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My husband Ilia Kleiman was born in Andre-Ivanovka village, Ivanovo district, Odessa region, in 1921. His mother Claudia Kleiman was a teacher, and his father Bencion Kleiman was a party official. My husband's brother Vadim Kleiman stayed in the occupation in Odessa. He had a forged Russian passport by the name of Shestopalov, and this saved his life. Vadim kept this surname after the war and this enabled him to finish Navy College, where Jews were not admitted. After finishing 8th grade in 1937, Ilia went to study in Odessa Higher Military Artillery School. After finishing he entered the Second Artillery School in Leningrad.
At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War Ilia went to the front where he was the commanding officer of an artillery squad of a regiment during the defense of Leningrad. He was wounded several times. He wouldn't throw away a piece of bread even now since he took part in the break through of the siege of Leningrad [19] and saw horrific scenes of hunger. Ilia was ranked captain at the end of the war. After the war he served in Simferopol for some time. He even thought of entering the Military Academy, but it was clear that they would not admit a Jew. Ilia demobilized, returned to Odessa and entered the History faculty of Odessa University where we met.
For four years before our wedding we had such a romantic relationship that our friends teased us. Once at a student party our friends were showing an amateur film about students' life, the events happening in the life of our friends: some were traveling, some doing this and that, and 'Rimma and Ilia at this time were addressing each other with the polite form of 'You'; this was the refrain of the film.
After university Ilia got a job assignment [20] in the town of Nogaysk at the Azov Sea. He taught history at a secondary and technical school. In the winter he visited us and in 1953 we got married. There was no wedding party; we just had breakfast at the Londonskaya hotel restaurant. Since then we've celebrated our wedding anniversaries each year there. We even had a wedding tour from Odessa to Nogaysk. My husband's brother Vadim worked for the Odessa Shipping Company. He got boat tickets for us and we traveled in a ward where there was just the two us. Then I continued living in Odessa studying in the fifth year of the Conservatory.
At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War Ilia went to the front where he was the commanding officer of an artillery squad of a regiment during the defense of Leningrad. He was wounded several times. He wouldn't throw away a piece of bread even now since he took part in the break through of the siege of Leningrad [19] and saw horrific scenes of hunger. Ilia was ranked captain at the end of the war. After the war he served in Simferopol for some time. He even thought of entering the Military Academy, but it was clear that they would not admit a Jew. Ilia demobilized, returned to Odessa and entered the History faculty of Odessa University where we met.
For four years before our wedding we had such a romantic relationship that our friends teased us. Once at a student party our friends were showing an amateur film about students' life, the events happening in the life of our friends: some were traveling, some doing this and that, and 'Rimma and Ilia at this time were addressing each other with the polite form of 'You'; this was the refrain of the film.
After university Ilia got a job assignment [20] in the town of Nogaysk at the Azov Sea. He taught history at a secondary and technical school. In the winter he visited us and in 1953 we got married. There was no wedding party; we just had breakfast at the Londonskaya hotel restaurant. Since then we've celebrated our wedding anniversaries each year there. We even had a wedding tour from Odessa to Nogaysk. My husband's brother Vadim worked for the Odessa Shipping Company. He got boat tickets for us and we traveled in a ward where there was just the two us. Then I continued living in Odessa studying in the fifth year of the Conservatory.
Location
Ukraine
Interview
rimma rozenberg