SARA. Laws are keeping silence during the war

– Musia!!!

– From a distance coming toward the line, loudly and angrily his wife was shouting and you couldn’t stay the last in the queue, what kind of simpleton!;Musia and Ziama hunched their necks from fear, but it seemed they were lucky, Haya was running past, her main aim was the market place which was opposite side.

Three middle-aged ladies were ahead, they turned at the cry of Haya and recognized in her an old friend, they portrayed a smile, saying some words of welcome.

Haya, on the run replied in kind keeping the same etiquette, and ran on.

I must say that Haya screamed so loud that she could easily outshouted the signal of an approaching locomotive, so that the whole line responded to her cry, but three ladies who were standing in front of Sara, didn’t miss the opportunity to discuss Haya, but not her cry, they were not bothered by it, they were not timid by themselves, they may cry, no less shrill, one of them by changing smile on a wry face, as if just she has smelt the rotten sauerkraut, cheerfully she set the tone:

– Listen, there is Haya!

– Really!

– Did she live behind the school? – said the third.;

No one was going to answer the question, the first lady who exclaimed was burst with the desire to savor Haina, sorry ass:

– Is she put on weight more? Well, asshole!

– The nightmare – the other assented shrilly.

– Keep your voice down, – the third person hissed loudly, pushing her friend by elbow, fearing of Haya’s wrath, and glancing in the direction of running.

– Ah! Why are you worrying!

If I was not sure that she was among the other things also deaf, I would not speak so calmly.

These phrases have reached all who was staying in the queue, they giggled.

Then the baton was intercepted again by Grandpas.

– Ugh! – it could be heard when grandfathers breathed together.

– Well, how did you marry Haya?

– Ziama cried in the hearts – she is so ugly!

– Well, I say – a little oblique!

– A little bit?! When she is crying, her tears flow on the back crosswise!

– So this is my mother’s choice

– Musia mumbled guilty.

She told me that I would never marry a beautiful girl – she can leave me.

– And the ugly can leave too.

– But this is a different matter!; And Grandpas again were giggling.

– Ziama rushed into memories – but my mother always told me; – My son! Your first wife should be Ukrainian.

– How so, why? You’re a Jew, – Musia embarrassed.

– And I just asked my mother why, and she said that Ukrainians are beautiful, they cook tasty.

“She will make the burly man from you. Then you will divorce and marry a Jewess”

– Why? – Musia bewildered more.

– Well, I asked her why? And I got a slap for the slowness.

– Firstly, – my mother told me – you are a Jew.

Secondly, a Jewess wife – this are some connections and string-pulling. And when you will have connections, the position in the society, children, you will divorce and marry a gypsy.

– ?!

– Musia entangled in the calculations of Ziama’s mother completely, he crouched the proper “face”.

Ziama continued with a serious expression of face, understanding the silent scene of Musia:

– Mum likes so much how beautiful the Roma bury.

– ?!

– Did you believe? Well I’m laughing!;And playful old men were giggling again, coughing and tapping each other on the back.;;

Next was the turn of Musia, Ziama called him so, copying the style of Haya:

– And remember, I was in Kiev last year?

– Of course, you were in Kiev, I remember.

– So I’ll tell you, there are such Ukrainians!

– Better than ours?

– How can you compare?!

– Musia outraged. – I had an intimate date with someone, uh-uh! Oh!

– Cheer up and smacking his lips with pleasure, Musia who was already eighty years old, Sara thought so, he added exclaiming:

– Oh, now I know everything for sure!

– So tell me, finally!

– losing patience and scattering spit with envy, Ziama urged him.

– Listen: she wore a cape with a hood lurex – nothing like you would not find here.

And when she took off her, then it was under the blouse in pink chiffon, transparent as glass!

And her skirt was all completely covered with sequins, so that it was painful to even look at her. Then she took off her skirt…

– And what? – Ziama insisted impatiently.

– And what, – his friend shouted at him above, – she had underclothes decorated with Walloon lace of purple color and silver threads… Garters were decorated with the precious stones…

– And what? – Ziama asked losing his patience and self-control.

