The old photography shows female workers from the Bolsheuluy Industrial State Combine. Besides, most of them were also working for the blanket factory, which, together with the mirror factory, was sited in the small pinewood, just opposite the flax mill, in the 1950s. Part of the collective was made up by exiles – Russians, Volga Germans, Kalmucks. The rest were locals. The photo was given to us by courtesy of Erna Gottfriedovna Yekimova . Unfortunately, she does not recall the names and family names of all persons shown on the picture.
Well, in front, from left to right, lie and sit: Anja Gro (Volga-German), Lisa und Dusya from Kalmuckia, Irma Davidovna Wilhelm (Fedotova, Volga-German), next to her Tatyana Malyushkina (Shinkina). With their heads leant against eachother: Frosya Kovaleva and Fenya Mashnyuk. Behind – Dorothea Rimmer (the Russians called her Tonya, her husband’s family name was Dolbanov). The ninenth in this row – Katya Kurchavaya, the tenth – Erna Gottfriedovna Altergot (Yekimova).
In the second row from the left: Piotr Romanovich Perminov, born in 1912, participant of the Great Patriotic War. Next to him – Pavel Pavlovich Belikov, exile, brigadier of the carpenter’s workshop. The third from the left is Stepan Makarovich Chudagashev, born in 1905, exile, book-keeper. Right in the middle – the director of the Industrial Combine: Ivan Bolmotov; before, he was the head of the kolkhoz farm in Udachnaya. The name and family name of the woman are not known, but next to her we see the head of the blanket factory – Lev Naumovich. She does not recall his surname, either; he was from among the exiles, too.
In the upper row, from the left: Amalie and Christian Altergot (married Kraus). The forth person – a Volga-German deportee. The sixth – Irina Zubilina, the seventh – Polina Vasilevna Tsyganowa (Kobylkina). Next to her – Katya Kufel (Kufeld?, married Rimmer). The tenth – Zinaida Fedorovna Rogozina (the sister of G.F. Medvedeva. The family names of the remaining persons on the photo are not known.
We have no idea about the fate of each of the persons shown on the picture. Some of them have already died, such as I. Bolmotov; he died in Frunse. I.D. Fedotova, E. G. Yekimova and P.V. Kobylkina now live in Bolshoy Uluy. Frosya Kovaleva und Katya Kurchavaya later moved away from the district town. Fevronya Leontyevna Mashnyuk lives in the settlement of Klyuchi, in the AchinskRegion. The German Dorothea Rimmer got married to a Kalmuck called Dolbanov; after having been released from exile they moved away to her husbands home town Astrachan; they have several children. The life and fate of the remaining workers of the Industrial State Combine need sto be clarified yet.
V. Uskov
„Vesti“ („news“), N° 44 (7162), 29.10.2005