The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-08-05
Romance in the Soviet
Union
By SHIRLEY REEVE.


WHILE exchanging English for Russian lessons with
student of the Military Political Academy, who is
also Military Commssar in the Red Army, came
to talk of our better halves. He of his wife and of
my husband But it is the story Of his wife that am
going write about And if with the cold keys of my
typewriter convey to you tenth of the real life
and romance of this courageous young "Kommunistka
Communist woman), Who tho still iii her tWentes, has
already been decorated with the of the Red Ban
for her services in the Red Army during the civil
war; you will be filled with enthusiasm and admiration
for her. But what is you will get glimpse of
the stuff that made the workers OF the Soviet Union
win out against enemy million times stronger than
the hundredheaded dragon of fairy tale days. IN
spite of all their handicaps.
Born in the Ukraine in the year 1902 she barely
Is when the first sparks of the October Revolution took
fire. Already then she supplementing the meagre
income of her working class parents by working in
tobacco factory. Her father a member OF the
as. RS" (Socia Revolutionary Partyl but she hot
blooded girl impatient with the slow and compro-
missing gait of the party of her father and became an
anarchist Like a great number of the anarchists in
Russia, she did not waver long before throwing in her
lot with the workers and peasants With nature like
hers this meant stopping at nothing to defend the inter
ests of her class And 1919 found her fighting one
of the most dangerous fronts against the counter
luton Not Red Cross Sister clerical help, but
right in the front ranks with the men, machine
gun operator.
One day. her husband told me- Gaia Cher name) was
her machine gun facing attack of the Poles the
Warsaw front The battalion had been ordered to
treat but Gafa seeing the commander of her Polk (reg
ment) wounded and thrown off his horse Immediately
after giving the command She with her wits sharper
than at once realized the great danger of allow
ing him, with all his papers, plans and orders to be
captured by the enemy Thus hardly five feet five inch
es tall and wisp of girl, she instructed the
driver of her machine gun to lift the commander up
onto his horse and to drive off with him. She mean
while trained her gun here and there, keeping off
eral fast advancing Poles Only after the other two
were well their way did she make her escape.
,lar.f, +ho+ cba
awarded the order of the Red Banner
The highest Order in the Red Army which is awarded
for the most courageous action during time of war
only.
Her husband, who was at that time her Polk Com
mssar, greatly admired the girl did all the soldiers
who in contact with her. and loved her. But that
was not time to think of love. The hard proeta-
ran revolution in danger and Red Soldier, not
to speak of those who at the time Bolshevks
had any thought of himself or of his personal feelings
Immediately after the retreat of the Polk the Com
mssar ordered another district and she taken
to the hospital with wound in the and it not
until three years later that they met again while lei
surely strong down Tverskaya Boulevard in Moskow.
This was in 1924, the mperalists had long ago be-
convinced that they wasting their money in
financing the attacks the gen.
erals the Soviet Union The wheels of industry and
agriculture being turned by the mighty mil
lions of the Soviet Union in the peaceful tho energetic
task of building Socialism. This time when a
and maid could turn to thoughts of love without
negecting their sef-mposed duty sociaty as Com
munsts. The process of building socialism, the
trary provides the facilities for marriage without
womans sacrificing all her other interests in order
realize those that are hers woman
"On October 25th will celebrate third wedding
anniversary" he joyousy told me, "and the second
birthday of our son."
To the question did not your wife find it difficult tc
be only one woman in battalion of Did they
not annoy her lot of lovemakng did they not in fact
think that that her for coming into the
Army? eyes," he answered, cher father thought sc
when he first heard of her joining the Army, but MOI
our men. We always her in action and could dc
nothing but admire and respect her. Some of loved
her, myself for example. But not of thought
of annoying her with unwonted attentions God helI
the man who would have tried to do So But then oul
soldiers are taught to have the highest respect fo
women"