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This photo was taken in Slutsk on Victory Day, 9th May 1945. I am the second on the left at the bottom. I don’t know anybody else in this picture. They are just happy residents of the town in the street. I’m wearing a soldier’s field cap. When the Soviet troops came to Slutsk, people were throwing flowers, and they threw their field caps to us in return, having nothing else to give. I wore mine for a long time and was very proud of it.
During World War II Slutsk was ruined, almost all of it. Lenin Street, the main street in Slutsk stretching all across town, was in ruins. Mama, my brother and I received one room in a house whose owner was still in evacuation. We celebrated Victory Day, 9th May, 1945, in this apartment. This was so much joy, and a true holiday in the town. People came out into the streets rejoicing, hugging each other and crying.
My brother and I were raised to be patriots of our country. We were Soviet children: the pioneer organization, Komsomol and the Party were sacred to us. I was an active pioneer at school. When I turned 14 in 1948, I joined the Komsomol. I was an activist at school. I was an active member of the Komsomol committee of my school. I’ve never lost my child’s love of Soviet holidays.
Pamjat is Centropa’s education program on 20th century Jewish history in Belarus & Russia.
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