Anna’s story:
Betrayed Father and Lonely Daughter
Compiled by Kristina Gray from her student's blogs

Jane S. started her blog about Anna: “When I saw four grandmas entering the classroom, my heart was squeezed and a thought ran through my head, ‘What horrifying story will they tell us?’ When Anna started telling us her story tears ran down her cheeks. I wanted to help her, to calm her down but then I realized, how could I? Can anybody do that, one hug will never take away the pain and suffering she and millions of other people like her went through.” Mariya felt confused too when she admitted at first meeting Anna, “From the very beginning of her talk she burst into tears. First, I was so confused not knowing how to help, but after a moment she continued.

Kirill explained the beginning of this particular writing class in this way: “We were divided into four groups. Our group got to talk with Anna, who was born July 7, 1926 (in Fastov, near Kiev), during the time of collectivization. Anna’s father was claimed to be an “enemy of the nation” because he refused to join the collective farm (kolkhoz).” Alice continued Anna’s narrative by writing: “The family of our heroine consisted of five members. Their family had lived happily, but one day changed their lives forever. Ann’s father refused to go to the kolkhoz, so he was put into the prison from which he would never return again. 1931-1932 was very hard to live because the house where Anna’s family lived was pulled down. They had no place to live.”

Mariya wrote: “Anna’s father was arrested while his family, wife with small daughter and two sons, appeared with no home. Happily, the sister of Anna’s mother agreed to shelter her relatives. Soon, the family got to know that the father escaped and found him. He began to work on the factory with his nephew. It seemed that life was getting better little by little. Unfortunately, one day everything changed for the worse. Anna’s father’s nephew met his best friend of the childhood in the bar. He was so happy and inspired that he did not realize how he revealed everything about his family to him. When the nephew told about this surprising meeting at home, Anna’s father understood at once that the nice friend was a secret agent.” In fact, Kirill wrote, “It turned out that this so-called “friend” was a spy-agent of NKVD who was looking for Anna’s father. In two days after that meeting, he was arrested.” Mariya continued: “Everyone was shocked. On the eve of Christmas, unknown people came and took away Anna’s father forever. Anna was only 7 years old, but she completely understood and felt the horror of the situation.”

According to Alice: “The situation was not easy, so they had to think quickly about what to do next. Anna’s mother decided to go to Leningrad where they might find some food. They lived there for two years. The conditions were awful, but they had no way to make it better, because they did not even have any place to live. They tried to find anywhere possible to live.”

Mariya explained Anna’s early, painful years: “Full of despair, in search of the warmth and normal life, Anna’s family left for Leningrad, Russia. Luckily, the majority of people there appeared quite sympathetic and understanding giving them some food to somehow stay alive. They were happy to shelter the poor family. As a sign of gratitude, Anna’s mother laundered and cleaned up the homes for those people. The youngest son, Tolya was quite a good cattleman. As he worked for different people, every new day he lived with a different family. Anna’s mother asked Tolya to stay in this village and live in such a way, until they would be able to find better alternatives. As for Anna’s mother and Anna, they stopped in another village with a very good and friendly family. Soon, Anna’s mother decided to visit Ukraine in order to try to see her husband. Anna’s mother promised the hostess Dunya she would come back in two weeks and asked her to look after little Anna. Two weeks turned into two years.”

Kirill listened as Anna revealed more of her story, “The hard times started for Anna when her mother went to Ukraine. Little Anna’s work was to look after geese, hens, etc. Village children teased and laughed at Anna and called her “khokhlushka,” because of her Ukrainian nationality. Also, she had nothing to wear on her feet. ‘Luckily,’ our interviewee said, - ‘I finally found my brother in a nearby village which was located only 15 kilometers away.’”

According to Mariya, Anna “missed her mom and brother a lot. The long-expected meeting with them she remembers as the happiest moment of her life. When her mother finally returned from Ukraine, Anna was 10 years old when she saw them both. They returned to their homeland village in Ukraine where they lived with Anna’s mother’s sister again in 1936. However, Anna’s brother decided to remain near Leningrad. In Ukraine, they lived six people in one house, with their aunt, who took in some other orphan children. Anna went to school and finished 6 classes with honors. During 1936-40 the source of her family’s existence was the forest full of berries and mushrooms. When she was 16 years old, the war began.”

Kirill wrote what he remembered Anna’s quote about the war: “My childhood stopped there.” In 1941, she was in 6th class when WWII started. She remembers her friends and her wandering through the forest, when they suddenly heard bombs.” Alice wrote: “When the Second World War started in 1941, both of Anna’s brothers went to the Front to fight while Anna worked as a conductor for the railway station. In her trains were injured soldiers, who were going to the hospital. So Anna was working not only as a conductor but also as a kind of nurse. It was the hardest period in the life of our heroine. Not everybody could do the work that Anna did.”

When the war was over, most of her friends and relatives were dead, so she felt very alone. According to Mariya, “Anna appeared in L’vov when the war finished.” After the war, continued Alice, “Anna decided that after reconstruction of Kiev she would work as a conductor in the railway station. She worked there all her life, and said that this was her favorite job.”

Kirill regretted that the class ran out of time so he could not find out the rest of Anna’s story. The end of the interview also came too soon for Mariya since Anna had much more to tell. Mariya ended her blog: “Unfortunately, we were not able to find out what happened then to Anna. The only thing that we know is that her oldest brother perished in the war, while the second one came back disabled. As for herself, happily, she did not suffer too much. She got married and had two children. Imagining how many misfortunes Anna came through just in the first 20 years of her life I feel shivers going up and down my spine! The loss of her father, betrayal, the life with no home, food and clothes, long-lasting separation with her mother and brothers, the war…and everything is together…A long list of the horrors and fears that, probably, will never leave Anna’s soul.” Jane concluded Anna’s story: “all her life was a big fight for living. Her only dream throughout her life was to have her own house, a place where she could come back to everyday from work, a place that no one could ever take away from her.”

Vika during the second class was able to find out more from Anna about her son and daughter. Unfortunately, Anna’s son was shot several years ago even though he was a respected military major in the army. Anna tearfully produced for Vika’s group a picture of him. He was only about 50 years old at the time of his untimely death. Vitaly S. also looked at Anna’s prized photo and wrote: “Every new story recalled her feelings and she began to cry. Of course, we understood her and tried to support as much as we could. During that time I realized how happy we are without knowing what it was like to live during bombs and explosions.” Vitaly ended his blog: “The [Ukrainian] government and local authorities should make certain that veterans enjoy a peaceful future. I don’t think old people need money as much as they want to see successful lives of their children. They still pray for them and thank God for being alive.”

Word Count: 1,445 words