Chapter 4. Grandparents Mitri and Maria
I remember my grandpa Mitri (Dmitri) as my first impression of a kind adult, who was always ready to come to help or rescue to little child, which was me. He was calm and patient with me (3 or 4 years old) and spoke in a low soft voice, that somehow made me and two of my neighbor friends respect him, following his suggestions (I can’t say that he gave us commands, ever). At the same time grandpa was able to fulfill many errands around the house. I want to tell you more about that man, not only because I loved him, but because I think he was an amazing character, showing to me example of kindness and soul generosity. Later in 1966 I, as University student, lived with him over year and loved to listen his endless stories about his numerous relatives.
Mitri didn’t get any school education, well almost, he was expelled twice from the first grade in two different elementary schools for lack of interest and effort to study plus for the bad behavior. He told me that he paid a couple of kopecks to some poor old woman for attending the meeting with school supervisor. So, she came and quietly listened all the complaints, just nodding in accordance. Mitri was from ordinary hard working family, and began his work life early, learning from experience.
In 1916 he became old enough to be drafted and sent to the front of WW1. He was trained in a month long military training camp and dispatched to the Northern Turkey. That destination was not the most active front, so he probably thought that he was lucky. Maybe he was, but his luck didn’t last long enough. During one of the rare Turkish attacks he got a head contusion from the shell explosion and was brought unconscious to the medical tent. Since his condition was not life-threatening he was left outside for quite a long time, just enough for hot Turkish summer to get sunstroke on top of his contusion. That combination gave local army medics a reason to send young warrior to Moscow, his birthplace, to get him back in normal health. Mitri was admitted to one of the hospitals, which was full of infected patients with typhoid fever. His head injury became a secondary problem, when he contracted the worst form of that terrible disease. Almost three months later, in the end of September he returned home.
October Revolution of Bolsheviks didn’t make much impression on young Mitri, he was decommissioned for the military service, so his major interest was in ability to get himself alive. He started his worker's career at one of Moscow machine shops, where he learned a welder skills. He lived with his parents in a small apartment in Lefortovo district, South East of Moscow, where most of his relatives migrated from Smolensk region resided. Days were filled with long hours of hard work, and Mitri tried to keep his employment, fighting the debilitating health problems. He didn’t care much, what was going on with his country politics.
In 1919 he met a pretty girl Maria, she also lived nearby. Her father was Polish and mother was German, they migrated from Warsaw a few years before WWI to Moscow with hope on better life. Her father's name was Yuzef Kowalski , which he changed to Russian Osip to get quicker promotion in his technician career. So, in spring of 1920 Mitri and Maria got married and in February 1921 Maria bring him a healthy son Alexander (Sasha).
Maria, 1930s Mitri with Garik , 1952, Sarov