Ìoses Averbach. 1973.
Sergey Zagraevsky
My grandfather Moses Averbach
Attention!
The following text
was translated from the Russian original by the computer program
and has not yet been
edited.
So it can be used
only for general introduction.
'll start with a terse and formal curriculum vitae. My grandfather Moses
Averbach was born December 30,
His father Naum Izrailevich Auerbach, died March 8, 1916, 44 years old.
Mother, Khan-DIN israelevna (by passport Anna Davidovna), nee Blumberg, lived
until 1968. On her grave, and written and Khan-DIN israelevna, and Anna
Davidovna. She was the daughter tsadeka (Jewish scribes) from Kovno, i.e.
She had many brothers and sisters (about thirteen), but the majority
remained in Lithuania, and when Soviet troops in 1940 occupied the Baltic
States, none of each other to find no time. Known only the fate of the two
brothers Anna Davidovna trapped in
And Moses Naumovich had two sisters: Cecilia Naumovna (she had not seen
in 1972 because of this, hit by a car) and Eugene Naumovna (she grandfather
survived for a few years).
Grandfather... I always called "uncle Monya. Why "uncle"?
The fact that Moses Naumovich was the second husband of my grandmother, Elena
Alexandrovna Kavelmaher (nee kolobashkin) and, accordingly, no father and
stepfather, my father Wolfgang volfgangovicha Kavelmahera. So in early
childhood and complicated - not "grandfather"and "uncle".
It turns out that, formally, all the ancestors and relatives of Moses
Naumovich I can not call her. But it so happened that I was with Moses
Naumovich favorite grandson (his own grandson, my age ten years, he had seen
once in life and for some reason did not show willingness to continue
communication). And the grandfather, an outstanding man with a strong will and
an iron character, which had a tremendous spiritual and psychological effect on
my grandmother Elena Alexandrovna, and my father had a lot to do for me.
And speaking of relatives and ancestors, I remember this episode:
fourteen or fifteen (i.e. approximately 1978) I was concerned with the question
of their origin and took all the grandmothers and grandfathers
"interview" about the person of your ancestors and relatives they
remember who was who and what they were doing... I "interviewed"
grandmother Elena Alexandrovna, and Moses Naumovich was not going: like his
ancestors - not mine... And he was hurt and he insisted that I wrote about him.
"All so" I feel like a family-related Averbach not less
(perhaps even more)than vested. Moses Naumovich - my grandfather, and another I
had never perceived, while in my childhood, I remember, not once explained the
difference between the "grandfather wolf" (Wolfgang Alfredovich
Kavelmaher, my mother's grandfather on his father's side, whom I had seen a
couple of times in my life) and "uncle Monya.
But back to the story of Moses Naumovich. He graduated from a certain
Student
group Moses Naumovich. He sits second on the left.
Sad pun: few
of these students soon not sit...
At this time the graduates of the student group, where he studied Moses
Naumovich, decided to create a kind of "social insurance scheme for mutual
assistance to needy classmates. Soon some "well-wisher" hit the NKVD,
the money collected for the needs of the Trotskyist movement.
The first term of his grandfather, despite liter krtd
"("counter-revolutionary Trotskyist activities, much worse than MRC),
was not at all time to three years of exile in
Moses
Averbach (front row, left) on tour in Yasnaya Polyana.
The middle
of the 1930-ies (
He married for the first time back in
Moses Naumovich sat under investigation for more than two years, he was
beaten, broken finger, which merged the curve (bus unprofessional laid in the
chamber). When I was a child my grandfather told it, I remember, was terrified,
and this slightly crooked finger at me still before my eyes.
Santa got eight years, and he visited a few lumbering camps Komi ASSR,
in 1943 came to
The town is situated North of the
The centre of
Now, of course, piles of mines moved far out of town and area
disappeared from the eyes. At the same time the city was surrounded by all the
camps, each shaft (acting was about twenty-five) was individual camp sites, and
it turned out that the whole city was one big area.
What is coal mines, drifts and slaughter everyone knows, but sees them
more often as the type of underground tunnels. In fact, in the bottom is
impossible to stand at full height, a narrow passage in the ground with
incredibly stale air filled with coal dust. Now the miners at least work in
masks and respirators, and then with the protection of labour was still
"not very". Moreover, the cons - what them, enemies of the people,
sorry?
