Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

Esther Feldman Icikson - October 23 & 29, November 5 & 12, 2001

The Soviets

Yeah, because it's October in our calendar, it's about two weeks ???.

Is when they became independent.

Became--the revolution was successful.

The revolution was in November.

So it would be in November, yeah.

Okay, okay. So we were there already because they were celebrating that occasion and we were--it was a big uh, gathering of people in a theater and the children from my kindergarten where I was going were taking part in this celebration. And...

Do you remember Stalin's name coming up?

Well, I'll tell you what. I do. This is what I... A group of us children were on stage and because I was a ???, which means a newcomer uh, I was chosen to sing a little song in Russian. And--shall I tell it to you in Russian?

Can you sing the song?

I can say it.

Sing the song.

??? which means, I am a little, I'm a little red flower and I'm a Pioneer. I'm Stalin's daughter, the leader of S.S.R which is Russian uh, country.

You remember that stuff?

Yeah.

Can you sing it?

No.

You won't sing for me.

You don't forget a thing like this. And guess what happened? The people from the audience were throwing at me on stage rolls and candies and apples, because you know food was very important. So that's, that's how they, they rewarded me for doing such a good job, because I had been there only a few weeks, a couple weeks. I don't know how long I was there. A very little time.

Do you remember what you thought about Stalin? I mean, you sang this song, he's your father and...

No, no. But, you know, I remember that the people--in those days some people spoke Yiddish to my parents, people that lived in Russia there, or, or White Russia, whatever. They would say, "Stalin should live so long that when my bones would rot away, he would, he should be still alive."

He was the great hero.

He was the great hero.


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