By the end of day train Pishel on Timis-heading. Command is given - all out. Through the city of Timisoara rode the tram. Townspeople the Romanians looked with curiosity at the Russian soldiers, talking quietly among themselves. Of course, our appearance was not attractive. The old coat, knocked boots - still all right. But when someone one of us was in a tram collapse of newsprint [Volume 1, page 198] "cigarette" and then taking from his pocket pouch poured out his tobacco, fruity poslyunyaviv Finally, he took into his mouth, slowly put the pouch back in his pocket. From the other pocket got chip file and flint-stone became a spark knock, trying to burn "Tinder" (a piece of rope in the metal. Handset) - the whole car in amazement watching the actions of the Russian soldier. Spark, as luck would have not carved out "of the Russian Katyusha". Then, someone from Romania politely offered to use his lighter, raising it to his cigarette. I was interested in watching this picture. I knew their manners and customs, know that they do not know much and do not have, but the Katyusha rockets, which struck me and after April 10, they watched with curiosity, exactly as if Negrito from the tribe of "yum-yum" when you began to make fire by rubbing two pieces of wood.
city of Timisoara - the big city. In the center of the high and beautiful houses, parks and squares with monuments to kings. On a hill - the citadel, an indispensable accessory for all old cities in the West.
We were accommodated in a hotel near Western Railway Station. It seems the street name, which ran from the station square to the center of the city was Bratianu (Foreign Minister in the royal Romania). The hotel was first class and well decorated. Of course, we were placed in the rooms and hallways is very compacted, slept on the floor rather than on beds. Remember that the toilet was the second bowl with a fountain, whose purpose is none of us could not be determined. Then, having learned a lot of joking and laughing about it.
[ Volume 1, page 199] in Timisoara our battalion had the main job of shipping yellow. road trains to the front and loading of equipment, previously taken out by Romanians from Odessa. Among returned to Russia, things were a few boxes of rifles, Russian sample. Among them I chose a brand-new semi-automatic SVT (self-loading Tokarev rifle). The reason for this failure served by firing a sniper rifle. Back in Chernovodah, hunting for wild boars in the marsh of the Danube Delta, I noticed that sometimes the rifle misfires. I then thought he had got bad damp bullets. Cabana then we would not have got - they were broken up us, but ducks when nastrelyali up to fifty. Because the sniper rifle was not comfortable to shoot at the ducks, I replaced it with an ordinary rifle, without optical sight. At this time I was sent a senior with three parokonnymi carts for hay and oats for our horses in hozvzvode. Rekash borough where I drove for fodder, located 25 km from Timisoara. It was a frosty weather, but snow was not yet. I was warned that one must be vigilant in the way, we can expect an attack "Zheleznogvardeytsev (Romanian fascists), the place dull, punctuated by woods and swamps. "Sniper," lies on my lap, ready for battle. I'm sitting on a cart and watching the neighborhood. As they passed the corn field I see among the bare stalks of corn - a bird with striking plumage of the tail and the size of a hen: pheasant! I had never seen it, but the zoo. Aim and hit the trigger ... but no shot was followed, just click the striker. Again and again took aim misfire! Pheasant goes into the thicket. That's annoying! Replaceable cartridge, and after some time I see another phase. Misfire again! Damn. Then I try to shoot full clip, but the shots did not follow. [Volume 1, page 200] Of course the defect was not difficult to fix, replace the spring, but confidence in the "sniper" was lost. Here so I decided to arm ST.
in Timisoara our division received food through the Romanian military garrison town. To us has been attached Cpl. Constantinescu, who came to us, sat down beside me on the chaise and we went with the products to warehouses. So we met with him. Sometimes we are out of town with him to his friend the lonely young woman who drank a glass of wine, sometimes eating. He stayed all night, and I hurry to the evening roll call.
On my Acting on the Komsomol was still a challenge to inform the staff summary of the Soviet Information Bureau. Radio was an employee of the hotel a young boy, who for the next year preparing to go to university - Eugene Ionesco. Every morning, I came to him, or rather to his parents, Moscow caught and wrote down the front news. For any month, we managed to make friends. I told them about the Odessa period that saw in them, Romanian, administration. They were interested to hear from the Russian people. They, in turn, spoke on the proposal of the Romanian soldiers, who saw Russia their eyes.
When it came time to part with them, I was invited to visit them at the banquet. It consisted of "tsuyki," which was poured into small (with thimble) glass-stack. Appetizer - sliced sausage, salt, skewered on a stick the size of a match. Eugene gave me to remember your picture.
Eugene Ionesco.
inscription on the reverse in Romanian: "
you, Yuri, well,
that when you come back with a victory in his country,
you would have remembered that and in Romania, you have a friend.
Timisoara. 10.I.945
Eugene Ionesco, Rudna board, district Tamish-Tazantal. "
"
Tie, Jurie, ca atunci
cand te vei reantoarce
victorios in tara ta
i ti adna aminte
ca ci iu Romania
ai avut in pricten
Timisoara, 10.I.945
Jinescu Eugeniu , comuna
Rudna, Jud. Timis-Tazantal "
further:" The Liberation of Europe ", pages 201 - 212.
