Yevgeniya story starts in WW2. Her father Vassily was a heavy engineer working in a factory in Odessa, the Germans advance was underway, Stalin in a stroke of genius decided to move the factory's as far from the front line as possible, men and machinery were put on trains and sent to the wilds of Siberia where workers and machines were put in fields hooked to generators and continued their production,the buildings were erected around them. Yevgeniya's father was one such engineer his skill and experience vital to the war effort. Her mother and young brother were housed in a city called Barnaul, Yevgeniya was born there in 1946.
The war having ended the family wanted to return to Odessa, each time Vassily asked for the transfer he was refused. One day in 1948 It was a rather confused husband who found himself on a train to Odessa, his wife having been very generous with the vodka the night before.
On arrival in the city he found that the property they had lived in previously occupied by a new family, this was not unusual at this time, complain if you wish but officials were not interested, housing was at a premium so much destroyed in the war. Anyone finding an empty property moved in and claimed it officials shrug their shoulders and look the other way.
Next was to find work, factories were beginning to restart men like him were needed but he was there without permission ostensibly on holiday At first company's were reluctant to take him on, eventually the director of a large factory said he would give him work, he could stay in an unused store room. All hell broke loose, the party were furious that this man had done this without their permission,the director made the case that he was essential to restart and maintain the machinery, there being few people with his skills available, reluctantly it was agreed he could stay,as a punishment they stripped him of his party card meaning that little or no help would be given to him or his family.
Back in Barnaul Yevgeniya's mother Irina was getting ready to follow her husband. Yevgeniya's Godfather was in Barnaul,he too was from Odessa,among other things he turned boiled sugar into sweets which He sold in the Bazar, totally illegal of course, he showed Mama how to make them, which proved a big help later supplementing the family income. Anyway his mother still lived in the city she agreed to let the family share her room. So it was some months later Irina and children arrived to join her husband. Eventually the company gave them a flat near the factory which was to be her home. School was only a short walk away.
Years passed, hard times Yevgeniya says, sometimes so little to eat she would gnaw on raw potatoes, in spring a treat was to eat the sweet flowers from the Acacia Tree, she became expert at foraging for berries herbs and fruit that were safe and good to eat.
Yevgeniya was a good student excelling in most subjects,she especially loved reading, with her parents encouragement she read anything she could lay her hands on. Books from the library introduced her to classic authors from Tolstoy,Pushkin,Chekhov to Dickens,Shaw, F Scot Fitzgerald,Mark Twain,Conan Doyle,along with many more. These books gave an insight to a different world far removed from the grimness of her surroundings.
Determined to make a better life for herself,she started searching for a profession that would help her achieve this. Eventually the idea of becoming a pilot appeared a good option,her headmaster had been one in the war and maybe he encouraged her I don't know.
However she started looking for a flying school who would take her on, she was 15 at the time to young to fly, somehow father pulled a fast one on the system and got her papers which gave her age as 16. She found a gliding school prepared to take her on, it was about an hours ride from home. Instruction would have to be fitted in whenever possible which meant some of them would have to be during school hours. With connivance from her headmaster she was able to go for lessens during school time without being marked as absent, this would not have gone down well with the powers that be had they not done so. Through diligence and hard work studying and finishing her school work late into the evenings she achieved very high grades.
The course started in October, theory only, the winter weather being to bad for flying. From May onward was the actual aerial work, before this could happen Yevgeniya and all other students had to make a parachute jump from a static balloon if she failed there would be no way she could learn to fly, ”I was so scared” she says ”but I had no choice if this was to be my life I would have to do it”, this proved to be something she did not look forward to every year from then on.
Once that was out of the way she took to the air and showed a natural talent for gliding, during her second summer she started successfully taking part in competitions winning many of them. About then she had to seriously consider her options,schooling was coming to an end, there was little choice,go to a factory or the military.
With her excellent academic qualifications she chose to go to a flying Academy in The city of Khalooga, though not strictly a military establishment she would learn how to march, strip down clean and fire small arms,as well as all the other things that are deemed necessary for the military at that time. More importantly she was taught to fly and maintain powered aircraft,training on a Yak 12, greater in depth theory,navigation,and managerial skills, essential later when passing out as a flying instructor.
A life changing event took place at this time Yevgeniya met Anatoli Mykhaylov another trainee pilot they became inseparable, before their Academy years were over they were married remaining so until Anatoli’s death in 1993.
