Evgeni Chazov’s mother Friena Chazova and father Pyotr Chazov

My mother Friena Chazova and my father Pyotr Chazov. This photo was made during a stroll in the park in Ternopol in early 1950s. My father has his uniform of an officer of the Soviet army on.

In February 1946 my father was appointed as deputy chief of political department of the regional military registry office in Ternopol in the West of Ukraine [450 km from Kiev]. It was a high position at that time and was promoted to the rank of colonel soon. When he received a one-bedroom apartment in early fall our family joined him in Ternopol. Shortly afterward he received a two-bedroom apartment with big rooms with much light and a kitchen. My father bought the first furniture in his life at the age of 46: a sofa, wardrobe, a table and coaches for my sister and me.  My sister and I went to school and my mother went to work as a nurse in the surgery department of  the railroad hospital.

My father worked a lot. He often went on business trips in Subcarpathia that was annexed to the USSR in 1939. [Editors' note: Subcarpathia was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1945.] There were remaining gangs in the woods in Western Ukraine. They had chauvinistic moods and were against the establishment of Soviet power. Young people refused to serve in the Soviet Army and joined partisans in the woods. Once the trophy 'Willis' where my father was traveling some partisans who were local residents opened firing on the car. There were many such groups in the woods. They struggles against the Soviet power and its representatives. They killed the driver and wounded another officer sitting in the car. Nothing happened to my father. We heard about this accident from the officer that had a surgery in the hospital where my mother was working. My father omitted such 'incidents' despising the danger and performing his duty for his Motherland.

My parents had many friends. They were usually my father's co-officers and their families.  They got together in our home to celebrate Soviet holidays: 1 May, October revolution Day and the Soviet army Day. On weekends my father and mother went for a stroll. They went to the park where a symphonic orchestra was playing. It was a tradition.

In 1956 my father demobilized and became responsible for religion in Ternopol region at the Council of ministers of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. He dealt with religious cults and sects. This was hard work associated with disclosure of the sects forbidden by the state, identification of their status and their attitude to the state. My father retired from this work in 1965. The town party committee offered him to organize and head the commission working with letters from working people. This commission received many letters from people. They complained about their everyday problems looking for help and support. This commission also worked as an arbiter to resolve disputes or conflicts between people or organizations.] He organized this commission and worked there for free until 1973. People knew and loved my father. He was awarded the title of honored citizen of Ternopol and he was proud of it as much as he was of his combat awards.