– Then she took off her clothes and garters …Ziama wiped the drops of sweat from his forehead, by the movement of hand that gripped the wrist of a happy storyteller, he made it clear that he needed a brief respite, and after a few seconds, exclaimed again:

– And what?

– Well, what – what, what – what?

– Musia waved disappointed

– And then everything was exactly as with my Haya…

– Mmm!

– Musia shook his head in disappointment – listen and how is your Haya feeling now?

– She is sick and ill, I said to her:

– Haya, do you know if any of us will die, I will most likely go to Israel…

– I understand you, and now you’re going to L’vov, – Ziama laughed.

The queuing for the water was quite long, friends countered each other relentlessly, the language in which they spoke was a surrogate for the Jewish, Ukrainian and Russian:

– How did you marry Haya, I am afraid of her, she can kill by the glance?!

Listening to the elders, Sara became cheerful.

After drinking some water and taking it with them, she and her mother crossed the road, where there was a small little market, the brother, a little later, caught up with them.

The mother thought it would be good to exchange her ring on the products, as the way was expected to be not near and not easy, where there is such a possibility could be.

The voices of traded were heard everywhere:

– I would not for a half price buy this fur coat.

Look – there is a fur out! – a thick aunt squealed.

– Madame, but for this price a couple of years you will have a great leather coat!

– Either he made fun of, or really believed in his words the seller with the silly expression on his face, reminiscent of a caricature.

Suddenly, as in the gramophone, right behind Sara the voices were heard:

– We haven’t seen for a long time! How are you doing? What do you do?

– Thank you, slowly. I am working on memoirs.

– Writing memoirs? It is wonderful. By the way, have you already reached the point when you have taken me 30 rubles?

Pictures, characters and actions change like a kaleidoscope.

– Good day, Semyon Markovich, how are you doing?

– Little by little, and yours?

– The same. I have an interesting little case to you.

There is a luxury bride for you – the young widow of great beauty, she is very serious. And innocent.

– How innocent? You said that she is a widow.

– Oh, a word that she is a widow, it was so long ago, she has already forgotten everything.

“The bazaar”, you can see and you can hear everything!

The signal train whistle alerted that passengers should take their seats.

People hastily rushed to their cars.

The bazaar deserted at once and traders immediately bored, staring at the chain of cars, whether envying departing, or regretting that did not have time to bargain and sell, barter or more items.

Meanwhile, the train had already started off.

The night was falling.

All the passengers began to prepare for the bedtime.

Each tried to stretch his legs, but it was not easy, everywhere they were bumping into the other passengers, the little wick was lighting, people had to navigate almost to the touch.

At the end of the car someone screamed, the voices of neighbors were heard:

– A! Are not you ashamed?

– So many thieves are around!

– No, I mixed up the bag!

– We know how you are confused!

– All right, leave him alone, maybe he really mixed up, it is too dark in here.

– Stop yelling, let sleep!

– Sleep yourself there.

– I said, shut up already!

– What? – a hefty man outraged rising from his seat.

– Okay, okay, keep calm, – probably his wife wailed.

Near the neighbors hissed, and somehow it all gradually found a peace.

Sara and Emma sat down on either side of Boris, and put their heads on his shoulders.

Boris was already snoring and his mother was also dozing, Sara could not sleep.

Thoughts assailed her.

– What is L’vov? – Sara wondered mentally.

After all, this city still belongs to Poland, though it is already managed by the USSR.

According to the stories, it is beautiful, that’s all.

Laws are keeping silence during the war.

Lukan

Chapter 2. L’vov

Ancient, beautiful Polish city of L’vov met Sara with her family not hospitable, by the wild downpour, by the wind that knocked down and grim faces.

The red flag flew over L’vov.

It seemed almost a year, as the city lives and breathes the atmosphere of change, but from the first minute it was clear that nothing of the kind, the city and the citizens were strangers, not like Zaporojye and its inhabitants.