However, the spare had when the war was lost Donbass, and the
However, no more or less significant "sensitive" indulgence
was not. All the Stalin years Vorkuta was a huge area. In the middle of the
city and beat prisoners with rifle butts and shot - both in the air and on the
"defeat". Periodically, house searches took place, including the
exiles. Local radio (and through the speakers) consistently reported, whom many
days in the box provided and for what offense (up to the fact that the exiles
citizen so-and-so was hiding under the bed C/to so-and-so). Before the war were
often the message and the shootings, but later they became less -
"labor" began to save...
Moses Averbach was the chief of ventilation 40th mine almost immediately
after the convoy to Vorkuta and in this post he worked until 1961 (i.e. after
full rehabilitation of all "cases" in 1955-1956). Sounds smooth -
"worked", but actually Naumovich Moses, when he expired,
"tried" two times. But under the new investigation, and having
regular periods, and then "eternal exile, he remained "beskonvoynyh
chief ventilation shaft.
From the commander of ventilation depended on hundreds of lives - and
the miners, and staff, and armed guards from the NKVD-schnick also sometimes
required to descend into the mine. Note that in 1961, after the release of his
grandfather retired, his successor, was so incompetent that mine methane
explosion, and killed several dozen people.
In Stalin's time, loss of life for the NKVD's superiors in itself meant
a bit, but emergency on coal mine meant the failure of the plan and the
possible demotion, so, apparently, more political "camp" case against
Moses Naumovich was only aim tighter grip indispensable specialist. And, of
course, periodically to show him who's boss, to have had the upper hand...
Irreplaceable people, as we see, there were then, despite the famous
words of comrade Stalin.
Their indispensability grandfather did not hesitate to use, but very
specific - saved people. In a literal sense. They were Jews, just intelligent
people, for whom work in the pit meant either death or disability. The saving
(in the camp-"creepy") posts were in the mine a lot, but they did not
appoint a "thief in law" (as in many other camps), and engineer
Auerbach. And "thieves" had a wish to "soak" engineer and
deliver to dispose of their rights: the coal mine - no logging, here without a
professional can not do...
How much Moses Naumovich saved I don't know. Personally, I remember five
people, and hearsay - a few more. Among them was, for example, writer, hero of
the civil war in Spain Alexey Eisner. And Professor Elicona of G. Leikin (later
known "informal" analysis of the Soviet system) grandfather put
"tabakotrusom" - make sure that the shaft was not carry tobacco. It
was the responsibility of the head of ventilation - as well as anyone in the
pit lit up and everything will explode?
Immediately after the war Moses Naumovich met Elena Alexandrovna
Kavelmaher, my grandmother, and soon married her. With his first wife he had
divorced by mutual consent, whether it is from him in the late thirties
"refused" unilaterally as of the convicted "enemy of the
people" - I do not know. My grandmother also left her first husband in
absolutely clear reason - she truly loved Moses Naumovich and retain this love
until death.
It is, as they say, "positive" grandfather became very
seriously their responsibilities as head of his new family.
My father was in school is bad enough, and besides, he was about
thirteen years old - the so-called "transitional age". Moses
Naumovich, despite the natural resistance of the child (who loves who has
entered the apartment stepfather and not jealous of his mother?), immediately
took up his "discipline". In the end, my father received the
excellent education, which can only be imagined at that time.
And grandmother Elena, communicated with Vorkuta "team" Moses
Naumovich, became keenly interested in art and literature. And finally became
antistalinistkoy. Prior to that, she, at least intuitively Stalin and disliked,
but repressions in any case not vinyl, just as millions of others, believed
that only with her and with several happened fatal mistake...
Moses Naumovich, to her credit, this stupid "ill" during the
Tula links and knew perfectly well. Moreover, he was not only a staunch
anti-Stalinist, but anti-Leninists. However, not anti-Marxist. This position
was most common among the prisoners, or who thought Lenin perverted the
teachings of Marx, or Stalin - perverted the teachings of Lenin. Very few went
further and raised his hand "to historical materialism, even in
poslelagernoe time, and only in the zone - and even more so.
Of course, so for ideological disputes among the camp inmates were many,
but one they usually converge - in hatred of Stalin. Maybe meet crystal clear
Communist soul, designed, "twenty years as a day, exchanging, take through
camp faithful beloved leader, but I have not heard of such. But "loyalty
to the party, despite the abuse of the cult of personality"in the
Khrushchev era actively cultivated, and the bait, indeed, caught many former
camp inmates.
It looked
like the "spravochno printing on rehabilitation."
