Tag #116381 - Interview #78774 (Fania Brantsovskaya)

In early 1940 my friends and I were summoned to the passport agency and ordered to leave Grodno. We didn't belong there and had no right to reside in the areas adjoining the border. [The Soviet regime did not trust those who lived in the areas that were annexed to the USSR. In particular, it restricted their freedom of movement. They were not supposed to be close to the border to prevent them from escaping from the country]. The point of destination indicated in my passport was Navahrudak, a town in Belarus and I went there. Navahrudak was a nice town, the town where Adam Mickiewicz was born. I took a teachers' training course. I was a good student. I joined the Komsomol and was an activist. Here I fell in love with Ezhi Chizhik from Poland. We spent a lot of time together and dreamt about the future. When we finished our studies we were sent to work in different villages. I went to Zherebkovichi. I taught Belarus, Russian, history and physical education in a small school. My first class was with an army service pre-conscription group. I was to teach them how to put their signatures. My students respected me.