Selected text
I faced anti-Semitism in 1952 when I tried to enter college. I passed my exams to Leningrad Medical College. I had an interview after passing my entrance exams. I noticed that Russian and Ukrainian applicants were admitted to the college while Jewish applicants - there were 14 of us - were told to come for an interview on the following day. We were so upset that one young Jewish man said that if he wasn't admitted; he would write to the United Nations Organization. It must have had its effect because this young man was admitted. The others weren't even allowed to have an interview. I entered Leningrad Communication College instead. I got accommodation in a hostel. I shared a room with three other students. We got along well and helped each other. I studied well. Then the Doctors' Plot [19] began and my co-students stayed away from me as if I had something to do with it. Stalin died in 1953 and I grieved after him. I didn't cry, but I was afraid of what was ahead of us and what we were going to do after the 'father of the people' had died.
After finishing college I got a mandatory job assignment [20] to the telephone company in Chernigov. I was to work as a telephone operator there. I loved coming back to my parents' home. Every now and then guys from the military unit in town called to chat at night in order to stay awake. Once I got an interesting call from a soldier. He began to talk about new books, music and ballet to me. We talked for a while. When I worked the night shift next time he called again. He called every time when I was on night shift and we talked for hours. A month later he arranged a date with me. We met. He was a Tatar and his name was Shamil Mukhamedjanov. He was born in 1931. He was on military service in Chernigov. I liked him at once. I took Shamil to my home. He was polite and reserved. My parents liked him and didn't mind that he wasn't a Jew. When his service was over Shamil left for home. He wrote letters for two years, proposed to me and waited for my consent. I agreed to marry him. We had our wedding in Chernigov in 1957 and left for Guriev in Kazakhstan where Shamil's family lived. My mother-in-law was skeptical about me. A few years later she told me that she hadn't given Shamil her consent to marry me for a long time because I was of different origin. She was afraid that I would ridicule their customs and religion. She didn't care about my Jewish origin in particular - all she wanted was for Shamil to marry a Tatar girl.
After finishing college I got a mandatory job assignment [20] to the telephone company in Chernigov. I was to work as a telephone operator there. I loved coming back to my parents' home. Every now and then guys from the military unit in town called to chat at night in order to stay awake. Once I got an interesting call from a soldier. He began to talk about new books, music and ballet to me. We talked for a while. When I worked the night shift next time he called again. He called every time when I was on night shift and we talked for hours. A month later he arranged a date with me. We met. He was a Tatar and his name was Shamil Mukhamedjanov. He was born in 1931. He was on military service in Chernigov. I liked him at once. I took Shamil to my home. He was polite and reserved. My parents liked him and didn't mind that he wasn't a Jew. When his service was over Shamil left for home. He wrote letters for two years, proposed to me and waited for my consent. I agreed to marry him. We had our wedding in Chernigov in 1957 and left for Guriev in Kazakhstan where Shamil's family lived. My mother-in-law was skeptical about me. A few years later she told me that she hadn't given Shamil her consent to marry me for a long time because I was of different origin. She was afraid that I would ridicule their customs and religion. She didn't care about my Jewish origin in particular - all she wanted was for Shamil to marry a Tatar girl.
Location
Ukraine
Interview
lina mukhamedjanova