Moisey N. and Elena after rehabilitation in 1955-1956 he entered
correctly - finalized in Vorkuta until retirement, during this time got itself
two utility rooms in Moscow, then traded them for a small, one-bedroom
apartment on Gagarin square, then the Kaluga Zastava. Slowly and with
difficulty, but the government performed its duties.
In Moscow Moses N. and Elena eventually moved only in 1961, but until
then, still in Vorkuta, they have a full-employment period and, accordingly,
great Northern allowance, then the maximum possible at the time pension.
The house of Moses Naumovich and Elena Alexandrovna on the Kaluga
Zastava was unique for many reasons.
First, it was not a house, and a library. Books and magazines were
everywhere, and I still do not understand how two small adjacent rooms housed
as many printed materials. Even in a narrow corridor over the heads of passing
hung bookshelves (thank God that none of them fell down and nobody was killed).
In meticulous Moses Naumovich all books were copied by number of shelves, on
which lay, and also conducted a separate notebook for accounting books, these
friends to read.
Secondly, in the house reigned perfect purity and grandeur. Moses
Naumovich the morning, regardless of future plans, always wore a suit, tie and
shoes. Maximum freedom, which he allowed himself is to take your coat off, hang
of it... no, not in the closet, and back in his chair, and stay in the
waistcoat. He would have to be sitting at the papers or something masters, but
the "dress code" were the same, only in the heat of summer it could
be a shirt with short sleeves.
Accordingly, Elena Alexandrovna in life I grandfather never seen in a
Bathrobe and Slippers.
Third, Elena looked at Moses Naumovich with indescribable adoration (I
must say that his grandfather is quite deserved). About their relationship says
that my grandfather slept in the big bed in the bedroom, and my grandmother got
out every night and put themselves... cot. Later, however, it bought a small
couch. In short, feminism in the house and did not smell. Rather tyranny.
Fourth, Elena was extremely gracious and hospitable hostess (one can
only wonder how she spent nearly 20 years in Vorkuta link, it kept so smooth,
quiet and friendly nature). The house shone delicious food - was near the
supermarket "Sputnik", which in Soviet times decently supplied. There
were so-called "orders", which provided the former Director of the
Central Department store Lev Matveevich Portnov, but it is probably in the
fifth.
And fifth, was the company of former prisoners of Stalin's camps.
Together, they meet once a year, on the fifth of March - the day of Stalin's
death. Many of them have been saved Moses from slaughter Naumovich.
They gathered a few dozen people, small apartment Moses Naumovich
accommodate them could not, and they met at the George L. green and his wife
Elena Alekseevna. George L. was the son of an American engineer who worked in
Moscow in the twenties. Then last returned to the US, and the son in the USSR
liked and he decided to spend more. Naturally, in 1937 he was offered
"live" somewhat North of Moscow. He came to Vorkuta, was Moses
Naumovich saved and there is married, also to prisoners.
Now, Green was a big apartment in metro Airport, where all the 5 March
and collected. Very often there was singing, Alexander Galich.
Green all the inmates each year was given specific "gifts" - a
piece of barbed wire, a cardboard wheelbarrow, then saw a birch logs, plastic
soldier with a rifle, a lithographic illustration to "the Ballad
Redingskoy jail"... So in an apartment on the Kaluga Zastava and there
were two copies of all of this - Moses N. and Elena were on equal terms
"camp" rights.
However, despite the small size of the apartment, my grandfather and
grandmother at the Kaluga Zastava also continuously used a considerable number
of people - and on holidays and on weekdays.
Their company was a party member with the pre-revolutionary experience
Lev Matveevich Portnov. He sat down in 1937, but even under Stalin, was
released, and the camps was Director of the Central Department store - by
Soviet standards incredibly high post because of the possibility of
distributing the "deficit". Having stayed, he managed to return
almost on a former place of work - apparently worked some "trade mafia"
connection. In my mind he was already retired, but in generalized deficit got
to former prisoners and grocery orders, and tickets to good theater, and
anything.
Sixth, the grandmother was a professional typist (on Vorkuta it, despite
its status as an exile, even the charge typewritten in admchasti one of the
mines) and printed huge amounts of "Samizdat". Among its
"clients" were historian Roy Medvedev, Professor Ilicon the Lakin
(who wrote under the pseudonym "Zimin"), the famous author of "Kolyma
tales" Varlam Shalamov, no less famous Vasily Grossman and many others
(don't know printed if she Solzhenitsyn, but he typed it exactly).
Seventh, grandfather Moses Naumovich continuously did anything, I never
saw him rest. TV's home in principle was not, not to be distracted from work.
