Andrei Gottliebovich Ibe was born on the 25th May 1962; hence, it is clear that
he is no witness of the deportations. However, he recalls what his parents and
other people told about those times. Mother – Lidia Alexandrovna Ibe (maiden
name Maier), born 1936; father – Gottlieb Gottfriedovich Ibe, born 1931. Both
got acquainted with each other, when they were already in Siberia. Before the
deportation both parents were owners of big farmsteads with horses and cows. The
grandfather from the father’s side even owned a shop.
Gottlieb Gottfriedovich had two brothers and two sisters with Gottfried and Bida right in the middle. Lilia Alexandrovna had two brothers - Adolf und Alexander. As was the German custom they used to celebrate Easter, Christmas and Whitsuntide. Before, they made preparations and diligently furbished the house, and the family members were not allowed to work on these festive days. On Christmas the decorated the Christmas tree and went from door to door reciting poems in German language, for what they received various kinds of sweets. All these traditions were kept up after the deportation, just as the German cuisine (A.G. Ibe calls this „kucha“).
Andrei Gottliebovich recalls that his grandmother told him about how they got the message about their coming deportation – when they arrived on the farm, they were informed that there would be a meeting or something like that, during which they were supposed to hear the announcement officially. Just in this year they were expecting an especially bountiful crop, and it was an immense calamity for the people that they were forced to leave anything behind. Within 24 hours (within this period of time they were ordered to be ready for departure), they tried to pack everything they could carry in their hands, but nonetheless they had to leave many things behind (the cattle, for example).
They were taken to Siberia in freight-cars; afterwards they went on board a barge and continued their trip, until they finally reached Galanino. The death rate was very high, since all deportees suffered from hunger. On their arrival they were divided into groups to be sent to different final destinations. Andrei Gottliebovich‘s father was intended for settling in Pirovsk District. His mother got to the same area, but in a different village – to Malotimskie (which nowadays does not exist anymore). When they arrived, they were confronted with the fact that there was no living space ate all; they were forced to live in dug-outs, until they managed to build themselves a house. There was a terrible dearth, which taught Andre Gottliebovich’s family to value until this day even the tiniest piece of bread. He remembers how his relatives told him that, when everything began, they thought that all this misery would soon be over and everybody would be allowed to return home. In the course of time, however, they realized that they were supposed to stay here for a very long time – if not for ever. Thus, they started to build ab a new home in this place.
Gottlieb Gottfriedovich trained as a tractor driver and later mainly worked in this profession, but he also had to work on the construction sector. Lidia Alexandrovna had a job in cattle-breeding, having the same rights as the locals. The uncle of the person interviewed by us – Gottfried – was even a mechanic. There were awards and mentions, when someone had done a good job. The father received a great number of certificates, a coupon for a trip to Yalta, various other bonuses, which enabled him to even acquire an “Ural” motor cycle.
Family members were mobilized to the labor army were his parents as well as the parent’s parents, and even though Andrej Gottliebovich‘s grandfather was every now and then prepared to share his memories with other people (he told them, for example, that he had been working as a cook and saved many lives), the parents did not like to allude to the topic. They returned from the labor army after 5 years.
The interviewed does not know really much about the system of commandant’s offices. However, he recalls that they were compelled to go and get registered with the commandant’s office once or twice a month. The commandants were not severe, except for Semenov, who liked mocking the Germans. They were allowed to speak German and there were no objections to keep German traditions, either. This was one of the reasons, why his grandmother did not learn Russian. Andrei Gottliebovi himself also spoke German, before he went to school. Later they were taught Russian, but within the family they used the German language. They were on friendly terms with the residents, bit in spite of this fact, the children sometimes came to blows and the German children were attacked as “fascists”. Andre Gottliebovich was occasionally forced to come to blows, too, in order to defend his reputation.
During the rehabilitation process, in 1991, the father received 8000 rubels, which he shared among the children – 1000 ruebls each, as there were already eight of them at that time. He also intended to return to the river Volga, but his brother talked him out of this plan.
From today’s point of view Andrei Gottliebovich, as well as all his relatives, is of the opinion that the resettlement were not worth all the victims, all the sacrifices that were made. It was not at all worthwhile to resettle the people, although many years later they are no longer being insulted and humiliated. Andrei Gottliebovich would appreciate the decision to create a German Republic in Russia again; in this case he would possibly remove there, too. He considers himself as a Siberian, for he was born here, he has grown up in these districts, but he never felt ashamed of his nationality. He was even seriously offended, when, issuing his passport, they eliminated the column „nationality“. He is a German, who disposes of characteristics such as punctuality and orderliness.
All brothers and his parents then left for Germany. One of the first was our interviewed, who left with his family in 1998. He was accompanied by his wife Rosa, sun Andrei and daughter Anna. His brothers and sisters – Vladimir, Elsa, Gottlieb, Alexander und Pavel – headed for Germany later-on. But there is more to it than that. Sister (in Krasnojarsk) and brother Fedor (in Karakus) preferred to stay. Andre Gottliebovich himself did not want to go, either, but his wife finally convinced him, although he knew that he would return home sooner or later – and this is exactly what happened. His relatives, who decided to stay in Germany, mention language problems as the biggest obstacle to overcome. Moreover, there are slight differences with regard to mentality.
(AB – remarks by Aleksei Babiy, Krasnoyarsk „Memorial“Organization ) Ninth expedition of the Krasnoyarsk "Memorial“ Organization and the Pedagogic College in Yeniseysk, Vorokovka-Kasachinskoe-Rozhdestvenskoe 2014 .