To the Raga family/children,
Not so long ago, and absolutely by chance, I came across “Against the Current: The Memoirs of Boris Ragula, MD“. When I read the part about his stay in Saalfeld, Germany, in 1945, a recollection struck my memory. My parents and myself (12 years old) met a fine group of Belorussians in Saalfeld who helped us and protected us from the Forced Repatriation to the Soviet Union. Boris Ragulia and Ludmila played an important part in obtaining for us documents which made us Belorussians from Navahrudek.

This literally saved us from ending up in some GULAG in Siberia because we were Soviet citizens from Rostov on Don. The Germans had put us into a their “konzlager”, forced labor camp, but in the eyes of the Soviets, we were “traitors to the motherland and NAZI collaborators”.

We lived together through 1945 – 48, first in Saalfeld, and then in Hunfeld near Fulda. Afte1948 we all split up to different parts of Germany and have taken opportunities to immigrate to places beyond Europe. My family was lucky to land in USA where my parents (Anton & Ludmila) lived a comfortable life. I finished High School, served into the Army for 2 years. And thanks to the GI Bill finished college tuition-free. Had a very satisfying career. Married had 4 children and now retired with Seven grand kids.

And this twist of fortune I attribute to a kind and caring gesture in 1945 from Boris Ragula and the gang of young Belorussians who “adopted” us during the difficult past WWII period.

I am only sorry that I never had an opportunity to thank Boris and Ludmila plus the other kind people who helped my family in 1945.

I hope that all Ragulas doing well and are grateful and proud to have had such a kind and a humane ancestor like your father/grandfather.

With kind thoughts and wishes to all off you, Eugene (Zhenia) Kolomatsky