For information quite enough Newspapers, strictly structured clippings which
took several large folders. And for the very useful information was huge
radiogram on which to listen "enemy voices". I remember that, seeing
me in 1971, "for the first time in the first class", Elena said:
"no one in the school do not say that listening to "bi-Bi-si"
and "German wave", and if they ask, answer, that no".
Eighth... No, this is not the eighth. The activities of Moses Naumovich
Averbakh in the sixties and early seventies, deserves a separate conversation.
First of all, he has to Vorkuta time wrote great autobiographical novel,
which covers the period of Stalinist terror and called "To the glory of
the Lord (Ad majorem Dei gloriam)" - such wording in the middle ages, the
Inquisition was sent to the fire dissidents.
The novel was 950 typewritten pages (something that my grandmother Elena
Aleksandrovna all this repeatedly reprinted, can be considered a feat). With
such a huge amount of all attempts to publish at least the first four parts of
the novel during the Khrushchev "thaw" 1956-1964 years ran across
polite refusals editions. However, these failures political situation also
played a role - and Grossman, and Solzhenitsyn published selectively, then
"thaw" ended, and the novel Moses Naumovich was frankly camp and the
anti-Stalinist.
My grandfather was a chance the publication of the novel in the West,
but his grandfather somehow not used (as far as I understand, forward Roman
abroad, he didn't even try, although the special problems it would not be).
Maybe he was hoping to the last published book - at least partially - in the
USSR. Maybe the publication of the novel abroad contrary to its principles. I
do not know. And for the "Samizdat" such a huge volume - 950 pages -
was too great.
In the last years of his life in Vorkuta grandfather wrote some very
good stories and novels. Some of them at the beginning of perestroika published
in the local newspaper Pavel Ivanovich Negretov, another saved his grandfather
from the bottom left after the Amnesty and rehabilitation work in Vorkuta (he
got an eighteen year old boy and used to the specific life beyond the Polar
circle). Negretovu have to thank for the fact that he was still in Soviet times
published in the West book "All roads lead to Vorkuta, in which a separate
Chapter devoted to Moses Naumovich Averbakh.
However, attempts to Negretova post (again, at least partially) novel
grandfather at the time of Gorbachev's perestroika, too, ended in failure - too
long...
And only in 2007-2008 I was finally able to scan the novel Moses
Naumovich "To the glory of the Lord (Ad majorem Dei gloriam)", edited
and published (Moscow, 2008). Posted novel and I on the website dedicated to
the memory of his grandfather, which I created in the Internet. Who wants to
finish reading the end...
Another grandfather translated from French. Basically, the article by
Roger garaudy, author of the famous "Realism without shores". The
last essay he also translated and handed over the manuscript is deposited in
the Institute, it seems, the world literature.
I remember in my childhood with great interest read my grandfather's
translation of king Hussein of Jordan "My war with Israel." Frank and
truthful information about the defeat of Israel in 1967 the joint
Syrian-Jordanian-Egyptian-Palestinian forces had no chance of publication in
the USSR and went in "Samizdat". Any material interest of his
grandfather in her translation, of course, was not just Moses Naumovich could
not make a contribution to the information support for the Jewish people.
Great respect deserves another aspect of his grandfather - bar.
Sakaliskes in the struggle with the NKVD, the grandfather was well versed legally
and it is used. He is, after twenty-five years in prisons, camps and references
nobody was afraid of nothing and am down in some people's control Commission,
actually moonlighting as a lawyer.
I still "live" silver sugar bowl. Grandfather gave her mother
a young man who was sentenced to fifteen years for murder and whose grandfather
saved, achieving reviewing the case and full justification.
Moses led the Naumovich and flat, and movable and property cases.
Many of the Stalinist prisoners freed in 1954-1955 under the Amnesty,
without waiting for the twentieth Congress, and then left with the stigma of
conviction. Grandfather for them to pursue full recovery. The word
"Amnesty" and "rehabilitation" I have learnt to pronounce
in the early pre-school age, despite their obscure and hard-to.
The main task of a lawyer in the Soviet times it was able to write
papers, and my grandfather did it brilliantly. It came, however, to the absurd
- giving a debt to my parents some money for the purchase of the cooperative,
he was a loan agreement by all the rules, a few pages. I stumbled on this
masterpiece of jurisprudence, was somewhat shocked.
The beginning of the seventies was marked by mass "Exodus" of
Jews from the Soviet Union - in order to reduce the intensity of emotions, most
willing to open the exit, and the others were quietly "press". And
the way to prestigious universities were closed and to work in "good"
did not take place... both things took place with some exceptions, but they were
few.
