Memories of Max Freidin
Max Freidin.
Max Zalmanovich Freidin recalled: "Before the war I finished the first grade of Gorky secondary Russian school. I remember hearing that the war was starting. I was on the way to my aunt Elena Markovna Ryskina (mother' sister) and saw a group of people standing in the square. Everyone was listening to Molotov talking about the start of the war.
On July 6, 1941 father went to the Red Army saying: "The war will be over in a month. We will conquer Germans." Then Gorky was bombed. Mother took me and younger sister Asia to a place called Gory.
We spent several days there and then returned to Gorky. Germans were approaching. There was no organized evacuation and everyone around said that we should not panic. However, situation was getting worse and worse.
Germans entered Gorky from the direction from Shklov on July 12, 1941. On that day bombing of Pogodino railway station took place. Everyone realized that it was dangerous to remain in town. My father's sister and mother's sister with her two children and husband joined us to leave the town. On the way we say bombing and fire and were hesitating whether to return to our homes or continue with our trip. However, my cousin Matvey said: "I am a member of Komsomol. Germans shoot us. You can do whatever you wish but I am not coming back." Thus, owing to his persistence, we all survived."
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