Алиса Фрейндлих о блокаде Ленинграда Наша семья выжила...

Alisa Freundlich about the blockade
Leningrad
Our family only survived
thanks to grandmother Charlotte
- daddy's mom. She was
German by birth, and therefore instilled in us
iron discipline. IN
the first, the most terrible
winter 1941-1942
Leningraders were given
125 grams of bread - this small piece is necessary
was to stretch out all day.
Some ate right away
daily rate and soon
dying of hunger, therefore
that there was nothing more to eat. Therefore grandmother
all control over our
she took food into her own hands.
She got on cards
bread for the whole family,
put it in a closet with a massive door, locked
on a key and strictly by the hour
gave out tiny
a piece.
I still often have
before my eyes a picture: I, little, sit in front of
closet and beg the arrow
hours move faster -
I wanted to eat so much ...
That's how grandma's
pedantry saved us. You see, many were not
ready for what
had to meet.
I remember when in the fall of 1941
a neighbor came to us and
asked for a spoonful of semolina for her patient
child, grandmother without any
I gave her favors
a small handful.
Because no one even
imagined what was ahead of us. Everyone was sure
that the blockade is not for long
and that the Red Army is coming soon
break through the environment.
Yes, many died from
frostbite. Because in our apartment it was constantly burning
potbelly stove. And we are embers from it
thrown into the samovar so that
there was always boiling water ready
- we drank tea continuously.
True, they made it from cinnamon, because
get real tea already
it was impossible. Yet
grandmother gave us something
a few carnations, then
a pinch of citric acid, then a spoonful of soda, which
had to be dissolved in
boiling water and so it turned out
"Citro" is like this
blockade delicacy.
Another sumptuous dish was carpentry jelly.
the glue in which we
added mustard ...
Still a real holiday
became an opportunity
wash. There was no water, so we shoveled the snow -
top, dirty, layer
thrown away, and
the lower one was collected in buckets and
carried home. He is there
thawed, my grandmother boiled it and washed us. Did
she is pretty regular,
because during the famine
especially dangerous yourself
run. This is the first step towards
despair and doom. In the second winter with food
it really got easier
because finally
arranged their delivery to
city ​​from the "mainland". But
personally, it was harder for me, because my beloved
grandmother was no longer around.
Her, as a hereditary German woman,
sent from Leningrad where-
then to Siberia or Kazakhstan.
She died in the train ... She was only 68 years old. I AM
I say "just"
because now I
much older than her.
I too could have been sent from
city, but parents by that time were able to record
me as a Russian, and therefore I
stayed.
... At the assembly point grandmother
my mother went to see off.
There, before boarding the train, on the platform stood
huge cauldrons in which
cooked pasta. Grandmother
broke off a piece from her
rations and handed over to us. In that
the same day we made soup from them. This is the last thing that I
I remember about my grandmother.
Soon after, I
got sick. And mama, afraid
leave me in the apartment
one, for several days did not go to work at my
sleeve plant, for which it was
fired and left without
grocery cards.
- We would really
died of hunger, but a miracle happened. Once upon a time
a very long time mom
fed someone else's boy
- his mom had no milk.
During the blockade, this
a person worked in the city health department, somehow found
mom and helped her get settled
accountant in the nursery. At the same time
they assigned me there, although
I was already almost
eight years. When the check came, they hid me in
infirmary and wrapped in
blanket.
I, of course, tell my grandchildren
but it's hard for them to understand how
and to any person who is not personally convinced what
it is a tragedy-war. Has passed
so many years, but the echo of the blockade
continues to sound in me.
For example, I cannot see
if there is something unfinished in the plate.
I say to my grandson: “Put yourself
as much as you can
eat, better later
you can take a little extra. "
He is angry - they say, grandmother always climbs with her
quirks.
He's just like normal
peacetime man, not
can imagine that this
a crumb of bread can suddenly become a salvation from death.