The Secret Holocaust Diaries: The Untold Story of Nonna Bannister by Nonna Bannister, Denise George, Carolyn Tomlin Page B
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including animals. Nonna noticed these drastic changes when she visited the Great House again.
The laws the Communist government had enforced so strictly in other villages finally became enforced in Konstantinowka, too. They greatly affected Grandmother, Petrovich, and the Great House with its mill, land, and orchards.
----
The next visit to my grandmother’s house was in 1934–35. Things had changed quite drastically by then, and even though the Depression was easing up, the Soviet regime had taken over and a new style of life was being enforced on almost everyone. Grandmother no longer owned her horses—they had been “donated” to the collective farms, which had been organized everywhere in the villages. The orchard was still Grandmother’s, along with the empty stable, but the property was heavily taxed, and almost everything owned by Grandmother had to be given away to the “new government.” The house was still Grandmother’s, but she was no longer considered to be a private owner, and she had to pay heavy taxes on it.
Grandmother continued to live there with some of her children, and she kept Petrovich there, too, still living in his cottage. However, he was no longer her “hired hand,” since it had become unlawful to have employees. In order for him to remain, Grandmother had to make him her relative, so she called him her cousin. He continued to help Grandmother as he had done before, taking care of the orchard and whatever else that she was able to keep. Grandmother started to raise some hogs, and she had plenty of chickens, geese, and ducks, along with some goats that she kept for milk for her and her family. She gave up the mill and all the fields around it, except the land surrounding the house itself. The carriage and the sleigh remained in the stable and became precious symbols for our memories. People were told how many “living things” (goats, hogs, chickens, etc.) they could own. The rest of it had to be given away to the collective farms. The government called it “donating”—all to the cause of the new way of life for those who were “less fortunate.” When the hogs were slaughtered, one could keep the meat (bacon, ham, etc.), but the skins and the intestines had to be turned over to the government. The skin was used to make leather shoes, and the intestines were used to make sausages.
The mill, along with all the property around it in the village, which had belonged to my family for so many years and which my grandfather had been so proud of, became the property of the collective farms. Grandmother denounced ownership of all of it as soon as the “new government” took over the village. The church was always there, but the doors were locked and boarded up and the worshipers stayed away. The priest had mysteriously disappeared, as well as other religious leaders—no one dared to talk about it, anyway. Grandmother put away all the icons in the attic, along with her other precious possessions. She buried some of her things in the ground in the cellar after they were packed in heavy metal trunks. None knew when a group of the new “militia” would appear and search the house, taking away whatever they wanted. The Bibles and the icons were burned right on the grounds where they were confiscated, and religion became a forbidden thing—all those who rebelled and dared to continue to practice it were arrested and sent away to Siberia.
The Great House was divided up into sections with private entrances, and some of Grandmother’s children and their families were living in them. Many of Grandmother’s family had began to come back home. To those of us who had lived under different circumstances, this new government was becoming intolerable, but there was nothing that we could do to fight it.
Mama and Papa were talking about moving back. In 1937, we left the city of Rostov-on-Don and moved into that house also. The village of Santurinowka was annexed to the town of Konstantinowka and
The laws the Communist government had enforced so strictly in other villages finally became enforced in Konstantinowka, too. They greatly affected Grandmother, Petrovich, and the Great House with its mill, land, and orchards.
----
The next visit to my grandmother’s house was in 1934–35. Things had changed quite drastically by then, and even though the Depression was easing up, the Soviet regime had taken over and a new style of life was being enforced on almost everyone. Grandmother no longer owned her horses—they had been “donated” to the collective farms, which had been organized everywhere in the villages. The orchard was still Grandmother’s, along with the empty stable, but the property was heavily taxed, and almost everything owned by Grandmother had to be given away to the “new government.” The house was still Grandmother’s, but she was no longer considered to be a private owner, and she had to pay heavy taxes on it.
Grandmother continued to live there with some of her children, and she kept Petrovich there, too, still living in his cottage. However, he was no longer her “hired hand,” since it had become unlawful to have employees. In order for him to remain, Grandmother had to make him her relative, so she called him her cousin. He continued to help Grandmother as he had done before, taking care of the orchard and whatever else that she was able to keep. Grandmother started to raise some hogs, and she had plenty of chickens, geese, and ducks, along with some goats that she kept for milk for her and her family. She gave up the mill and all the fields around it, except the land surrounding the house itself. The carriage and the sleigh remained in the stable and became precious symbols for our memories. People were told how many “living things” (goats, hogs, chickens, etc.) they could own. The rest of it had to be given away to the collective farms. The government called it “donating”—all to the cause of the new way of life for those who were “less fortunate.” When the hogs were slaughtered, one could keep the meat (bacon, ham, etc.), but the skins and the intestines had to be turned over to the government. The skin was used to make leather shoes, and the intestines were used to make sausages.
The mill, along with all the property around it in the village, which had belonged to my family for so many years and which my grandfather had been so proud of, became the property of the collective farms. Grandmother denounced ownership of all of it as soon as the “new government” took over the village. The church was always there, but the doors were locked and boarded up and the worshipers stayed away. The priest had mysteriously disappeared, as well as other religious leaders—no one dared to talk about it, anyway. Grandmother put away all the icons in the attic, along with her other precious possessions. She buried some of her things in the ground in the cellar after they were packed in heavy metal trunks. None knew when a group of the new “militia” would appear and search the house, taking away whatever they wanted. The Bibles and the icons were burned right on the grounds where they were confiscated, and religion became a forbidden thing—all those who rebelled and dared to continue to practice it were arrested and sent away to Siberia.
The Great House was divided up into sections with private entrances, and some of Grandmother’s children and their families were living in them. Many of Grandmother’s family had began to come back home. To those of us who had lived under different circumstances, this new government was becoming intolerable, but there was nothing that we could do to fight it.
Mama and Papa were talking about moving back. In 1937, we left the city of Rostov-on-Don and moved into that house also. The village of Santurinowka was annexed to the town of Konstantinowka and
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