Uncle Vladimir, diadia Volodya, passed away in his sleep in his home in Israel. He was in his 80s. He fell ill with polio when he was a child during WWII. The first doctor he ever saw, a German surgeon in another occupied village, told my grandmother that her son was as good as dead. “Just leave him here.” My grandmother was exhausted after a long journey and her own illness and at first she did. She put her child on a bench and started walking away. Volodya remembers seeing her leave. He didn’t cry. He didn’t call out to his mother. He just held his breath. My grandmother had already lost one son to a fatal disease. Her sister was shot in front of her by the Nazi troops. She remembered feeling nothing but numbness and complete depletion. She walked and walked and then she turned around and ran back to the bench. She picked up her son and returned to the village.
Volodya didn’t die. He survived polio with almost all of his muscles atrophied and his spine twisted. He spent his childhood and teenage years in a wheelchair. Then a friend gave him a bootleg copy of a yoga manual and my uncle studied it until the book fell apart and he stood up on his own. He never learned to walk straight and he never regained control of his right arm, but he enrolled into the university, learned engineering on his own and built his own sound-recording devices. He married and fathered a daughter, my cousin Marina, who eventually moved him to Israel.
The last time Volodya and I talked, we had a long conversation about love and life. He said that he was already exhausted, but that he still wanted to learn things and improve himself. The world was such a fascinating, complicated and maddening place on that day in October. The evening sky in Poltava was ablaze with drones. Volodya’s voice was drowned out by the sounds of explosions near his home in Israel.
Volodya was the main father figure in my life and he instilled many values in me. Not fearing difficulties. Knowing my own worth. Looking past the surface layers. Not caring about the opinion of others. Holding onto my views. This last one I used against him when we argued about politics, our only source of conflict.
I think of one of the last things my uncle told me. “Life is the biggest mystery. Just surrender yourself to it.”
RIP diadia Volodya. I only regret that you couldn’t read my book in the language you understand. The Rooster House couldn’t have been written without that push from you.
Photo 1–with Volodya searching for wild strawberries in the forest near Chernobyl, before the accident.
Photo 2 — at his favorite game
Photo 3 — as a university student
24 Comments
Cyndi: I am so sorry for your loss. I hope your memories of him will sustain you in the upcoming days. November 4, 2024 at 9:31am
Adva: Thank you that your writing brought him back to life for one moment, it definitely sounds like you took a lot of his ambition and strength. His memory is a blessing. November 4, 2024 at 9:46am
Berengaria Liedmeier: what an impressive life… you must miss him dearly… November 4, 2024 at 9:47am
Liz: So sad to hear of your loss and of such a great, inspiring man who didn’t have the stars aligned for him from childhood. What courage he had. My mother had polio and her month old baby – my elder brother – too. Their diagnosis came on the very day a letter called them up for vaccination. This was in the mid 1950s in the UK. He died aged 3, living his small life in an iron lung. My mother was disabled like your uncle, but went on to have my brother and myself to join my older brother, who was 6 when he lost his sibbling. I never knew how she managed this with her disability. I have a small glimpse of the challenges your uncle faced. Polio, while not in the news, is not eradicated in some parts of the world, and even resurgent. My thoughts are with you and your family Victoria at this sad time. November 4, 2024 at 9:53am
Joyti: Thank you for sharing this. They say the dead are not truly dead until the last person who remembers them passes…and you’ve not only helped keep his memory for yourself, but also so beautifully brought your uncle’s memory and strength to us, your readers. November 4, 2024 at 9:59am
Farista V: Dear Victoria….Thank you for sharing your memory of your Uncle. A gift in the days of your life. May his memory keep your life fragrant with happy memories and love. May you have good health and a long life! November 4, 2024 at 10:12am
Farran Nehme: Oh Victoria, my deepest condolences. Anyone who read The Rooster House knows how hard this must be for you. May he rest in peace, may his memory be a blessing. Much love to you, my friend. November 4, 2024 at 10:12am
Gabriela: Your uncle seems to be an incredible human being. A life worth living. Hugs to you my dear Victoria. November 4, 2024 at 10:59am
Nancy: What a moving story of love and perseverance! Clearly, your Uncle Vladimir lives in the hearts of you and no doubt many others he taught and inspired. Thank you for telling your readers about him. November 4, 2024 at 11:12am
Janet: Victoria, I am so sorry for your loss. He sounds like a remarkable person and I’m glad you had him in your life. November 4, 2024 at 11:36am
Lena: You both were so lucky to have each other in your lives. Tthank you very much to share with us. Best wishes to you and your family. November 4, 2024 at 11:40am
Diana Milam: “Life is the biggest mystery. Just surrender yourself to it.” So much wisdom in that statement — a beautiful reflection of his life experience and character formed in adversity. I am in awe….Thank you for sharing your beloved Uncle Volodya’s life story with us, Victoria. May he rest in peace. November 4, 2024 at 11:40am
Yafa: A true survivor of life. May his memory be a blessing. November 4, 2024 at 11:57am
Julia: Thank you for sharing some beautiful memories of your Uncle Vladimir, diadia Volodya. What an amazing spirit he is. I send love to you and your family who love him so much. November 4, 2024 at 12:25pm
Ewan: Coincidentally polio is now rife in that part of the world. November 4, 2024 at 12:33pm
Kathy Parsons: A beautiful tribute to your uncle. RIP November 4, 2024 at 12:47pm
Dorothy: A life that made a difference. Inspiring. I’m so sorry. Thank you for the sharing this tribute to a dearly loved and valuable life. November 4, 2024 at 12:48pm
Henry: Sorry for your loss, Victoria. November 4, 2024 at 2:09pm
Rickyrebarco: My deepest condolences on the passing of Uncle Vladimir. What an amazing man your uncle was. He and your grandmother are survivors of such tragic circumstances. I’m glad you had good times with him as a girl and you’ll always have wonderful memories of times with him. November 4, 2024 at 2:19pm
Laurie Brown: I’m so sorry for your loss. He sounds like an amazing man. November 4, 2024 at 3:02pm
Michele Davis: So sorry for your loss, Victoria. you’ve written a beautiful story and in it I find some solace for events in my life. Thank you, uncle Vladimir, for your life philosophy and Victoria for sharing it. May the days ahead be easy on you as you remember this wonderful man. November 4, 2024 at 4:39pm
Bregje: Aww, i’m so sorry for your loss
He was one of the most memorable characters in your book. Thank you for this beautiful tribute. What a life. November 4, 2024 at 4:41pm
Maya: Dear Victoria,
I read The Rooster House and admired the multifaceted character you drew in your uncle. He was a complicated man- infuriating in some ways and admirable in many others. I love how he refused to be a victim.
It is not easy to maintain a relationship with such strong and stubborn family members- I admire the fact that you persevered. I am sure it made you a better person for it. May he rest in peace and his memory be a blessing. November 4, 2024 at 6:20pm
WARA: Muy queridísima Victoria⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️he is back in the stars and I send you MUCHOS ABRAZOS!!!!!! Beautiful and powerful memorial written in his honor!!!! You all are AMAZING GENTES DE LUZ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ November 4, 2024 at 9:45pm