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I was born in Kiev on 5 December 1934.
My maiden name is Napuh. My father’s name was Samuil Napuh. My mother Maria Lvovich had her 2nd husband’s name. My father was her 3rd husband. My mother’s maiden name is Minkovskaya.
My mother Maria is Kiev born and bred. She was born in Kiev in 1894. She was the 4th child in the family. Iosif Minkovskiy, her father, my grandfather, born in 1855, was a merchant. They lived a very good life. They had a house of their own in Podol1. Their entire family lived in this house and everybody had a room of his own.
The family got together in the dining room each evening after my grandfather closed his store, which was located on the ground floor of the building. He owned five or six stores in Kiev and sold fabric, footwear, clothing and haberdashery. There was beautiful furniture, a piano, a lot of china and crystal in the house. My grandfather had an equipage of his own (only well-to-do families could afford an equipage - a coach and horses). My grandmother was at home and managed the housekeeping and bringing up her children (she had housemaids to do the work and the cooking). I don’t know her name – my mother never mentioned it. My mother told me that my grandfather’s family was very religious. My grandfather went to the synagogue every day putting on his tales and tfillin. He had a seat of honor in the synagogue. He gave a lot of money to the synagogue to support poor Jews.
My maiden name is Napuh. My father’s name was Samuil Napuh. My mother Maria Lvovich had her 2nd husband’s name. My father was her 3rd husband. My mother’s maiden name is Minkovskaya.
My mother Maria is Kiev born and bred. She was born in Kiev in 1894. She was the 4th child in the family. Iosif Minkovskiy, her father, my grandfather, born in 1855, was a merchant. They lived a very good life. They had a house of their own in Podol1. Their entire family lived in this house and everybody had a room of his own.
The family got together in the dining room each evening after my grandfather closed his store, which was located on the ground floor of the building. He owned five or six stores in Kiev and sold fabric, footwear, clothing and haberdashery. There was beautiful furniture, a piano, a lot of china and crystal in the house. My grandfather had an equipage of his own (only well-to-do families could afford an equipage - a coach and horses). My grandmother was at home and managed the housekeeping and bringing up her children (she had housemaids to do the work and the cooking). I don’t know her name – my mother never mentioned it. My mother told me that my grandfather’s family was very religious. My grandfather went to the synagogue every day putting on his tales and tfillin. He had a seat of honor in the synagogue. He gave a lot of money to the synagogue to support poor Jews.
Location
Ukraine
Interview
Raissa Yasvoina