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Alexander Shafir was born in 1935 in Tiraspol, Moldovia. He identifies himself as Jewish, though he says he is not religious in any way. His primary language is Russian. He spent his life as an officer in the Red Army, but always felt that his career was stymied by prejudice. When he had trouble getting into a military academy, his commander explained: “You know why you haven’t been accepted? Because you are a Jew.” Arslan Penjiyev interviewed him March 12, 2009 in Bishkek.

I was born in the second largest city in Moldova: Tiraspol. Life there was like life everywhere in the Soviet Union. People worked, went to the cinema and believed in a bright future. I was born on February 24, 1935 and my nationality is Jewish – I am a divine person, so to speak. From history, we know that this nation has created three religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is shame that now they are at war with each other.

So, I was born in 1935 and there was an interesting thing that happened to me when I turned six. My sister in 1941 was at a Pioneer camp near Odessa [Ukraine]. My mother and I went to Odessa to take her home. We jumped on a train and, at this time, Molotov gave his speech. [1] It was early morning and there was no sign of trouble. I remember that my dad was trying to tell us something through the train window, but we didn’t hear a word and just left. As we learned later, the beginning of the war between the Soviet Union and fascist Germany was announced.

So, we arrived in Odessa, but the camp was not releasing children anymore. I don't know the exact reason why, but the children were not allowed to be taken by their own parents. I remember, how my mother hid me in a hedge and ran away to get my sister and when she came back holding her, we rushed off to the train station. My mother did not take my sister’s clothes or anything.

I remember when we stopped at a relative’s house and I was sleeping on a bed with my sister. I was little and my sister was three years older than me. For some reason I remember that that night we heard an alarm, meaning that the Germans had started bombing Odessa. It was the first day of the war - June 22!

The radio warned, “Gas!” and my sister closed my mouth and nose so I couldn't breathe. She was also little, but she had already attended second grade and most likely learned somewhere that she was supposed to do that, but I started to choke and pulled away. Anyway, we had to run away again. When we reached Tiraspol and were walking home from station, I saw a lot of coffins holding military men. They had already bombed and destroyed the city. So quickly-quickly we left to Kharkov [in northeastern Ukraine] then to Kazakhstan – to Petropavlovsk, and then to Kokshetau.

My father was conscripted into the army during the first days of the war. He was killed during the war. He is, by the way, in “the Book of Memory” of Soviet officers.” It is a pity that there are no pictures of him left. His name was Lev Markovich [Shafir].

Those were tough times, but we survived.

During the war, I ate turtle soup. We got food like that because my father was at the front. Our daily provisions consisted of turtle soup and two slices of bread. So, my sister took the bread and I ate the turtle soup. Obviously, my sister was not a fan of the turtle soup.

My father’s elder brother found us and brought us to Tashkent and then, after the German’s had been driven away, back to Moscow. My mother got a job in Moscow.

In 1949, I entered a military preparatory school named Stalinskie Spetsy. There I completed the eight, ninth, and tenth grades. Admission to such a school was a very serious thing – there were 11 candidates per spot. After the war, new employees were needed so the Second Moscow Artillery Preparatory School (MAPS) prepared experts in different areas. If, in Suvorovsky, schools prepared infantry and aircraft personnel, our school prepared artilleryman and engineers.

When I was studying in the preparatory school, during my final examinations some supervisors lowered my grades and I understood that my nationality was the reason. I remember how my teachers were trying to help me out in every possible way, but I couldn't get a gold medal even though I studied very well – I graduated from MAPS with a silver medal. The problem was that the board of educators interfered in my academic success.

They were trying to block me in every way possible. For example, when a transfer to Rostov opened up, there were a few Jewish applicants but none of us were accepted. In those times, there were three nationalities that were treated badly: Jews, Germans, and Koreans. Why? Because we were nationalities that had our own states. I guess, if the Jewish state had not existed, things would have gone differently. The thing is that people treated Jews pretty well, unlike the state.

