(ChSIR -member of the family of a traitor to the motherland; translator’s note)
The last years of my life in a camp passed quite favorably. I lived and worked in the best camp sub-sector of the Northern Railroad Forced Labor Camps – the TSOLP. This branch was directly assigned to the camp administration and was situated not far away – in the settlement of Knazhpogost in the Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic of Komi.
I noticed that prisoners, who had been sentenced on the ChSIR section, where not placed under detention ion the TSOLP. I only remember three women – a dentist, a neuro-pathologist and a nurse, who worked there till the end of their term. The authorities probably were of the opinion that they, the family members of traitors to the motherland, deserved a punishment under most terrible conditions.
The year 1941. An extensive transport of prisoners stopped at the TSOLP. The prisoners were to pass through a medical examination. Among them was Vladimir, the youngest son of Pavel Petrovich Postyshev. The head of the medical unit, Lyubov Petrovna Granovskaya, tried her best to keep Vladimir in the TSOLP by the assistance of the doctors. Soonafter, the war broke out. Volodya applied for being sent to the front. However, the application was turned down in a most rude manner. And they gave the following reason für their decision: How do you think you will be able to defend your motherland, which was betrayed by your own father. I cannot avoid mentioning that this remark hit Volodya very hard.
The head of the medical unit, Granovskaya, helped Volodya as much as she could. But soonafter, his sentence was revised and the camp term changed to internal exile.
Petrovskiy, the grandson of G.I. Petrovskiy, who had been sentenced on the same section, was also held in this camp, though for a short time only. They had first arrested his parents and then him. I do not recall his first name, but I remember how we, the women, on the initiative of Anna Abramovna Berzen celebrated his birthday.
We organized tea with sugar and some cookies from the hospital office. We gave him a little gift. Among my personal belongings I had stumbled upon an unopened box of tooth powder. And someone else presented him with a toothbrush ...
He was very moved. Out of gratitude he read out poems by Mayakovskiy to us aloud – and he did this very, very well.
In case he is still alive – I wonder if he still remembers that day.
(Unknown source)