Article is written by Ignatyeva T.V.
scientific officer of Yeniseisk study of local lore museum
with memoirs of S.A.Kobycheva.
In 1915 young soldier Alexander Kobychev, being in a field army, wrote to his brother to Yeniseisk: «On advanced positions I have tested the terrible moments, expecting death every minute. The one who has gone through all of this is happy. The one who has not only tested it and has remained alive, but also who is still safe, as I am...»
On March, 23, 1938 Alexander Kobychev being an inspector of local woods has been arrested and accused in underground propaganda and participation in «counterrevolutionary kulak-insurgent group». The decision of three men from People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs of Koasnoyarsk region from May, 7 1938 to Kobychevu Alexander Ionovichu was the extreme penalty of social protection - execution. The verdict has been executed on May, 25, 1938 in Yeniseisk. It is possible only to assume how it was for the father of two daughters to go through terrible expectation of death again.
«I know very little about a youth of my father, - tells daughter of Alexander Ionovich, - first he studied in parish school, then he entered to vocational school, then in wood school in Yemelyanovo and has excellently finished it. Before his arrest we stored a lot of commendable and award sheets at home, also maps and plans of Yenisei province wood lands. That were drawn by him and marked with an estimation "perfect".
My father loved a wood selflessly. He had huge library on conducting a forestry of Russian and foreign authors.
He has collected a herbarium during study at the Wood school. It has been marked by the diploma and sent to the Saint-Petersburg Wood institute. There it was exhibited at an exhibition «Vegetation of Eastern Siberia».
In 1914 father has been demobilized in a field army. Civil war then began. In 1920 he has just returned to Yeniseisk where he started to work as the forest warden. In 1921 he has got acquainted with my mum. He has seen that the girl goes to work in boots in winter and he has presented for her katanki. And he also has presented the same "footwear" for her younger sisters to not offend her pride. Soon they have got married. Father worked a lot, frequently he was in travels. We saw him very seldom at home. In the beginning of 20th years he has been transferred to Sevmorput Committee. And then he was invited as a main wood expert in trust "Sevpolarles" when export of a wood to abroad has been organized. He became the inspector of woods on the huge area where following lespromhozes are located - pool of Angara and Yenisei - Strelka, Taseevo, Boguchani, Kezhma and lower reaches of Yenisei. Everytime when father came back from the "expeditions", smelling of a frost and tobacco, we rushed to him on the neck and shoulders. There were not happier minutes in our children's life.
Sometimes we went to village with father by a horse, harnessed in small carpet sledge. Carried us well-known in whole Yeniseisk "Vikidai" - stately handsome grey stallion with "apples" on his back. We bought him in Krasnoyarsk in fair specially for the father as he has given one of our house rooms for an office.
In the beginning of 30th years Yeniseisk has been flooded with exiled peasants from European part of the country. They were named special immigrants. They were brought before winter without warm clothes, money, products - without anything. They were settled in old barracks, having given to itself.
A winter was very severe in that year. And once at night father has heard a strange scratch. He has seen from a window of kitchen that a person climbs on the roof from a ladder (it was possible to get in small pantry from an attic). Father has dressed and has opened a pantry in the moment when this unfortunate wretch took bacon from a shelf and put it in his bosom. Father has taken him by the collar, has took bacon and has led him in the house. In kitchen he has kindled a plate, has boiled a teapot, has put on a table bacon and potato, bread. He has fed the poor guy, has got from a case an old short fur coat, valenki, fur mittens and "get completely puzzled muzhik up". Then both have smoked and sat near an oven. The daddy sat and thought. (He has told it to us later). Eventually, he ordered guy to come to the forest area office. He has put in a bag piece of bacon, potato, some pieces of a lump sugar, two fishes, a pack of makhorka, and has sent the guy.
Since morning he with the head solved the problem on public works in a forest
area - clearing of a wood, export of a dead wood, arrangement of wintries.
Exiled have got a job and a ration. Father as the main forest warden has given
out to them the ticket to preparation of fire wood. And the city authority has
allocated them a horse and sledge for removal. So they have been rescued from
freezing in the delapidated barracks.
At the end of 1934 father has left to the Maximum courses of a forestry. He was
absent half-year, and after returning he did not work in a forest area anymore,
and has passed to Sevmorput committee. But for years of work in a forest area he
has filled up the richest herbarium, has collected the big collection of bugs
and an amazing collection of butterflies. Father also seriously was engaged in
gardening of the city, organizing voskresniks and landings of poplars sapling in
streets of Yeniseisk.
On March, 23 1938 our cloudless childhood has ended. Knock at a door at night was resounded and people in white short fur coats have come in the house. The search was careful: they shook up all things in cases, a children's desk and a table of the father. Especially they rummaged in books. And then they ordered to father to set out. Before leaving he has embraced all of us, has kissed and told: «Do not worry, Marusya, daughters, I will certainly come back». So father was left our life forever. Only in 1995 we have learned the true about his destruction. After five years after father's arrest a stranger has come to us. He has told us how father behaved in prison where they were in the chamber together. Our father came back from interrogations hackneyed, laid down and groaned because of a pain. And this stranger has told: «Sasha was lost, because he has named nobody».
