Boyhood

My dad, ages 5, 8 and 20. With a plush-toy bear:
Getting ready for school:
Hiking in the Carpathians:

Concert

My mom sings with her college choir under the gaze of Lenin.

Costumes

In college, my mom sang in a choir. The singers occasionally performed wearing traditional costumes of all the Soviet republics.

Class photo

A class photo of my mom's. Taken in fourth or fifth grade, maybe. Ural Mountains region, 1960s.

Teaching

Me, age 7, teaching my dolls the alphabet. That's letter "a"!

Parade

My mom (second from left), as a college student, marching in a parade. Apparently, participation was mandatory. Note the Lenin posters.