Born 18.01.1941
Father: Josef Josefovich Gelzelichter, born 1913
Mother: Anna Matveevna Gelzelichter, born 1915
Brothers and sisters: Yekaterina (Katharina) (1937), Rosa ( (1939), Josef
(1942), Anton (1953)
Children of L.I.: Pavel, 23.01.1963, lives in Vekhnepashino; Nikolai, 08.09.1964, lives in Krasnoyarsk; Natalia, 16.08.1965, lives in Ust-Kem.
Before their deportation they lived in the Odessa Region, in the village of Elsaß. The father did not return home after the war; having started a new family, he stayed in Ishevsk (A.B. – owing to which circumstances did he get to Ishevsk? Trudarmy?).
They had their own farm: 3 cows, 100 chickens; apart from this, they were keeping pigs and growing wine.
The family was deported in 1944, when Lidia Josifovna was three years old. They hardly managed to pack at least the most necessary things. All they took along was the clothes they were weaing, some container with lard (the had succeeded to butcher one of their pigs in time) and home-made vermicelli. Whenever the train stopped at a station, the mother would make a soup.
They were taken to Cheremkhovo. They lived there for a while having to share one dug-out with 8 or 9 families. Once, some of the fellow lodgers grew ill with scabies. Thereupon Lidi’s uncle quickly decided to dig a new underground hut, so that they could live separated from the others, thus hoping to avoid infection. The new hut become the home of Lida Josifovna’s family, her uncle and aunt. Aunt Polina had beautiful long hair. One day Lidia found such a long haur which had fallen to the ground. She wrapped it arround her thumb and began to suck, as if this would help to satisfy hunger.
They also fed upon plantain and shepherd’s purse. It was strictly forbidden to go into the forest (except for Sundays). However, they were mainly looking for bear’s garlic. Every now and then they went to the bazar to exchange a hand-made cushion against a glassful of oats.
Since the father was absent, the mother had to see to feeding the whole family. In order to survive she fulfilled miscellanous jobs, cleaning barns and stockrooms and working in the factory – just for a piece of bread.
Later, they were transferred to the village of Kumora. At first they went by steamer “Bagruzin”, then changed to a barge. In Kumora they lived in a barrack housing four families. In one corner – a woman with her son and daughter, in the next corner – parents with four children, in the third – Lidia Josifovna’s family, in the forth – an old man and an old woman.
During the first time the local residents were mocking about them saying that they reportedly disposed of a third eye.
In the village of Kumora Lidia Josifovna finished the 3rd term. In 1953 Lidia Josifovna’s mother gave birth to a boy, who weighed 5.500 grams; everybody thought she would die.
In 1954 they were asked to board a barge, which took them to Niszhneangarsk for free settlement. There they lived in a barrack with 16 apartments. They removed to Ust-Kem earlier this year.
Interviewed by Kristina Polysalova, Tatiana Korotkikh, Veronika Gimranova.
(AB – comments by Aleksei Babiy, Krasnoyarsk “Memorial”)
Forth expedition of history and human rights, Ust-Kem 2007