Our village was always the best
author
Ludmila Voynalovitch
Ludmila was born in a small village in the Ukraine, worked on a collective farm throughout her life, and achieved a prestigious position of Administration Secretary. Although she remembers that it could be hard, she still has mostly happy memories about life under the Communist regime: friendship between Socialist peoples (there were many Poles in her village, and Ludmila still speaks Polish), Socialist competitions between collective farms, and a sincere belief in Communist ideals made it worthwhile.
Postcard
- "Cheers the October! "
- Greeting card for the anniversary of the October Revolution.
- Alma Ata
- Alma Ata, now called Almaty, was the capital of Kazakhstan during the Soviet period and for a few years after independence, until 1997.
- Zelenetska Guta Village
- To: Vojnalovitch Ljudmila Rafailovna, Zhitomir oblast, Yemilchin rayon, Zelenetska Guta village, Voynalovych Lusyr, USSR Zelenetska is a small village in southern Ukraine.
- Postcard Text
- Hello, our dear svats [mother and father of son or daughter-in-law] Vassilyavsli Mikhlina and Lusa! Please give our hearty greetings to all our loved ones. Accept our wishes of a good health and our congratulation on the sixty-ninth anniversary of the October Revolution from our family and the Turovskis.
personal archives
Family Portrait
« Aunt Ljusya », her husband and their son
country: Soviet Union / year:
« Aunt Ljusya », her husband and their son. Married in 1947, she and her husband belonged to the Polish minority of the village but under Stalin the russification of the area was enforced and the use of Polish was forbidden. Ludmila stopped speaking Polish at home but even when she became member of the party she secretly kept going to the church as many others Poles in the village did.
In the village fields
Ludmila with friends in the village fields
country: Soviet Union / year:
Ludmila with friends in the village fields. Ludmila lived all her life in the Zelenitsa village, in Ukraine. A hard worker, Ludmila was secretary of the village council already in 1944. She was then elected head of the village council and kept this role until 1985. As head of the village council she had to supervise all the agricultural works on the collective lands assigned to the village.
Cultural Trade Union certificate
This certificate indicates that Ludmila was the head of the village Cultural Club
country: Soviet Union / year:
This certificate indicates that Ludmila was the head of the village Cultural Club. As head of the Cultural Club Ludmila subscribed to several Soviet newspapers, namely «Izvestiya», since "they published a lot of instructions and advices on how to work and rule."
Winner of Socialist Competition
Official honorary diploma received by Ludmila in 1982
country: Soviet Union / year:
Official honorary diploma received by Ludmila in 1982. Ludmila hardly participated in the collect of a lot of milk during one of the farming competitions that used to be organized between villages and kolkozes.