In 1952, I finished preparatory school and transferred to Leningrad. In Leningrad, I spent three years. From the time I was in the ninth grade, I was actively engaged in gymnastics and performed at various all-Union competitions. Well, all military men should be engaged in some kind of sport. I chose gymnastics and when I was studying in Leningrad, I started wrestling and lifting weights, too. I guess that’s why I am not tall.

I graduated as a lieutenant in 1955. I had the right to transfer to Germany, but I was refused because of my nationality. I was an outstanding officer and could have been approved for such military business trips. So, in 1955 I was sent to the Kiev district, but from Kiev they sent me to an unknown, little town called Belaya Tserkov. Nevertheless, every cloud has a silver lining – because there I met my future wife.

In 1956, together with some young soldiers, I was sent to cultivate virgin lands [steppe] in Kazakhstan. Actually, I was recently awarded a special medal called “50 Years of Virgin Soil Cultivation.” At a ceremony at the Kazakh Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, I was the only Kyrgyz citizen awarded this medal. During the fifties, I worked in the Kustanay area of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. That was one of the best times of my life – I was young and life was great. I stayed there for seven months and it was long enough to learn a lot about myself. [2]

In 1959, I entered the military academy. I had passed all the examinations and even got five extra points so I did not even need to be called before the credentials committee. Back then, the credentials committee was like a board of people that would interview you and decide whether you would be accepted or not. But it was not necessary for me to attend it – I was accepted based on my great results.

I remember I had money for a ticket to Kiev and one pirojok and I needed to get to Belaya Tserkov to see my wife. I was so happy that I’d been accepted to school! I didn't even go back to the army barracks to pick up my things. I had submitted an application for three years in a row and hadn't got any reply. My documents had vanished without any reply. My platoon was performing well and my portrait hung on the wall of honor. I was the one and only captain of Jewish nationality. In the army, it is rude to distinguish by nationality. But, once, my commander told me: “You know why you haven’t been accepted? Because you are a Jew.”

When the commander of my regiment called me into his office, I told him that if I wasn't accepted into the academy the next year, I would leave the army. I don't know. It was possible to start drinking like many people did so they would get fired. So, he, then, promised me that my documents would reach the academy. He promised to track my documents and I was accepted.

When I left to go and study, I told my wife that I would come back the following summer to Belaya Tserkov and we would get married. It didn't turn out that way because she was too young – she was in her last year in high school. But, in the winter, I got ill, began to miss her and kept looking at the picture I had of her. So I decided to go to Belaya Tserkov and get married in the winter. And on January 30, 1960 we got married. Next year we will celebrate our fiftieth anniversary.

Well, then we lived in an apartment in Penza for five and a half years. The apartment was very small and our son was born there in 1962. We were very poor and even collected firewood in the woods. Near us, in a dormitory, there were officers from the socialist block. However, we didn't have a room in this dormitory. But, later, in the sixth year, we got a room there and it was so much better than living in a basement apartment.

In 1965, I graduated. I had studied well, received a diploma with distinction, and they sent me to Dalniy Vostok [the Russian Far East], and sent others to Europe [a more desirable posting]. Even poor students were transferred to the Baltic states. I protested, but I was told that I would be allowed to go. But I was sent to Novosibirsk instead of Dalniy Vostok and we stayed there for five years. There, I was promoted to the rank of major.

In 1970, I arrived [in Bishkek] as the military representative at a factory in Kyrgyzstan. I got 11 military awards, but it wasn’t a big deal. After all, I hadn't participated in any wars.

I like music. I studied the accordion at a recreation centre. I began to play but, when my sister died, I could not study anymore. I enjoyed photography for a while. Then I began to collect badges – I have a map of the Soviet Union made of badges from each city. I don't belong to any religion – I just believe in kindness. All the precepts dictated by religion are already in my heart. Both me and my wife and son are always ready to help.