Temporarily Boris and his family were located near the railway station, in a communal apartment, they were given rations.

In the morning the brother left the service, Emma began to work about the house, and Sara went out.

She stood on the porch with a little hesitation, fighting the urge to dive back into the apartment, it was so uncomfortable and even scary for her.

Two old women were sitting on the bench and discussing something, looking at the windows on the second floor.

Sara was also curious, and she looked up.

There was a young woman who cleaned the window.

Sara thought, there was nothing special, and went towards the center.

Passing by the old ladies she heard one of them appealing to the young mistress who cleaned the window:

– Oh, Galia, you are a hostess today, you are washing the windows as neighbors couldn’t be seen…

Sara was very amused by this.

Suddenly, her eyes fell on a beautiful dome of the building, which was located nearby.

Sara was interested in looking at this house closer.

She walked toward the object that interested her by slow and careful steps.

And then there was the next one, and another, and another, from house to house of a unique beauty.

Sara wandered through the quiet, winding streets, looked at the beautiful buildings, admired the architecture, but could not accept this strange city for her.

Why?

What prevents her so?

Perhaps she feels something that does not let her get close to it?

What is it?

She didn’t feel such anxiety before.

A week later the Soviet authorities granted to Boris and his family the apartment, though small, but in a beautiful old building, on the fifth floor, in the city center.

There was almost no furniture.

No utensils, no clothes, no possibility to buy it everything.Boris worked a lot, Sara helped her mother around the house, went to school, studied the ballet.

The neighbors were good, immediately they collected all the necessary things and brought them to the beginners.

The life was getting better gradually.

Sara learned that they live in the house, where the famous actress – Ida Kaminskaya lives.

She had heard of the actress’s talent, but still she has not been able to visit her performances, and all of a sudden – the neighbors.

Sara thought that somehow she will acquaint with her favorite actress, and will go to her performances, and perhaps even like Kaminskaya become an actress, and will play with her on the same stage.

Thoughts have taken Sara to the fabulous world of art, and brought her a feeling of satisfaction.

The life seemed to be leveling off, new friends appeared.

Sara felt that Boris was not easy, but she also knew that her brother will do everything to make her and Mum happy.

The difference in nine years strongly made itself felt.Boris was like a father to a younger sister, he loved her, and considered it his duty to protect and teach her.

But the life was still hard, they had to starve and save each slice of bread.

The end of 1940 was full of ambiguous events in the country, followed by the entire population.

Now, everywhere you could hear the terrible assumption of the impending war.

There were constant anti-Soviet uprising in the city and its suburbs.

There were rumors that the unstable situation on the Soviet border forces the power send to the country people of Jewish nationality, in order to avoid the sudden attacks and reprisals by the Germans.

But, at the same time, the press emphasized that the Soviet Union is absolutely satisfied by both domestic and foreign policy of the country and its achievements.

New Year’s holidays were coming.

Sara for the third night was preparing Christmas outfit together with her mother, because there will be the evening at school, and Sara wants to be the most beautiful.

Emma has donated for this material, which recently she bought on the curtains and decoration was tulle, or rather carved figurines and floral elements that Sara sewed in the collar area.

The mood was pre-holiday, Sara was constantly humming under her breath waltz music, the mother sang a duet sometimes, they were laughing and constantly trying on New Year’s dress.

It sounded on the radio solemnly:

– On the eve of the New 1941 we want to share with all the Soviet citizens of those achievements, which raised the Soviet Union to a new stage.

We have reasons to be proud of the state affairs and 1940 outgoing.

It made an enormous contribution and fundamental improvements in the matter of training and education of the staff of the Red Army and Navy.

The Soviet people are waiting for the future with confidence and joy.

– Well, you see, Mum, – Sara said happily – all these rumors, especially of Uncle Lenia and Aunt Galia, about the possibility of war, and that we should get out of here, all nonsense!

– Of course, dear, nonsense – Emma did not want to frighten and upset the daughter.In the air, it seemed, indeed there was the atmosphere of full optimism.

