Monthly Archives: October 2013

Continuing to Push Eastward

Posted on October 31, 2013 by

Learning about my grandparents and aunts being pushed eastward, with gunfire and bombs exploding nearby, was so disturbing to me. Then I read about the heavy winds and temperatures which dipped to as low as -40° F/C and I not … Continue reading →

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Never Give Up on the Research Hunt

Posted on October 30, 2013 by

How have I been able to learn so much about my father’s story growing up in the Soviet Union in the 1930’s and 1940’s, particularly since there is not a lot of information out there on the internet regarding that … Continue reading →

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Dodging Bombs on the Train

Posted on October 29, 2013 by

Dad’s parents and sisters never knew what to expect from one day to the next.  My Aunt Anna seemed to be the optimistof their family as they fled to safety from the Germans. On December 1, they were “riding on … Continue reading →

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Enemy: Germany or Weather?

Posted on October 28, 2013 by

After the September 19 diary entry regarding the bombing of Kiev, which was written in Russian and required translation by my friend Pete, there are pages and pages written in different-colored ink and handwriting.  It is so frustrating not to … Continue reading →

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Stranded by the Rain

Posted on October 25, 2013 by

Dad’s parents and sisters awoke the morning of September 7 ready to move again. Keep in mind that the nearby city of Novgorod was under siege at this time, so it must have been a horrific place to be trapped. … Continue reading →

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The War and Autumn Rasputitsa

Posted on October 24, 2013 by

Sleep must have been difficult as the military aircraft rumbled overhead throughout the night. My grandparents and aunts were not far from the fighting.  On September 4, less than three weeks after their hurried departure, Dad’s family was chased out … Continue reading →

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Running From the War

Posted on October 23, 2013 by

August 1941, Dad is now safe in Rockaway, New Jersey, staying at the home of his godmother and her family.  He was unaware that his family had left Novgorod with barely any time to spare.  The day before the city … Continue reading →

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A Bumblebee Searches for Tony-Random Act of Kindness

Posted on October 22, 2013 by

My research into the story of Dad has refueled my belief that despite much of the horrific news that gets thrown at us much too often, the world is still filled with much kindness and generosity and the Internet and … Continue reading →

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The Buzz About What Happened to Tony

Posted on October 21, 2013 by

My previous blog, Was Anyone Safe?  mentioned that “his brother and sisters had been instructed to proceed to Moscow to pick up their passports.”  There is a subtle message from me in this statement- brother is singular, but Dad had two brothers. The … Continue reading →

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Evacuated

Posted on October 18, 2013 by

What had happened to my grandparents, aunts and uncles?  The diary, letters from the National Archives, and page 195 of  the book, “The Forsaken,”  all pointed to one place- Kuibyshev. A search on Google told me that Kuibyshev is presently … Continue reading →

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