It's a picture of my great grandfather Mykola Danilovych Tsvitkovkii (wearing a vyshyvanka) and male nurse Petro Ivanovich Kulinich. Mykola was a general practitioner and infectious diseases specialist. He fought on the side of White Army during early times of Soviet rule. After that he was deported to Butychag labour camp in Mahadan district as an “enemy of Soviet state” where he also worked as a doctor. He returned home in 1953. His family lived in Mokshino village of Mensk district in Chernihiv region. While he was away, his family was labeled as a ‘family of public enemy’, so they had to move. A lot. His wife was a teacher of German language and his daughter was a teacher of mathematics. They finally settled in Voronovytsya, Vinnitsa region. Mykola returned in 1953. He got a job at a local hospital where he was in charge of the infection disease division.

Why is he wearing a vyshyvanka? My aunt said that he had a nationalistic views. On every photo that survived he’s wearing a vyshyvanka or shirt with a tie. Spoken language at home was strictly Ukrainian”.

Comment by Mariana Zakordonets.

This photo is contributed by Mariana Zakordonets.