Father, probably, thought a lot of the daughter's future. He realized in what times we will live. And he considered that a steadfast man with firm will and character will find a place in his life, even if he is not educated. But it is more hard to a woman. He spoke many times that enlightened woman, much reading, able to reflect and analyze, volitive, will more easy cope with hardship in any vital tests. It was our mum who told us all this when we studied in the senior classes. And also he considered that a woman necessarily should receive arts education - a history, a literature, foreign language - he thought this way to bring up his daughters.»
After arrest of Alexander Ionovich Kobychev hard times have come for his family. Many good familiars have simply stop to notice them. There was a private rule at that time: to not accept to any work wives of people enemies.
Then the friend to arrested person Mikhail Saltykov and his wife Anisja Vladimirovna supported very much Kobychev family. «I will remember till the end of my life this family, - says Stanislava Aleksandrovna, - because during the heaviest times for us (and especially for mum) they helped us much as they could though they lived not so well. Nina Aleksandrovna Trosheva, in spite of the fact that she has been full of communism ideas (with all features inherent in such people), being kind familiar of my mum, has not ceased to communicate with her when we became derelicts of a society, members of «people's enemy» family. Moreover, she helped mum as far as possible. She has hired mum to a warehouse as a worker, besides, she has talked with the warehouse manager that mum did not put for heavy works. The only one who lived at that time can appreciate this act.
On June, 21, 1941 Stanislava Aleksandrovna has passed last final examination - physics. When she has come to school next day, corridors were empty. Everyone was on the meeting - the war began. The life became even more complicated. But Maria Aleksandrovna has told to the daughter: «You will go to study. I promised it to your daddy». And the senior daughter became the student of Novosibirsk institute of air photography and cartography. But soon 1-3 courses have been disbanded. It was offered to them to go back to home or to stay there for work in hospital.
In 1943 the telegram has come to Novosibirsk from Yeniseisk: «Immediately come. A trouble». Kobichelevy's house has burned down. Maria Aleksandrovna with the younger daughter appeared in hospital. Everything has to be begun all over again. But nevertheless Tesya Aleksandrovna in 1945 goes to study again as her father wished, now to Moscow. She entered to the Moscow State University to journalism department of philological faculty (there was no separate faculty then). On the third month of study there was found out that she is the daughter of "the people's enemy». She was called to the rector of university. «Conversation was hard, - recollects Stanislava Aleksandrovna, - all over again he has praised me for successes, and then he has told me that the branch prepares people who «should bear ideology of the won class and it's avant guarde to the masses, but you cannot do it. That is why I cannot leave you here. But I understand and regret you, therefore I shall help you to find an educational institution where this fact of your biography will be not so important. For now I leave you grain and a food-card, a diet (these are coupons for dinners). You will stay in the hostel. I promise it to you. And always remember that people is better than circumstances. This will help you not to become embittered». After 5 days after that conversation the senior daughter of Alexander Ionovich has been accepted to the Moscow institute of nonferrous metals and gold on an additional enrollment. So she has chosen a profession which has defined her whole further life.
Stanislava Aleksandrovna Kobycheva became the chief of the geological survey party searching in 50th for gold and nonferrous metals in Kolyma and Pamir. Also she became the heroine of a Vladimir Rudima's sketch of «In the sector Q - 57 » ("Ogonek", ¹ 52, 1958), interlocutor of Victor Petrovich Astafiev on correspondence in 60th. She is the author of bright and courageous verses, the magnificent storyteller, the person not indifferent to all life manifestations, indefinitely in love with her native city. «Heart is pleased, - she has admitted, - that in my lovely, native Yeniseisk, most favourite from all cities where I lived, goes such an intensive spiritual life».
In 1947 younger daughter of A.I.Kobychev has left to study in the Moscow library institute. She studied in the same course with Fazil Iskander and remembers how all of them met the new year together. This photo is stored in funds of the Yenisei regional museum. Within study Angelina Aleksandrovna also has had the luck to get acquainted and communicate with Vasiliy Blucher, the son of shot marshal by bolsheviks V.V.Bluher.
«Vasiliy had hard destiny. - recollects Angelina Aleksandrovna. - He has not accepted to institute because of the father. He studied in the technical school of the same name and at philosophical faculty of the Moscow university by correspondence. He lived in a hostel of nonferrous metals institute where also my sister lived. Therefore we met each other very often. He was clever, widely-read and extremely modest young man. It was interesting for us to exchange read and heard materials from humanities lectures. Especially I remember an ancient greek history and an antique literature because in fact you will not share it with "technicians". Then he became the good organizer of manufacture (director of a large production association) and the scientific (the professor of Sverdlovsk polytechnical institute). Many years later I saw his performance on TV in Alma-Ata. He was the same modest as before».
Fine teachers worked then in the library institute. Many courses given by the professors expelled from the Moscow university in connection with struggle against cosmopolitism declared by Stalin. Among them there were professors Kogan, Savitch, Markov, T.Motyleva, M.P.Gastfer, Eihengolz and others.
In 1951 Angelina Aleksandrovna has been directed for work to Sverdlovsk regional library as the bibliographer. But she has not been admitted to this work as the unworthy distrust person (the daughter of the people's enemy) and they have directed her to a reading room.
In 1954 Angelina Aleksandrovna leaves to Alma-Ata where her mother and the sister lived. There she worked in republican library. Last years she was the research department manager. And she worked at creation of the regional national bibliography. And also she edited the collection of documents "The history of a library affair in Kazakhstan" which has published in 80th years.
So there was a destiny of two small daughters of the Yenisei woods inspector who was shot in May, 1938.