Frieda Stoyanovskaya's younger son Leonid Gordeyev's family

This is a family photograph: my younger son Leonid's family. Here are my son Leonid, his wife Nadezhda and my grandchildren Semyon and Igor. This photo was taken in Munich in 1995. Leonid was born in 1941. [After the war] Victor, our older son, and then Leonid studied at my school. This caused some problems and helped to get rid of the others. They took their daddy's pseudonym for their last name and became the Gordeyevs. This was a trick to conceal their Jewish identity. But it was equivocal, as I didn't conceal that I was Jewish at all. In their passports, under Item 5 it was also written that their nationality was Jewish. Leonid entered the Odessa Communications Institute after finishing school. It wasn't his choice , but he didn't suffer from it. Perhaps, he had a more solid position in life and national consciousness than my older son. He was standing on the ground with his both feet. Nevertheless, he decided to emigrate in 1992. But he didn't choose the far-away United States or Israel, with its national orientation. He went to Germany. He and his wife and my grandchildren live in Munich now. Leonid and Victor have continuously invited me to move in with them. However, I clearly made up my mind that my freedom is most important for me. Besides, I am 95 and I believe that the only land where I can feel myself free and happy is the land where I was born. I remember my husband was of the same opinion. However, I am in touch with Israel. My three nieces live in Israel. Two of them live in Netanya, and one lives in Tzefat with her husband. They have six children. I am happy about my children and grandchildren. I am happy about the perspectives opening for the Jews. I am pleased that there are so many possibilities in Ukraine now to develop Jewish consciousness. I realize, however, that my time has gone. I am a very Soviet person and regrettably, never kept Jewish traditions and holidays.