The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-02-12
BY MYRA PAGE

WE learned Conlrade Polovina Ivanovas story
quite by accident. 1t was one of those for
tunate occurrences to which life in the Soviet
Union is frequently treating you.
This is how it happened While waiting in
the office of the party committee at the Electric
zovad factory for comrade, we got into con-
versation with Conlrade Ivanova who CHANGED
to come along. (Altho it was her free day she
has the good of the plant SO at heart that she
must run Ill to see how things go, and if need
be lend handy She wore a little red cap pulled
down to her eyes which darted about, seeming
to take in everything. The fur collar of her
gray coat was buttoned tightly at the throat
Her hands, with their blunted worn fingers
made occasional, vigorous gestures as she spoke.
I think it was these which prompted us to draw
her away from the subject of new feeding and
housing schemes for the plants 81 900 workers
and to ask her to tell us more about herself.
For a moment she hesitated "All right then
II you wish it."
Told simply, spontaneously, with humor as
we'll as pathos Her story proved to be an epic
one of those countless epics in which the Sow
let land now abounds. An epic of the upward
struggle Of Russia's $50 millions. An epic of the
gradual evolution of backward working wo-
man lowell read the story for yourself
SOWING SilhS ana odCinS Tor Cne hlcn
From early youth, Polovina Ivanova worked
under the shadow of the Cars Kremlin, in
dark shops, sewing silks and satins for wives of
the rich, She soon became skilled worker,
making the finest clothes, sewing basting and
stitching for fourteen hours a day Yet her
pay was Scant thirty-fiye rubes a month
(about seventeen dollars and fifty cents) It
was hard to live A room which she shared with
another girl cost each of them eight rubles
Coal for the samovar took another five rubles
apiece, but their hot tea and black bread was
all that kept them alive through the cold win
tiers, SO they couldn't do without that In the
workshop they had to be well-dressed or lose
their job by offending the gaze Of the rich ladies
when they came for fittings.
Three months year the place closed down
50 one had to skrimp all the other months to
In order to exist thru this period until the rich
ladies came back from their travels and ordered
more gowns
Sometime before the world war started Polo
Vina's eyes gave out on her. and she Law Ill for
eight months. She sold everything she had
except the clothes on her back Even her shears
and other work tools had to go for food and
doctors bills. Her brother helped her all he
could But for him she probably would have
been forced on the streets, like many other work
ing girls Moscow at this time was full of pros
titution, of girls too sick or unable to get work
who had been forced to register with the czar's
police and get Yellow Ticket.
Polovina moved out Of her room and rented
what was known as q corner" for three rubles
month. Her landlady, who lived In style with
her husband in six rooms lodged six or eight
working people in each Of her cheaper rooms
For the masses weren't supposed to be people,
but mere work horses who could be crowded
together turned out and treated any way the
rich folks wanted So Polovna never felt Ger
tain of roof over her head since any time
the landlady might rent her corner to better
customer
Yet, in spite of her hard experiences she re-
manned obedent to what the priest told her,
believing that it was law from heaven that
some be poor and some rich
Then the war came and her brother was
drafted. Because he was in the army she was
able to get work In q munitions factory. Here
for the first time she came In touch with mil
liant workers and learned what it meant to
stand all together for their rights There was
a strike against the wormy soup and rotting
potatoes which they were forced To pay half
of their wages for in the factory restaurant.
In 1916 Polovina married Moscow metal
worker-a big fellow with ready laugh but q
quiet tongue. He was very active among the
workers, and patiently explained many things
about the class struggle to his wife.
However, it was not until after the March
Revolution Of 1917 that els learned he bad bsea