“In my grandfather, where my father lived, there was very nice trident, embroidered with golden threads on blue velour. In the times of Poland it was possible to have such things at home. When grandfather died in 1938, he was buried with great honors. Father took this trident to our house. When the soviets came, father was afraid to hold this trident at home. We had a balcony, porch and under the porch there was a niche, in which there was a lot of Ukrainian money – 500 hundred hryvnias notes – the big wad. He kept it in the bag and then in some bail. In 1949 when there were big deportations he didn’t want to risk. Somebody could denunciate. And everything was burned out .”
“In 1941 there were awful deportations of people. All university professors were shot on Vuletska Street in 1941. Then they occupied houses of these professors, in some of flats they found still warm supper. Soviets did so. And professors were shot by Germans – I don’t remember exactly. But I say about soviets – in 1940 they deported people. They came and ordered people to pack things in 30 minutes and put them into wagons.”
“I lived on the street, which in that time was named by Gnoitsky – he was polish governor. I lived in house # 41 – then it was named after Metlynsky. We had a house, in which there were two rooms, kitchen, and all premises – big roof, cellar, garden and yard. When the soviets came we lived from the harvest of this garden. Father had salary before 380 polish zloty and later he got 380 rubles. At the same time bread cost 60 rubles. Everything which was possible to sell from the house was sold – we need to survive somehow. All golden things, rings were sold. I was terribly sorry because of father’s signed ring – it was very original, delicate…”
“When they came, they immediately in some days broke all shops and took everything that was in shops, pharmacies, manufactures. There was one leather shop. Why do you need this leather? You need shoes! “It doesn’t matter; we’ll bring our shoes and this everything for souvenirs.” And our people stood around on streets, banquettes, and looked at them as on some wonder. How it’s possible to break a shop and took everything from it? They took some scrolls tissue on back and put into cars. We were astonished. But now we understand why it was so. ”
“We were so greatly suppressed by soviet power – firstly, when they came in 1939, and then already in 1940 there were unfair awful deportations. On the front of our house polish gentlefolk Polyanski lived – they had their own house and gave it on lease to family Vashkevich. Vanda Vashkevich was one year elder than me, she was my friend. We had swing in the yard and they didn’t have – so all friends came to our yard playing. I had also a sandbox – I had all conditions for good childhood. Please imagine, it was already in January – there was strong frost 26-28 degrees. Their father had three children and Vanda was the youngest. He was polish policeman. Polish policemen then had a salary 130 zloty. They gave 30 zloty for rent and what had left – for clothes, school… They lived very humbly. And they were deported because the father was polish policeman – they were shot in Katyn’. ”
“In 1942 there was a great starvation. We were waiting when the potato would grow up. And it grew up at the end of May. Father went to relatives, which lived close to Sudova Vyshnia and brought a bag of wheat. And he came to Lviv with this bag of wheat on his back. On the railway station one Gestapo soldier saw my fother with a bag and asked what was in it. Father knew German language and answered what was inside bag. Soldier beat my father and took the bag away from him. Father came home with nothing. We got some vetch seeds. Mother made pies from it. She couldn’t eat them but I baked them and ate without any fat. The only thing that saved us was two litters of milk that we took from the times of Poland in Mrs. Kozachkova. She lived on New Znesinnya near the church. Actually it was not church but little chapel. She brought us milk every day. And when soviets came, later Germans she brought us milk on her way to work. This milk and pies from vetch saved us. ”
Stefaniya-Ol’ga Depyak was born on the 24th of August 1930 in Lviv. Father wanted Ol’ga to study in private Ukrainian school named after King Danylo but because of his serving to polish state he couldn’t do this. So the girl went to the Polish school named after Isakovich - one semester she finished up in the Ukrainian class.After the seventh grade Ol’ga tried to enter the Architectural Institute. But, eventually, she has finished school and got the pharmaceutical education. During 1951-1953 years she worked as a pharmacist in Baranovichi (Belarus). Later she came back to Lviv, continued her work and was engaged in the treatment of her father. From 1959 to 1964 she worked in newly created Lviv’s pharmacy. Later she worked as a head of pharmacy in regional Oncology dispensary. Together with husband she is living in Lviv.
