Yelena Vasiliyevna Popova’s letter:
"I am asking you to lend me some support as my state of health requires a lot of money... I am an Intway partner. I grew up in a large family – we were nine and I was the fifth child. Our family was very close. All children received higher education degrees. In 1954, when I was a student of Arkhangelsk Teaching Institute, I married a Soviet Army officer. In 1955 I graduated from the Institute and went with my husband to his duty station in Poltava. Our family was very happy, full of love and mutual understanding, but we lived for only 14 years and, in fact, only 6 years together as business trips and studying by correspondence in the Academy kept us apart… In December 15, 1968 my husband died. He was only 37… I was 35: a widow with three children — a son aged 12 and two twin daughters aged 6. In my husband’s posthumous album I have written:
You were our pride, our wisdom, power and honor —
It’s hard to count all your virtues…
You were our joy, our honesty serene,
You were the only one so modest and so humble…
You passed away but you’re alive in our hearts…
You are a husband and a father in eternity...
When my husband died, he was an air navigator in an air division. He was about to get promotion, to become a colonel and to be transferred out to Moscow. I was talked into going abroad and already had all my documents executed but I wasn’t told the children would have to board out... When I found out about that, I refused to go point-blank.
In the school where I worked I was instantly offered a double full-time position but I had to refuse because my daughters went to ballet classes and I was busy sewing numerous costumes for their performances. But in the end I accepted and for 20 years – till the day I retired – I had been working double full-time… I taught Physics, Astronomy, Electric Engineering, Information Science and Computer Science. My children did very well at school, helped me a lot with everything and, though only 11 years old, they were able to cook a full-sized dinner. I earned enough for all of us, social payments which my children received were transferred to the savings book from where I didn’t take a single rouble. Moreover, I opened insurance accounts for them.All of them had fantastic weddings! My children are very successful: my son graduated from Kharkov Higher Military College of Space Technology decorated with the Order of the Red Banner, served in Kazakhstan on the Baikonur space-launch complex, took part in launching the spacecrafts. My daughters graduated from Poltava Teaching Institute. They all have their own families, live their own life…
Unfortunately, such a tough life as mine had an impact on my health. Some years ago I was diagnosed with cataract and I started to lose my sight. In 2008 I was subject to two costly operations which also required a lot of very expensive medications... I survived two hypertensive crises, the last one happened this January. But I will never give up, we shall overcome!"