[Cz-L] Forced labor and deportations under Soviet rule

In 1940 - 41 my family was saved from deportation by the high ranking NKVD
official who lived with us. He did not look like Putin, nor had his
mannerisms. As I remember him, he was dark and handsome and according to my
parents, highly educated and fluent in many languages. Of course he also
brought me candy and the only photograph, I have of that year, was taken by
him, with his camera.I suppose he could obtain photographic film, when no
one else could.

In the winter of 1944 - 45, my mother received a summons to come to some
neighborhood office, to present herself to be sent to fell trees. My father
was working in Hliboka and my mother had no one to leave me with, so she
took me with her. At the office a number of other women were waiting their
turn to speak to the "Natchalnik". Two of them were peasant women from one
of the villages near Czernowitz. They immediately approached my mother and
told her that she could not go to fell trees. She was not strong enough and
I was too young. My mother explained that she was following orders. The two
women did not give up, they turned on the"natchalnik" and in loud voices
told him that he could not send my mother to fell trees; she was too
diminutive, she had a young child and she was a "panye" (lady). Communism or
not, a lady was a lady. The official gave in and my mother and I went home.

Mimi
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Received on 2009-10-05 18:06:22