The completion of their studies found them looking for work. It was not easy finding places for married couples, eventually they got jobs at the sport flying school in Odessa teaching gliding, well not exactly: there was only work for one instructor and one mechanic, they took it in turns Genny as instructor and Anatoli as mechanic, when Yevgeniya became pregnant he took on the full time instructors role.
All was well until the school decided to go over from purely gliders to the Yak 12 suitable for aerobatic sport flying. Anatoli was unhappy with this, after much discussion it was decided he should pursue a career with Aeroflot as a commercial pilot, Genny would stay on as instructor at the school.
Once more she was highly successful, over the next decade and a half produced fine pilots two of them went on to become cosmonauts, many others went into the military flying all types of aircraft, one I know of after military service in Afghanistan became a test pilot flying the Russian version of the jump jet on and off aircraft carriers. Yevgeniya's personality is such that many of these people have stayed friends to this day.
Yevgeniya had two girls Lena and Irina during this time. Occasionally in the school holidays they would be taken to the airfield where her students would look after them if she was teaching.
Genny herself won a few competitions but as she said she was a better teacher than aerobatic pilot, a modesty which some of her students say is not true, they are full of praise and tell me that her pilot skills and teaching and had got them out of difficulty on more than one occasion.
After some twenty years the strain of flying, the stresses put on her body during the execution of the more difficult aerobatic manoeuvres began to take its toll her spine damaged through the compression G forces, (special suits were unheard of at this time). Flying accidents to people she knew finally made up her mind, she would resign.
From student at age fifteen, to over 20 years training some 250 pilots, finally director of the school was a mighty achievement,having flown Yak mark 12 up to Yak mark 52 as well as Antonov's single and twin engined, she turned her back on all this. To take up a new position at an after school club called The Children's Palace.
Held in Count Vorontsov Palace this was free to any child where they could learn anything that interested them.
Yevgeniya’s department was devoted to crafts such as model building, boats,cars, planes,dress making, needlework photography etc: As department head she was responsible for ensuring staff and materials were available,overseeing the smooth running of the school.
Married life was a struggle for them, accommodation in the city was almost non existent the rule was that each person was allowed 4 square metres of living space, they finally were able to purchase a one room apartment,sharing kitchen and toilet,with four other families, bathing was done in a communal bath house down the road. The upside was that being in the city centre everything was an easy walk away.
Anatoli was frequently absent, distances between cities can be huge making return the same day impossible, so much so he never flew outside the Soviet Union, actually I think Genny did say he once flew to Dubai.
Life was pretty good, eventually they were able to buy a Dacha on the Liman at Karolino Bugaz it was a place to get away, to clear the stifling summer heat of the city, there, for about four months,friends would visit, the children were safe and free to swim, fish, water ski, make sand castles.
The building was pretty basic a shed Genny called it with beds, the kitchen another smaller shed: although most cooking was done outside. A bucket and chuck it toilet, some sort of shower, it was very much an outdoor type of life BBQ being the favoured form of cooking, seafood was plentiful. A good scheme was at the start of summer to buy half a dozen or so chickens these would provide eggs and some meat, at the end of the holiday the remainder being frozen for meat for winter.
Most days Yevgeniya would get the early train to the city, and from there 2 buses to the flying school,
it took she said a couple of hours each way, making for a very long day. Although holidays were a generous 42 days these could only be taken in the autumn or winter, summer being the ideal time for flying, this kept her busy 7 days a week, it was fortunate her mother was able to look after the girls, of course Anatoli would be there in between his routes. Later the children's palace had a less generous 35 days a year holiday the bonus being they could be taken in the summer, so she was able to spend much more time with them.
Nothing is forever things shatter the idyll the death of her beloved Anatoli was unexpected and a terrific shock, he had been fine until his last trip. Returning home he complained of not feeling well, soon he was in hospital, Genny nursed him for two weeks but it was not to be, this Big Man, this Wonderful Father, her rock and best friend passed on.
I've jumped ahead a little, the USSR collapsed the family struggled on as best they could all their savings disappeared overnight the banks just closed their doors and that was that. Inflation became an issue, worst of all food supplies became scarce non existent and expensive, the school money became insufficient to support the family, a new plan was needed.
