My Family
[This section enlists all of the Alekseev family by name, including some biographical information. – JD]
I was evacuated with my father, Efim Semyonovich Alekseev (1890-1964), and my mother, Marfa Efremovna (1891-1962).
The eldest of all my siblings, Vera (1910-1993), was a mother of two; her husband was a famous Soviet writer, Klavdy Derbenyov; one of their sons, Vadim Derbenyov, subsequently became a well-known Russian film director. Next after her, Peter (1912-1989), was cleared from going into war; instead he worked in the civilian forces and was a member of the MOONO.
The next in line, Dmitry (1914-1943), was a good actor. He took part in the operations at the Khasan Island against the Japanese in 1938. When the Great Patriotic war had started, he went to the army. Although being in the infantry, he often had to go for the intelligence, which occasionally resulted in taking the Nazi prisoners. He was severely wounded in May 1943. The bullet wounded his crotch, and the doctors had to amputate his both legs. He died on the operation table on May 27, 1943. We received a death confirmation on June 22, 1943.
My elder sister, Natalia (1916-1997), joined the secret service in Moscow, which would have become active, had Hitler’s operation against the capital been successful. Natalia was entrusted with several houses in the outskirts of Moscow, which would locate secret groups. She also held the keys to a secret typography, with two sets of fonts, Russian and German. She was in the secret service from October 1941 until February 1943.
Next in line, Leonid (1922-1985), joined the forces after the War had been declared. He went to the Western front in the infantry, and was also severely wounded, but survived. The wound, however, contributed to his death in his early 60s.
My younger brother and the youngest of all of us, Vitaly (born 1928), was evacuated with me. He was in various jobs, but had always loved singing, and was collecting Russian folk songs. He last visited me in Moscow in 2001, and the last we heard of him was that he was living with his children’s relatives in Kazan.