The country met the New 1941 with the best hopes and assurances of the Kremlin leaders almost can appease people.

But a few days later it became clear that not everything is going well.

On the radio and in the press it was reported that the Germans began to shift its troops to Bulgaria.

There were rumors that the Germans were acting with the consent of the Soviet Union, however, TASS denied categorically that it happens “with the knowledge and consent of the Soviet Union”.

Conversely, the speakers vied claimed that the USSR was in no way aware of this.

Boris came home from work so tired and depressed.

Emma laid the table, and silently stared into the eyes of her son with anxiety, she was waiting for a frank conversation.

Boris paused, then took out a newspaper, opened it slowly and said:

– Here, there is a detailed account of Hitler’s speech.

He is fully convinced that he is waiting for a new victory over the British, he says that America is wasting time and energy in helping England, still the collapse is waiting for them.

– Boris, calm down, Uncle Stas says that Hitler will not get to us, and then you heard on the radio, what was the speech of our Party, they are confident that everything is under the control.

– Mum, it’s not that simple. Of course they will not make the panic among people. But that’s just at the end of his speech, Hitler said the following sentence:

“I have taken into account every possibility, which is only imaginable” – and added, maybe you and Sara will agree to leave L’vov, somewhere far away, in the heart of the country.

Well, not in Siberia, I beg you to leave?

– No, no and no!

We will not leave you.

And then, I do not believe that, even if Germany will come to the Soviet Union, then we are facing something bad.

– Then why are there so many Jewish refugees from Germany and Poland?

He’s a Nazi, he hates Jews, the first on whom his anger will fall, the Jews will be.

Sara came to the room with a smile from ear to ear that quickly disappeared from her face, after she heard snatches of the last sentence “He’s a Nazi, he hates Jews, the first on whom his anger will fall, the Jews will be”, she asked her mother and brother:

– Well, for what evils people hate Jews so much?

It was a long pause in the house…

Emma slowly closed her eyes and said in a void:

– Jews are hated because of their merits and not defects.

There was even a long pause… And suddenly Boris jumped up and begged:

– You must go! Mama, Sara – it’s not a joke!

Jews run from Germany and Poland more and more.

I’m sure – it’s a bad sign!

– Well, why are you so confident?

– Mum couldn’t understand

– Look, all who remember the last war, say that the Germans did not cause harm to anyone including the Jew.

This is a policy and all.

Well, L’vov will be the German city, and all!

Big deal!

Day by day it was more anxiety and feelings.

In the Soviet Union, more and more attention was paid to the military and professional training, to further strengthen of labor discipline, training of industrial workers at trade schools numbering 600 thousands of students and other labor reserves.

The words “mobilization readiness” repeatedly were said in an oral advocacy and in print.

On the Red Army Day, February 23, “Pravda” published an article by General G. K. Zhukov (before he came to the post of Chief of the General Staff), perhaps less optimistic than his speech two months ago.

He wrote that 1940 was a year of the fracture, “rebuilding of training and educational system”, but made it clear that the reorganization is in progress and that the situation is still far from perfect.

Since the ending of the War, he noted, the army has undergone great changes, for example, « the unity of command were strengthened” but much remains to be done and “conceited and complacent” is not necessary.

The article gave some feeling of anxiety and encountered the conclusion that “big changes” that took place in the Red army is unlikely to be completed until 1942.

Chapter 3. The War

“In our time, the Jews have only one choice: either to become a Zionist, or stop to be a Jew”

Crossman

The Germans entered L’vov in the morning June 30, 1941.

And on that day it began a three-day pogrom against the Jews, which was organized by “Ukrainian people’s police” with the connivance and instigation of the Germans.

The formal pretext for the pogrom began shooting the prisoners in the prisons of L’vov, that the NKVD carried out during the retreat of the Red Army.

Boris was taken to the army very quickly, it immediately alerted Emma and Sara.;Boris insisted on his mother they immediately went into the heart of the country.

There were not only rumors about the probability of the war but also hints in the press, on the radio.

