Gaps in biography

We met Valery Bazarov, the hero of this interview, on the eve of his 70 anniversary. Creativity Valery, author of wonderful articles in the "Forverts - Forum" of different years, an expert on Jewish genealogy, devoted to the Jewish cause of a man who found and connected dozens of people scattered around the world, is loved and appreciated by readers of our newspaper.
And now they have waited for his exciting story about Miroslav Zilberman, a US Navy pilot from a family of immigrants from b. The USSR, which saved the crew of the aircraft from death, but he went to Eternity as a hero of America and the Jewish people. Read, behind the lines of this story you will feel the author’s vulnerable soul - Valery Bazarov, his admiration for the hero of the article, which sounds like a requiem.

Before me is a short, half-leaf, biography of Valery: born, graduated from school, graduated from high school, married, worked ... Everything is short, bureaucraticly dry. But what if you talk with Valery Bazarov, taking it as a basis? So to say, fill in the gaps?
- Line biography: "Valery Bazarov was born in the Soviet Union in the year 1942."
- I am from Odessa, who was born in Kazakhstan, where my mother managed to evacuate from Odessa. Father at that time fought at the front. He went to the front in 41, then appeared briefly - he was given leave after completing the mission in the enemy's rear. The vacation was not long, but thanks to him I was born. After the war ended, the family returned to Odessa. My father served in the border troops, then Khrushchev came - and my father was “cleaned out” of the army ...
- Line biography: "He graduated from Odessa State University (OdGU) in 1969 year". And the school? Add to this that in Odessa, the Jews still had to do.
- I graduated from one of the best schools in Odessa, №43. Until now, I am in contact with one of my teachers, Maria Mikhailovna. She lives in Israel, under 90. It was she who instilled in me a love of history. In my biography, you will read the breathtaking note: “In 1961 I entered the Odessa Technological Institute of the Refrigeration Industry, and in 1969 I graduated from OdU with a degree in English teacher.” After several years of studying “on the refrigerator”, I realized that the intelligent engineer would not work out of me ... From childhood I loved English very much and, having passed about a hundred exams, I entered the Romano-Germanic one. True, my adventures did not end there: I learned both part-time studies and a link to the village school (the village of Rich on the Danube), where everyone and everything drank. And I had the best discipline in school. In general, I went to the diploma, as they say, "through thorns to the stars."
- Valery, in the biography it is written that you graduated from a university in Odessa in 1969, and in a university in New York in 1994. Does this suggest that between two dates you emigrated to the USA?
- In the official biography there is nothing about it. Then my whole life is connected with HIAS, the 130 anniversary of which we celebrated in April. In this sense, my biography is no different from the biographies of 400 000 emigrants from b. THE USSR. Each of us has our own history of emigration. Our emigrants are very similar and at the same time not similar to each other. I, as a long-term employee of HIAS, can see this very well.
Ten years ago we celebrated the XIUMX anniversary of HIAS. Do you know what the difference between these two anniversaries? The first anniversary was mainly for Russian immigrants. He walked in Russian ... And those who celebrated the 120 anniversary, then studied in schools and universities ... The second anniversary was already a holiday for the younger generation - for those who were taken out by their grandparents, who were the heroes of the 130-year celebration. America is already a native country for our younger generation. Among them are businessmen and doctors, lawyers and engineers, teachers and social workers, scientists. They stand firmly on their feet and personify the current face of the community and its future.
We have repeatedly witnessed the endless gratitude of the younger generation to their parents and grandparents for the fact that they once decided to emigrate. They tore with their dear to many past in the name of their children.
- Judging by the biography, Valery, when you worked at HIAS, passed 400 000 emigrants through your hands, Valery.
- Rather, 250 000. I arrived in 1988 year, and a large emigration began at the end of 70's, so we will not deal with the postscript. The reception department worked around the clock. Emigrants went in a continuous stream. You won't believe it, but to this very day some immigrants will recognize me on the street and say that I met them in 89 and 91. Here I am surprised first of all by the memory of these people, and secondly, that I have not changed. (Laughs)
- Line biography: "Valery Bazarov is currently the head of the department of history and the search for families." None of the universities in America do not teach this. How did you come to this job?
