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 My parents had settled in Kharkov before October Revolution in 1917 occurred. Both of them have received high education & graduated as pharmacists. They have lived half of the century together and loved each other very much. Exactly in Kharkov was born their daughter and some years later (on the 17 November in 1913) me, their son.
 After arrival to Leningrad I have entered the 13-th school, former 3-rd St. Petersburg grammar school (today it is the 181 high school). We lived at the Tchaikovsky street, 40/12. The school was really very good. Many ministers and statesmen of imperial Russia graduated from this school. The studying process was very interesting.
My favorite subjects were social science, Russian literature, physics, geography and German language.
Almost after entering the school I started participating in public work. Although being a schoolboy I was directed to courses of preparation the population for antiaircraft and chemical defense organized by Lensoviet’s administrative department.
Soon after entering the school I have started participate in theatrical amateur performance. Participate successfully and with pleasure acted in various performances. Remember, that should act in a role of the spy in a square cap.
I was suggested to become secretary of edition “Hour of pioneer and the schoolboy” organized on the Leningrad radio center. For each weekly broadcast , in preparation to which I took part, I received five rubles. The received money, from the sanction of parents I spent for purchase of various books. I liked to read very much, especially classics.
After graduating from the courses I performed an act that has turned to become the real hit for my mother, not the last one, unfortunately. I decided to start working at any factory, not finishing the school. It seemed to me that only there I could fully prepare myself for future life.
On the August 15, 1929, having hardly ended seven classes, through existing at those times Labour exchange as an apprentice of marking worker I was directed on metal factory, named after “Banner of Labour”. High emphasis there was placed on discipline and honesty.
As I was a schoolboy, almost before the transition to work to a factory, being an active member pf volunteer society “Osoviahim” I used to study at not much advertised town rates of air defense. We were signalmen and not only stretched wires from field to field portable telephone sets, but also used to be on duty on the roofs.
In general, the work on the factory and particularly in system of antiaircraft defense lasted not for long. It came to an end absolutely unexpectedly for me. Again I thought of entering the workers faculty.
On May, 4, 1933 I became the deputy of Headquarters Chief and fulfilled duties of the Chief anti-aircraft defense of the district.
I have to mention, that in those times many of young people used to get appointment for supervisory, so I was not an exception.
In 1933 I graduated from the workers faculty (rabfak) of the Leningrad institute of the railway transportation.
In 1935 there was organized the particularized institute, which main task was preparation specialists for work abroad and translators, guides for Join Stock company “Intourist”. I decided to try my luck to enter this institute. I passed the first exam- history of Russia- successfully, as well as all of the rest…
Lectures in the Institute began on September 1, 1935. The program included basically German, French and English.
The administration of created institute addressed to LVO with the request to allocate necessary teachers of military science for students.
 Soon I was entrusted with several student groups. Nursery attached to the institute there were organized courses of rising qualification for translators and guides of Leningrad department of “Intourist”. My lections were included into the studying program of these courses.
I continued lecturing in institute successfully as well as realized active work in presidium of Lenoblgorsovet of “Osviahim” as a chairman.
Before the Second World War I had quite rather close relationships with press. Among press items, I kept in touch with, among the others there was newspaper of central council of Osviahim “Being on guard”.
As a student of the institute I continued working in the commission of military section of Lensoviet on checking of readiness of Leningrad to antiaircraft defense.
By the year 1937 citizens of Leningrad as well as the whole population of Soviet Union used to follow attentively the events in Spain.
And there came a day, when being the student of an institute, member of Komsomol, public man, who had many years enjoyed trust not only of my comrades, but also of some visible supervising party and soviet workers of Leningrad suddenly disappeared.
By the end of the year 1937 I found myself in Spain.
Nobody knew where I really was. I came back to Moscow only in 1938.
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