My younger son Victor and I, Sima Nerubenko, at the recreation center near Lvov. Photo made in 1947.
In April 1942 my daughter Svetlana was born. Since then I never worked and dedicated myself to my family and raising children. In December 1944 my husband Grigoriy got a job assignment in Lvov. He was offered to be manager of the construction of the factory of glass insulators. He went there immediately. I packed our belongings and children and I followed him.
My husband spent a lot of time at work - upon completion of the construction of the plant he became its director and worked there for many years. I was a housewife. In 1947 our third child Victor was born. I understand that we had a better life than many other families at that time. My husband held a high position and had a good salary. I was concerned about articles published in newspapers: about struggle against cosmopolites, or the "doctors' case". I had my own small and comfortable world and life and I tried to keep it out of mind. My husband attended meetings and sittings at the district Party Committee and always came back home late and was very upset. He was a member of the party. He joined the Party during the great Patriotic War when many people were joining he Party. He wasn't a convinced communist, though, but he had to be one to make a career or he would never become director of a plant. My husband had to attend meetings, but this was one and only Party membership related activity that he was involved in. When I asked him what it was about he replied "I'd rather not tell". He was a reserved and taciturn man and always tried to protect me from any troubles.
We didn't have many friends since our family was most important for us. We didn't observe any religious traditions. We celebrated Soviet holidays: 1 May, October Revolution Day, Victory Day and new Year. We also had birthday parties. I made traditional Soviet food: meat salad, jellied meat, cutlets, etc. Sometimes I made Gefilte fish.
