leaving no doubt that they would soon marry.
A year later, Mark Maretsky, a courageous graduate of the Leningrad Military-Technical School of the Red Army Air Force, fulfilled his promise: he legally wedded Bertha Galper. The occasion was bittersweet, as Mark was assigned to the Nizhny Novgorod region, bidding farewell to the beloved and numerous family.
Filled with hope and enthusiasm, the young couple embraced their new journey – a new city, engaging work, and an independent life awaited them.
Chapter 3: Mastering Spaces
Leonid graduated from the institute precisely during the «Great Break,» a period of extensive transformations in the country. The first five-year plan for national economic development was adopted, setting the course for rapid industrialization, which necessitated the accelerated development of railroads. The People's Commissariat of Communication Routes of the Soviet Union was actively engaged in this endeavor, particularly valuing experienced specialists. Among them was Engineer Mirachevsky whose profound knowledge of railroads dated back to his childhood. His background as a skilled machinist, extensive practical training, outstanding natural aptitude, and organizational skills made him a highly esteemed employee. Excellently passing his exams and brilliantly defending his master's thesis paved the way for a promising professional career.
Olga was struggling in vain to feed Irina, who was being stubborn and refusing to eat. Frustrated, the mother raised her voice at the resistant little girl, but just then, the door swung open – Leonid, as always, arrived just in the nick of time, bearing a cake and sweets, and entered the scene of resistance.
«What's all the noise? No quarreling, girls!» he chimed in, immediately sweeping up his beloved daughter in his arms as tears began to form in her eyes.
Olga breathed a sigh of relief; her husband had a special way of handling their daughter – with him, her capriciousness vanished in an instant.
«So, how did the defense go?» That was the question of the day. Perhaps, that was why she had been so nervous while awaiting his return; she worried about how it all went, and the baby, of course, sensed her mother's emotions and reacted in her own way.
«Take a wild guess how it turned out?» Leonid playfully teased, as was his boyish tendency to pose riddles.
«Judging by the cake, Id say congratulations are in order,» Olga replied, always amused by his playful nature (he was such a child sometimes!).
«Yes, but on what?»
«Is it related to the defense?» She played along, entering his game.
«Aim higher!»
«With an outstanding defense?» Her laughter couldn't be contained now; he looked like a mischievous little boy, only grown up, with a little minx in his arms, trying to pull off his glasses.
«Olga, they're keeping me in the department!»
«I always knew my husband was a genius!» It was time for a loving embrace.
Later, Olga inquired, «Did even Professor Nedorozhny back down? You know he's the only teacher who could seriously complicate the defense.»
«Well, you know, knowledge is light, and light always overcomes the darkness! Even the darkness of ignorance among certain false scientists,» he replied with a hint of rebellion.
«You're a rebel, Leonid! And a chatterbox. At least try not to speak out too much at the institute. You know what kind of people are there…»
And so, the Mirachevsky family celebrated a true festive evening. Leonid passionately recounted the defense details, and Olga radiated with happiness. The endless trips and her husband's perpetual absence in search of income would now come to an end, allowing them to live like proper human beings!
The beginning of their new life was marked by a well-deserved vacation. The three of them spent a short break in Chervona: Olga had yet to meet her granddaughter, and Leonid missed his mother and the old Shpirkanov house with its vast garden – the place that, in his childhood memories, seemed boundless.
After a journey to the former Podolia Governorate, where time seemed to move in a measured and provincial manner, the harsh realities of everyday life awaited them. Olga's premature joy about a quiet period in their family history turned out to be short-lived. Her husband, an employee of the capital's university, was not content with peacefully working in the department and lecturing to students. No, that wasn't his cherished dream. Olga remembered his vivid childhood stories about distant lands and adventures, but she assumed that as children grow up, dreams are left behind. However, Leonid proved to be an exception – a dreamer-practitioner who turned his fantasies into reality.
It became evident that her husband's scientific work involved constant business trips, often leading to long and uncomfortable expeditions. Spartan living conditions, harsh weather, and other challenges made Olga uneasy. The room in Trekhprudny Lane served merely as a brief resting place between the ever-increasing number of journeys. If Professor Lepeikin, a favorite of students, often repeated the Latin aphorism «via est vita» meaning «life is a road,» then it could be said of Mirachevsky that his entire life was a journey.
The country had been woefully short of reliable highways (not just railroads) in the past, but the construction of factories across the Union and the development of new fields in Siberia demanded a transportation revolution. Designing new routes required months of laborious fieldwork, conducting detailed studies of the terrain.
In essence, Leonid's childhood dreams had come true. Adventure was an integral part of his life, but sometimes it could be perilous.
By mid-June, Mirachevsky was dispatched to the Volga region, where the construction of the Saratov-Millerovo railway line, initially planned by the tsarist government before the outbreak of World War I, was underway. This project held great importance as it aimed to connect the Volga regions with the Black Sea ports. Leonid assumed the role of senior engineer for the technical survey party.
It was only at this point that Olga truly understood the path she had chosen in life. Leonid, shuttling between the Volga region, Rostov, various points of the route, Moscow, the institute, and family life, was often exhausted, yet he felt utterly content. A life brimming with love and passion for his work energized him. He reveled in engaging cases, adored his «girls» at home, and passionately debated in the department, seeking truth. All of this seemed to invigorate him even more. Olga admired her husband's tireless energy – it seemed that the more he gave, the stronger he became. However, it also occasionally irritated her. Every woman feels more at ease with a reliable shoulder to lean on, someone to be there at any time, not just once a month.
And Leonid, who had already proven his capabilities in the southern direction, was entrusted with the next responsible and incredibly challenging task: research in Siberia. The assignment was slated to be lengthy, with no possibility of returning to Moscow. Therefore, the Mirachevskys faced the difficult decision of how to proceed with their lives.
After the department meeting, Professor Lepeikin caught up with him in the lobby:
«Leonid, you understand the importance of this project,» he said loudly, shaking Mirachevsky's hand. «And you know, if I were younger, I would be envious of you: such opportunities, such uncharted research territory!»
He then added in a lowered voice:
«But I sympathize with you, frankly. It's a very… extremely challenging environment there. It's almost Yakutia.»
«Thank
