My father was very well educated. He probably had three qualifications. The first was technical. Then he was very fond of languages, so his second degree was from the Institute of Foreign Languages. And the third, the most important one, he had achieved at the Institute of Physical Education. In the 1920s, he was a famous athlete in Belarus. He was a champion and devoted his whole life to athletics. My father was one of the first people in 1957 to be named a Merited Coach of the USSR.

My father fought on the frontlines and returned to Minsk. At first, he worked in the City Executive Committee, but then he returned to his beloved sports and devoted his whole life to it. My father trained constantly at the Dynamo Stadium.