times, but he returned to the army after every recovery. After the war the family returned to Leningrad. Yankel worked as an engineer at the plant. He died in the 1980s.