However, convinced that "the Zionists" and
"anti-Soviet" Moses Averbach was an equally staunch patriot of Russia
and did not want to leave (at least, in our family this question never even
discussed).
Perhaps the reason was that no direct pressure from the KGB Stalin campers
experienced. Strength was imprisoned in Stalin's time, for ten or twenty years
and it is absolutely fearless "old political prisoners" were still a
lot, and unless you really need the security services tried not to irritate I
think she had a lot more acute problems.
However, it was Moses Naumovich lost my job in the "people's
control", which gave many rights to protect people. He was there quietly
asked" under the pretext - because of advanced age (although he was not
yet seventy).
Moscow in these years was buzzing like a disturbed hive. About tensions
in that time, says such fact: when in 1973 Varlam Tikhonovich Shalamov hoping
to join the Union of Writers sent penitential letter in "Literaturnaya
Gazeta"newspaper, where a very streamlined wrote that "the problems
of Kolyma tales charged by life itself", he, "the apostate", was
immediately denied from home Moses Naumovich and, as I understand from other
"nice" places. I think that Shalamov was not easy because he was admitted
to the Union of Writers.
A house of Moses Naumovich held a huge stream of anti-Soviet literature.
Grandmother Elena were published in "Samizdat" and further. One
former Vorkuta of lagerny, German Selm Selma F. Ruoff, received through the
German Embassy mounds "Tamizdat"that is published abroad Newspapers,
books and magazines, and also sent further. All this was done that quite
clearly, but not very secretive about the KGB could not know, but I prefer them
not to bother.
Remember the anecdote of the time? There are two and one friend tells
another that separates "Anna Karenina". At surprised question, why,
she replied that to his son: he reads only "Samizdat"...
I remember another, quite rare for the Soviet people, the habit of Moses
Naumovich and Elena Alexandrovna - every summer they went on ships of Russia.
They traveled all the rivers of the European part and Siberia - the Ob, Lena,
Yenisei, Angara. Only here the Kolyma river cruise was not...
I remembered the Kolyma not just - for Moses Naumovich and Elena
Alexandrovna these trips were not tourism, but absolutely conscious
"visits in the past. And not masochistic, but purely cognitive - as there
birch? As there Salekhard? In Krasnoyarsk camps were the same as in Tyumen
those women... we Went to them and the Volga river and the white sea canal.
However, not only the boat and traveled by train, and even somewhere to fly an
airplane, which in those days was rare.
Moisey N.
and Elena. The end of 1970-ies.
Among other things, grandfather, as most prisoners, had a "Golden
hands". At home he always worked, and in humble Soviet way of life he
always brought some improvements. And how much he did to me toys - not to
count! And sawing and grind, and a toy lamp assembled from brass tubes... After
the death of Moses Naumovich many years I almost did not buy the tools - my
grandfather, they were on all occasions.
This was the house of Moses Naumovich - uncle mony - and I was very
lucky that the age of six I lived nearby, on Lomonosovsky Prospekt. Go there,
as I remember, trolleybus number seven, and grandmother Elena (Baba Lola)
picked me up, carried to his area of Gagarin, and brought home the evening
before, when the father and mother came home from work. Sometimes I used to
sleep there - I was given another cot. At preschool age I was very active and
energetic child, and, as expressed Moses Naumovich, after my apartment looked
as if "passed Khan Mamay".
I should note that my grandfather was with me never
"Lisp"fundamentally not played any games, and even more toys. In
short, even in early childhood, he treated me as an adult (and it is usually
the children very much).
Externally Moses Averbach nothing special stood out. At first glance an
ordinary elderly Jew. Bald head, the specific shape of the nose, the stature...
But it was worth to pay attention to absolutely straight back, always equal the
"statement" of the head and eyes dark, a little faded with age eyes
to understand that you are dealing with a "man of iron" (was this
film Wajda). I don't even know what to compare the sight of his grandfather.
Not hard, not dark, not authoritative... Just iron, and all. It was felt that
this man will have to defend their principles and will never give up.
However, upholding the principles also sometimes came to the point of
absurdity. I remember I was very young child - whether pre-school, or
elementary school age, and about something argued with my grandfather (which
for several decades forgot). It was in a subway station. Moses Naumovich did
not want to give in, I pissed off, got on the train (himself!) and went home,
and he did not even try to hold me, despite the risk of independent travel
beloved grandson by metro. Fortunately, I have safely arrived, then grandmother
Elena us with his grandfather was reconciled...
