Chapter: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Maps
Kiev area, 1981 (National Geographic)
Michael L. Zlatovski
A Russian Chronicle
1881 - 1951
Dad was a kind and gentle man with a tendency toward depression enlivened by irrepressible wit and humor. A classic remark of his that we cherish: "My health, unfortunately, is good." An omnivorous reader with a fine mind and a phenomenal memory, Dad undertook his memoirs at my urging after his retirement from active medical practice.
The creative effort is entirely my father's. I deciphered his handwriting, typed the material (with sporadic help from my daughters), made minor grammatical changes, and clarified the syntax. I did not tamper with his observations, his insights, or his recollection of events, historical and personal.
The project occupied many of Dad's idle hours and lonely days. This touching revelation is from one of his last letters: "My activities are limited to the point of none existing, and my contacts with the outer world are few and wide apart. On a sunny day - and they are rare - I sit on the porch smoking and watching Seventh Street go by. In inclement weather I sit in an easy chair brooding. I read a little, write some, 'polishing' my memoirs ... and the more I polish, the less they shine...."
Typically, Dad understated the case. It has taken me 25 years to assemble this chronicle, largely due to an unwillingness to face up to painful memories. As I worked on the manuscript, I was impressed with the scope of his work, the originality of his observations, the flair for expressing himself in an alien tongue. He has left a priceless legacy - one that will continue to shine whenever someone reads it.
Helen (Elyena) Zlatovski Tenenbaum, 1976