- All this was not easy. After graduating from New York University, I received the title of Master in Social Work. Together with the diploma, I received a powerful charge of knowledge, thanks to which I began to understand American society, what ordinary Americans live with ...
By 2000, the flow of emigration has almost dried up. I realized that changes were occurring in the work of HIAS, and went to the vice-president ... I was told that we have a department that almost does not work - the search department. The department was engaged in routine work, responding to letters from some immigrants and connecting them with relatives and friends. HIAS printed ads in Russian-language newspapers, and sometimes people could find each other. That's all the work. It was, as they say, sucks. There was no search mechanism ...
But when I got acquainted with the affairs, and most importantly, with the archive of the HIAS, I ran to the same vice-president and said: “To make it all work, you need a department. There is no limit to this work. We are sitting on a box of gold, not understanding it! Since 1909, archives have been kept at HIAS. Prices they do not! It was and is the condensed memory of millions of immigrants. We must create search mechanisms, we must look for ourselves. We must move! ”And it began! ..
- Biography string: “V. Bazarov organized a professional search, educational and scientific scheme of the work of the department headed by him ”.
- Over the years 12 almost died department has become a research institute. We help scientists from different countries to write monographs and dissertations. We have 50 thousands of cases of people rescued from the fire of the Holocaust and came to America. We reunite people not only with each other, we reunite them with our past, our roots ... That's really true: “Everything is for man!” It is difficult to talk about the horizons of this work. They are boundless and endless.
- Valery, our cooperation began at a time when there was an upsurge in the work of your department. In our conversations we were born, firstly, the idea of ​​publishing search histories (we published about 15 articles in the Forum, an unprecedented reader’s interest was shown to them), and secondly, the idea of ​​a seminar on Jewish genealogy for the Russian-speaking community emerged.
- Next year our seminar will be ten years old. Over the years, more than 2 000 people have passed through the workshop, which began with a small group. We are developing and working productively today, keeping abreast of the trends of the times - we are launching a seminar website that will expand our capabilities and bring together Russian-speaking Jewish communities scattered around the world.
The workshop also contributed to the convergence of generations of one family, when the work on its genealogy becomes a common cause of all its generations. As a result of the seminar, many printed works, reports (even at international conferences), books and articles in different countries appeared.
This seminar helped me to meet wonderful people who became my friends. First of all, this is Dmitry Petrovich Margulis, with whom I have been sharing the leadership of the seminar all these years. I really appreciate his selfless service to Jewish education, history. He seems to carry the torch of our work. In his years, he continues to work intensively. I want to name the names of Isaac Weinshelboim, Yuri Okunev. Mark Steinberg.
- In the biography there is nothing about your family and hobbies. Let's fill the gap.
- I have two hobbies in my life - my family and my work.
- What are the plans of the hero of the day for the future?
“My youngest son, Jacob, who was born in America, graduates from school.” Raising him, Sofia and I got a gigantic experience of educating an American teenager. In addition, I am the grandfather of 8-year-old grandson, his father - my eldest son, lives in California.
- Valery, is it not time, as the hero E. Evstigneev said in the film “Beware of the car”, to wipe us at Shakespeare, i.e. take up a book?
- It's time, but there is no time yet. But I have been thinking about this for a long time. Where to take time, tell me ... This summer I am going to the International Conference in Paris with a report called "HIAS and the French Resistance". This is an amazing layer of Jewish history! Works a lot. I am now mainly engaged in historical research, and the search is my indispensable assistant Shirley Postnikova, whom I call Shirley Holmes because of her unusual gift to search and find!
- Valery, when talking to a man of 70 age, the theme of rest, health, stories about grandchildren, etc., most often sounds. And we talked all the time about work, plans for the future, prospects. On behalf of our newspaper, I want to wish you that for those remaining until one hundred and twenty fifty you are just as active, young and passionate about your work! And I really want to come soon to the presentation of your first book and get an autograph!
Interviewed by Mikhail Nemirovsky