We walked with Moses Naumovich usually near Gagarin square - in the
Neskuchny garden, and Gorky Park, but sometimes went in the centre, and in
other districts of Moscow. I remember these trips, and such a funny thing: in
early childhood by his former construction worker on the influence I was playing
in the subway - in toy microphone and announced the station said: "beware
of doors"...
And most importantly - I am very, very well remember all the things that
my grandfather told me and what I was taught (even though "body
language" is just a personal example). Perhaps, the main features that
I've always tried to learn from Moses Naumovich is unbending character,
faithful to its principles, the ability of any age to learn from scratch any
subject, and, of course, the life according to the rule "change of
practice is the best rest." Could I or not it is "inherit" these
traits is not for me to judge.
Visiting the grave of his grandfather on Vostryakovskoe cemetery, I
always remember the verses of Joseph Brodsky:
Jewish cemetery
near Leningrad.
Crooked fence of
rotten plywood.
For rickety fence
lie next
lawyers, traders,
musicians, revolutionaries.
For myself singing.
For myself amassed.
For the other died.
But first, pay
taxes,
respected police
officer,
and in this world,
hopeless material,
interpreted in the
Talmud,
staying idealists.
Maybe see more.
Maybe believed
blindly.
But teaching
children to be tolerant
and have become
resistant.
And do not sow
bread.
Never sowed bread.
Just themselves lay
down
in the cold ground,
as grain.
And ever fell
asleep.
And then the ground
was covered,
lit candles,
and on the day of
Remembrance
hungry old high
voices,
gasping against the
cold, screaming about the rest.
And they gained it.
As disintegration
of matter.
I remember nothing.
Nothing is
forgotten.
For rickety fence
of rotten plywood,
four kilometers
away from the ring tram.
Moses Averbach passed away long and hard.
Health had deteriorated sharply in the mid-seventies, when he removed
one kidney. In 1979, he had a first "hit" - is a modern, stroke, in
which he breached, and coordination, and psyche. This "man of iron"
was not only to move with great difficulty, but also a cry for any reason. I
emphasize - not to complain, not to "cry", namely, shed tears.
Disconnected some nerve centers...
I taught him to walk up the stairs as a child, "
"straighten", "pull yourself together", "keep
right" and so on. I must say that he has for some time been able to
overcome the irreversible changes in the brain - he was only a little over seventy.
But the years of the camps did the trick.
In 1980 there was a second "shot" and a sharp deterioration in
his condition - he almost could not walk. We are in the toilet specially
screwed to the walls of the pen so that he could for them to stay.
What are all the same powerful protective reflexes of the human psyche!
When caring for a terminally ill person and the master for him all sorts of
devices, subconsciously understand how this long. But subconsciously, not more.
At some point start to believe in myself that now bind to the heating pipes
belts-"reins" and preventi to the walls of the toilet handles - and
they will last for many years, because my uncle Monet them easier to get up...
And now, apparently, the man many months hopelessly ill - but still can
not accept his death as inevitable and close, and she eventually turns to
tragedy and surprise.
Moses Naumovich it was even more difficult, because he had in 1981
happened third stroke. Not long served "device" - grandfather was
completely paralyzed. Moreover, the "disconnected" and no one
recognized him. So he lived another year.
In the hospital he was not given - lay at home. Elena did everything I
could. My parents and I helped her. There was even hired a nurse, more
precisely, the "vendor" - bogemoobrazny young man. Being at my
grandfather, he did not waste his time and reprinted (with the help of her
grandmother) somewhere borrowed "samizdatovsky" the volume of Joseph
Brodsky. But their direct responsibilities young man acted very carefully, taking
care of my grandfather was perfect - no sores or obesity, or emaciation...
And Moses died Naumovich quietly. 10 December 1982 grandma this morning
I saw that he was not breathing.
At the funeral there were many people, though no one in particular did not
call - grandmother phoned only relatives and close friends. However, don
crematorium came fifty or more. Even at the funeral were twenty or thirty.
Naturally, was buried without any priests (Jewish, Orthodox or any other), and
grandfather, and grandmother, and my father were convinced atheists.
Elena surviving spouse of almost 10 years and died in 1992.
In conclusion, I will say only one thing: I was very lucky that my
grandfather was Moses Averbach, and my duty to leave to descendants the memory
about him and his writings.
2000–2008.
© Sergey
Zagraevsky