After the beginning of the Second World War (1939) and Hitler’s seizure of Poland, its eastern part was occupied by the Red Army in accordance with the secret protocols to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.1

As L’vov on that time was inhabited by a large number of Jews (about 180 thousand), which is almost half of the total population of the city, the Soviet authorities in summer of 1940 sent about 10 thousand Jewish refugees from Germany and Poland deep into the Soviet Union because they have the fear of a sudden military action and the invasion by Germany.

L’vov, though was a part of Poland, was ruled by the Soviet regime, which hasn’t shown care about the Jewish people of L’vov in a proper way, they weren’t sent to the heart of the country.

The indigenous inhabitants of L’vov didn’t want to leave their homes, they believed that the Germans will not cause them harm, as it was before.

Sara’s family also preferred to stay in L’vov, and there was a hope on the sanity of politicians.

Despite the set of various kinds of incoming information from legal and illegal sources, people refused to believe in the complete loss of reason from around the world.

The Soviet people were inspired full protection from the Kremlin.

Most of them like children implicitly believed and trusted themselves to their leadership, especially the common people.

Already in the first days after the June 29, 1941, the date of entry of the Germans to L’vov, there happened pogroms in the city staged by them, claimed the lives of thousands of Jews.

After a few days in the wood near Bilogorschey Germans shot 1,400 Jewish men.

The whole of July 1941, the Germans and Ukrainian auxiliary police destroyed in the wood near L’vov Jewish politicians and intellectuals, as well as the Jews trapped in urban raids.

Almost all the synagogues and cities were blown up or burned.

When on Monday, June 30th the Germans entered the city, the smell of not buried corpses could be felt from the burning prisons.

It was the discovery of thousands of half-decayed corpses of political prisoners, who were killed by the NKVD in the previous days, when councils have realized that the rapid German attack makes it impossible to evacuate the prison.

The representatives of the German Army in the second half of June 30 reported that L’vov’s population has turned their anger on the killers of the NKVD against “the Jews living in the city, which has always cooperated with the Bolsheviks”

On that day, Jewish men were rounded up in the so-called “prison works” – to dig up and carry out the bodies of those who were killed in the prison.

Boris was very worried for his mother and sister.

He was constantly asking them in his letters do not go out, to hide in the basement, in case of danger.

But they are still sneaking out of the house in search of food and water.

One day Sara ran out of the house with a bucket to get some water, but when she came to the arch of the house, in the twilight her eyes met with glowing lights across the street.

At first, she froze with fear, then at closer look she recognized the neighbor guy whom she has seen sometimes in the courtyard.

The guy said quietly:

– Do not go there. Do not go! There’s a pogrom.

Sara never saw pogroms by herself, but she had heard about them and about the atrocities committed against the Jews.

She shivered and turned to run back home, but the boy stopped her:

– Go to us quickly. They won’t come to us. I heard that today they are going to go to the Jewish houses.

– No! But what about Mum? – Sara pleaded.

And then suddenly the shouts and cries were heard from her yard.

The guy grabbed Sara by the arm and dragged her to his entrance.

She ran after him sobbing and not understanding anything, in the head – the porridge, before the eyes something flashed, but there was nothing she could not make out.

Popped into the entrance, they quickly hid behind the door, as they heard the sound of a door opening on the ground floor.

The big man hastily left the apartment and walked quickly into the street to take a look at the next pogrom.

Sara and her rescuer stood behind the door and watched through the crack.

For the third day in the city there were galichansk festivities in the form of the Jewish pogrom.

The pogrom was organized by the Germans, together with the Bandera “Ukrainian people’s police”.

According to the authors, the pogrom in L’vov was the action of “self-purification” and the revenge “Judeo-Bolsheviks” on the part of the oppressed people to whom the valiant German army brought freedom.

Sara was looking into the door crack and shivering.

The mad men beat women with sticks and drove them to the inner courtyard of the house.

In a few minutes the yard was filled with roar, screaming, crying and pleading mingled with curses, shots, echoing sound of stones and sticks on the backs of Jewish women.