Yevgeniya had heard there was a company starting to bus people into Poland to the Bazaars, where goods could be traded, things hard to get in Odessa could be bought fairly cheaply and sold for a profit, this sounded like a plan. Yevgeniya being the person she was arranged with the company boss to oversee the trips, sort of making sure people payed the fare, didn't miss the bus etc, for this she not only got paid but was able to make trades of her own. It was hard work standing around in all weathers but it helped keep the family going. This continued for about 5 years,until Anatoli died. At which point Yevgeniya's body gave out,she collapsed with spinal problem brought on the doctors say by the stress put on her from G forces inherent with aerobatic flying as well as her current situation. An operation which she was told may be successful or could result in her being a permanent invalid was offered. Genny chose not to have the surgery instead for the rest of her life carried out a strict regime of exercises every morning, in time she achieved a good amount of mobility. Of course being laid up for weeks on end meant she was unable to work. By this time her girls were married, Lena had a year old son Nikoli. Two weeks after her Anatoli died Irina gave birth to a son who they named Anatoli, he was the catalyst that helped Yevgeniya cope with her troubles she channeled her energy into looking after them while her girls worked. She found caring for these babies was something she could do, a couple of people heard she was available and asked could she babysit for them, she agreed,and did so for approximately a year.
One of her charges parents wanted her to work full time for him, she felt there might be strings attached so declined, however he told her that a business friend had taken on a franchise to sell Zeptor kitchen products, if she contacted him he might give her work selling these wares. Sceptical she applied and was pleased when she was given a job, quickly acquiring knowledge of the products she was soon selling these very high quality expensive goods, first to friends and family: Soon word of mouth saw her clientele grew ever larger, so much so that she became top sales person in Odessa, as a reward she and others from the sales force were rewarded by a holiday in Cyprus.
On her return things would never be the same again the company was changing many more sales staff were being recruited the lucrative city centre was about to be served with a store in the beautiful Passage Arcade.
A new plan was called for. Once again she found a company starting to sell medicines, it was a pyramid scheme, being an early adopter she had a clear field enabling her to engage over 1k people to selling door to door, things were getting better.
Always one to do the best for the family and looking for ways to help it was decided to buy a computer a bold move by anyone's standard but she felt that her grandchildren would benefit. Thorough as ever and knowing nothing about them she embarked on a course. Of lessons soon becoming proficient she had the advantage of being able to type and use the western alphabet. One day her Seven year old grandson said “Babushka (granny) now you have computer can you find me a Dedushka (grandfather)” this coming from the little lad who had helped her through those bad times was a wake up call to her. She began thinking well maybe it is time for some me time, her girls agreed, it had been a long time to be on her own.
So it was hairdo and makeup later armed with a set of photos, she found a company website able to assist in her quest. That is how in January 2001 I was sitting in my armchair looking at her email.
The war having ended the family wanted to return to Odessa, each time Vassily asked for the transfer he was refused. One day in 1948 It was a rather confused husband who found himself on a train to Odessa, his wife having been very generous with the vodka the night before.
On arrival in the city he found that the property they had lived in previously occupied by a new family, this was not unusual at this time, complain if you wish but officials were not interested, housing was at a premium so much destroyed in the war. Anyone finding an empty property moved in and claimed it officials shrug their shoulders and look the other way.
Next was to find work, factories were beginning to restart men like him were needed but he was there without permission ostensibly on holiday At first company's were reluctant to take him on, eventually the director of a large factory said he would give him work, he could stay in an unused store room. All hell broke loose, the party were furious that this man had done this without their permission,the director made the case that he was essential to restart and maintain the machinery, there being few people with his skills available, reluctantly it was agreed he could stay,as a punishment they stripped him of his party card meaning that little or no help would be given to him or his family.
Back in Barnaul Yevgeniya's mother Irina was getting ready to follow her husband. Yevgeniya's Godfather was in Barnaul,he too was from Odessa,among other things he turned boiled sugar into sweets which He sold in the Bazar, totally illegal of course, he showed Mama how to make them, which proved a big help later supplementing the family income. Anyway his mother still lived in the city she agreed to let the family share her room. So it was some months later Irina and children arrived to join her husband. Eventually the company gave them a flat near the factory which was to be her home. School was only a short walk away.
Years passed, hard times Yevgeniya says, sometimes so little to eat she would gnaw on raw potatoes, in spring a treat was to eat the sweet flowers from the Acacia Tree, she became expert at foraging for berries herbs and fruit that were safe and good to eat.
Yevgeniya was a good student excelling in most subjects,she especially loved reading, with her parents encouragement she read anything she could lay her hands on. Books from the library introduced her to classic authors from Tolstoy,Pushkin,Chekhov to Dickens,Shaw, F Scot Fitzgerald,Mark Twain,Conan Doyle,along with many more. These books gave an insight to a different world far removed from the grimness of her surroundings.
