This photograph was taken in 1924 in Minsk. My father took me to a photo studio. Having got married, my parents moved to Minsk. And I was born on April 17, 1920 in Vitebsk. We rented a small house. Our neighbors were Belarusian families. We all lived in peace and friendship despite different nationalities.

In Minsk I went to school and studied there for 5 years. We studied the Belarusian language and loved that subject very much. As a result, we spoke it very well, we could read and write in the Belarusian language. We were also interested in Belarusian literature and knew many poems by heart.