Tag #124879 - Interview #95600 (Mia Ulman)

Our family lived in Leningrad until the end of 1942. My father was working at the plant. My mother was manager at the Primary Education Department of the District National Education Department [RONO], and later she worked as a consultant for the Executive Committee Chairman. I was 16 years old. I took an active part in the self-defense group of the House Economy in preparing houses for defense. I put out fire-bombs, was on duty on the roofs and at the bomb-shelters and provided first aid for victims. The Executive Committee received letters with requests to find people, and I went to look for them. When the Germans threw fire-bombs during the siege [the blockade of Leningrad], the buildings trembled like houses of cards.

Once, during the bombing in the siege, I went to the opposite building. I went to the bomb-shelter to count the people there. At that moment a bomb hit the third floor, but it didn’t explode. The combat engineers neutralized it, but the exits of the bomb-shelters were filled up with debris. The light went out and it became stuffy. The red-haired plumber, who lived on the third floor of that building, began to shout, screaming that we would all die. He was arrested afterwards; he appeared to be on the German side. Fortunately we were saved, and the blockage was cleared.

Another time I went to the bomb-shelter located in 5 Sapyorny Lane. Two fire-bombs landed at the entrance, right in front of the windows, but didn’t explode. Aunt Yevgenia was at home at that moment, she had just returned from the frontline. She was the one who saved us. Owing to her high military rank she was allowed into the bomb-shelter, walked quietly alongside the wall and directed everyone out. We walked home that time very slowly in order not to send any vibrations through the ground. It took us 1.5 hours for 200 meters.