Determined to make a better life for herself,she started searching for a profession that would help her achieve this. Eventually the idea of becoming a pilot appeared a good option,her headmaster had been one in the war and maybe he encouraged her I don't know.
However she started looking for a flying school who would take her on, she was 15 at the time to young to fly, somehow father pulled a fast one on the system and got her papers which gave her age as 16. She found a gliding school prepared to take her on, it was about an hours ride from home. Instruction would have to be fitted in whenever possible which meant some of them would have to be during school hours. With connivance from her headmaster she was able to go for lessens during school time without being marked as absent, this would not have gone down well with the powers that be had they not done so. Through diligence and hard work studying and finishing her school work late into the evenings she achieved very high grades.
The course started in October, theory only, the winter weather being to bad for flying. From May onward was the actual aerial work, before this could happen Yevgeniya and all other students had to make a parachute jump from a static balloon if she failed there would be no way she could learn to fly, ”I was so scared” she says ”but I had no choice if this was to be my life I would have to do it”, this proved to be something she did not look forward to every year from then on.
Once that was out of the way she took to the air and showed a natural talent for gliding, during her second summer she started successfully taking part in competitions winning many of them. About then she had to seriously consider her options,schooling was coming to an end, there was little choice,go to a factory or the military.
With her excellent academic qualifications she chose to go to a flying Academy in The city of Khalooga, though not strictly a military establishment she would learn how to march, strip down clean and fire small arms,as well as all the other things that are deemed necessary for the military at that time. More importantly she was taught to fly and maintain powered aircraft,training on a Yak 12, greater in depth theory,navigation,and managerial skills, essential later when passing out as a flying instructor.
A life changing event took place at this time Yevgeniya met Anatoli Mykhaylov another trainee pilot they became inseparable, before their Academy years were over they were married remaining so until Anatoli’s death in 1993.
The completion of their studies found them looking for work. It was not easy finding places for married couples, eventually they got jobs at the sport flying school in Odessa teaching gliding, well not exactly: there was only work for one instructor and one mechanic, they took it in turns Genny as instructor and Anatoli as mechanic, when Yevgeniya became pregnant he took on the full time instructors role.
All was well until the school decided to go over from purely gliders to the Yak 12 suitable for aerobatic sport flying. Anatoli was unhappy with this, after much discussion it was decided he should pursue a career with Aeroflot as a commercial pilot, Genny would stay on as instructor at the school.
Once more she was highly successful, over the next decade and a half produced fine pilots two of them went on to become cosmonauts, many others went into the military flying all types of aircraft, one I know of after military service in Afghanistan became a test pilot flying the Russian version of the jump jet on and off aircraft carriers. Yevgeniya's personality is such that many of these people have stayed friends to this day.
Yevgeniya had two girls Lena and Irina during this time. Occasionally in the school holidays they would be taken to the airfield where her students would look after them if she was teaching.
Genny herself won a few competitions but as she said she was a better teacher than aerobatic pilot, a modesty which some of her students say is not true, they are full of praise and tell me that her pilot skills and teaching and had got them out of difficulty on more than one occasion.
After some twenty years the strain of flying, the stresses put on her body during the execution of the more difficult aerobatic manoeuvres began to take its toll her spine damaged through the compression G forces, (special suits were unheard of at this time). Flying accidents to people she knew finally made up her mind, she would resign.
From student at age fifteen, to over 20 years training some 250 pilots, finally director of the school was a mighty achievement,having flown Yak mark 12 up to Yak mark 52 as well as Antonov's single and twin engined, she turned her back on all this. To take up a new position at an after school club called The Children's Palace.
Held in Count Vorontsov Palace this was free to any child where they could learn anything that interested them.
Yevgeniya’s department was devoted to crafts such as model building, boats,cars, planes,dress making, needlework photography etc: As department head she was responsible for ensuring staff and materials were available,overseeing the smooth running of the school.
Married life was a struggle for them, accommodation in the city was almost non existent the rule was that each person was allowed 4 square metres of living space, they finally were able to purchase a one room apartment,sharing kitchen and toilet,with four other families, bathing was done in a communal bath house down the road. The upside was that being in the city centre everything was an easy walk away.
Anatoli was frequently absent, distances between cities can be huge making return the same day impossible, so much so he never flew outside the Soviet Union, actually I think Genny did say he once flew to Dubai.
Life was pretty good, eventually they were able to buy a Dacha on the Liman at Karolino Bugaz it was a place to get away, to clear the stifling summer heat of the city, there, for about four months,friends would visit, the children were safe and free to swim, fish, water ski, make sand castles.
The building was pretty basic a shed Genny called it with beds, the kitchen another smaller shed: although most cooking was done outside. A bucket and chuck it toilet, some sort of shower, it was very much an outdoor type of life BBQ being the favoured form of cooking, seafood was plentiful. A good scheme was at the start of summer to buy half a dozen or so chickens these would provide eggs and some meat, at the end of the holiday the remainder being frozen for meat for winter.
Most days Yevgeniya would get the early train to the city, and from there 2 buses to the flying school,
it took she said a couple of hours each way, making for a very long day. Although holidays were a generous 42 days these could only be taken in the autumn or winter, summer being the ideal time for flying, this kept her busy 7 days a week, it was fortunate her mother was able to look after the girls, of course Anatoli would be there in between his routes. Later the children's palace had a less generous 35 days a year holiday the bonus being they could be taken in the summer, so she was able to spend much more time with them.
Nothing is forever things shatter the idyll the death of her beloved Anatoli was unexpected and a terrific shock, he had been fine until his last trip. Returning home he complained of not feeling well, soon he was in hospital, Genny nursed him for two weeks but it was not to be, this Big Man, this Wonderful Father, her rock and best friend passed on.
I've jumped ahead a little, the USSR collapsed the family struggled on as best they could all their savings disappeared overnight the banks just closed their doors and that was that. Inflation became an issue, worst of all food supplies became scarce non existent and expensive, the school money became insufficient to support the family, a new plan was needed.
Yevgeniya had heard there was a company starting to bus people into Poland to the Bazaars, where goods could be traded, things hard to get in Odessa could be bought fairly cheaply and sold for a profit, this sounded like a plan. Yevgeniya being the person she was arranged with the company boss to oversee the trips, sort of making sure people payed the fare, didn't miss the bus etc, for this she not only got paid but was able to make trades of her own. It was hard work standing around in all weathers but it helped keep the family going. This continued for about 5 years,until Anatoli died. At which point Yevgeniya's body gave out,she collapsed with spinal problem brought on the doctors say by the stress put on her from G forces inherent with aerobatic flying as well as her current situation. An operation which she was told may be successful or could result in her being a permanent invalid was offered. Genny chose not to have the surgery instead for the rest of her life carried out a strict regime of exercises every morning, in time she achieved a good amount of mobility. Of course being laid up for weeks on end meant she was unable to work. By this time her girls were married, Lena had a year old son Nikoli. Two weeks after her Anatoli died Irina gave birth to a son who they named Anatoli, he was the catalyst that helped Yevgeniya cope with her troubles she channeled her energy into looking after them while her girls worked. She found caring for these babies was something she could do, a couple of people heard she was available and asked could she babysit for them, she agreed,and did so for approximately a year.
One of her charges parents wanted her to work full time for him, she felt there might be strings attached so declined, however he told her that a business friend had taken on a franchise to sell Zeptor kitchen products, if she contacted him he might give her work selling these wares. Sceptical she applied and was pleased when she was given a job, quickly acquiring knowledge of the products she was soon selling these very high quality expensive goods, first to friends and family: Soon word of mouth saw her clientele grew ever larger, so much so that she became top sales person in Odessa, as a reward she and others from the sales force were rewarded by a holiday in Cyprus.
On her return things would never be the same again the company was changing many more sales staff were being recruited the lucrative city centre was about to be served with a store in the beautiful Passage Arcade.
A new plan was called for. Once again she found a company starting to sell medicines, it was a pyramid scheme, being an early adopter she had a clear field enabling her to engage over 1k people to selling door to door, things were getting better.
Always one to do the best for the family and looking for ways to help it was decided to buy a computer a bold move by anyone's standard but she felt that her grandchildren would benefit. Thorough as ever and knowing nothing about them she embarked on a course. Of lessons soon becoming proficient she had the advantage of being able to type and use the western alphabet. One day her Seven year old grandson said “Babushka (granny) now you have computer can you find me a Dedushka (grandfather)” this coming from the little lad who had helped her through those bad times was a wake up call to her. She began thinking well maybe it is time for some me time, her girls agreed, it had been a long time to be on her own.
So it was hairdo and makeup later armed with a set of photos, she found a company website able to assist in her quest. That is how in January 2001 I was sitting in my armchair looking at her email.
Just got round to reading this John - what a wonderful story and what a lovely, strong person your Genny is. Lots of love x
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