ViewMate - Image Archive, Image 114124 - Translation - Russian - Russia - Baku (Azerbaijan) - Riskin, Levin


	The Genealogical Research Division of

About Mission Our Team Get Involved Learn more about our organizational leadership, mission, and values. There are numerous opportunities to get involved yourself! Research Search All Records Country & Topical Databases Holocaust Database Burial Registry (JOWBR) Cemetery Discovery Project Memorial & Plaques Database Shul Records America Family Trees (FTJP) Sephardic Text Search Search millions of records from around the globe, including more than 4 million records related to the Holocaust, and more than 4.2 million burial records. Records are continually added each month - check back often for new information! Discover Blog Town Finder (Communities Database) Yizkor Books KehilaLinks Regional/Topical Research Divisions JewishGen Press Publications Discover your ancestral town, explore geographic/regional based sections of the JewishGen site (Research Divisions), and explore what daily life was like for your ancestors - and what we can learn from them today. Learn Online Classes Search Methodologies & Research Advice Student Program in Poland Peter and Mary Kalikow Center Enhance your research with online classes and dozens of helpful articles. University students can apply for the Bennett & Robin Greenspan L'dor V'dor Legacy Program, and those "out of school" can help preserve Jewish Heritage in Poland with unique study & volunteer experiences. Connect Family Finder Discussion Group Jewish Genealogy Portal ViewMate Success Stories Yahrzeit reminders Connect with tens of thousands of other JewishGen members via the Family Finder, Discussion Group, Facebook Group, and ViewMate. It's a great way to share success, ask questions, and stay informed of the happenings throughout the Jewish genealogical community. Donate General Support Specific Projects Planned Giving Wall of Honor The JewishGen site is offered as a free public resource. However, it costs a lot of money to maintain and expand our services. If you are in a position to do so, please consider a contribution today - your support will make a difference!

Information

Picture

Question

Category: Translation - Russian
Approval Date: 4/1/2026 4:37 PM
Family Surname: Riskin, Levin
Country: Russia
Town: Baku (Azerbaijan)
Date of Image: 1969

Click the picture to enlarge

Attached is 5/5 pages of a letter sent to my great-grandmother Bronia Levin-Riskin, located in the Land of Israel, by her brother Matvey (Motya), located in Baku, Soviet Union. Would appreciate your assistance in the translation of the document. Wishing all of JewishGen's volunteers a happy, safe Passover.

Response

4/2/2026 5:59 AM

Dear Aunt Branya!
I have some good news to share. Today I defended my diploma with honors and became a mechanical engineer specializing in mechanical engineering technology. Finally, after all the obstacles, having overcome "fire, water, and copper pipes" *), and having successfully passed the "final pass" **, I graduated from the institute. This year I plan to rest, gain wisdom and health, and next year I want to enroll in the physics department, as becoming a physicist is my dream.
Dear Aunt Branya, I am very happy with your gift, which, thanks to your diligence, arrived just in time, the day before my diploma defense. Putting on my new shoes, I went to defend my thesis and received an excellent grade. So I was lucky in them, for which I thank you and wish you good health and a long life. With sincere respect.
2/VII-69 Peter.

Note.
*) "having gone through fire, water, and copper pipes" This phrase is a set expression (idiom) that means going through the most difficult trials, a harsh school of life, and gaining rich experience. Here's what each stage in this expression symbolizes:
• Fire and water: represent physical tests, dangers, and difficulties that forge character.
• Copper pipes: this is the most insidious test—the test of fame, flattery, and success. It is believed that passing the "copper pipes" (fanfares) without becoming arrogant is much more difficult than enduring hardship and danger.
**) "having passed the last pass" Peter uses this expression as a metaphor for the completion of the most difficult stage. In the context of the letter, this means:
• The final test: Successfully defending a thesis, which became the "last mountain" to conquer.
• The end of a long journey: Completion of many years of study at the institute ("after all the obstacles").
• Taking your qualifications to the next level: Moving from student status to becoming a qualified mechanical engineer.
/s/

ViewMate Posting VM 114124

Submitted by Maor Brodski

Learn more about our organizational leadership, mission, and values. There are numerous opportunities to get involved yourself!

Search millions of records from around the globe, including more than 4 million records related to the Holocaust, and more than 4.2 million burial records. Records are continually added each month - check back often for new information!

Discover your ancestral town, explore geographic/regional based sections of the JewishGen site (Research Divisions), and explore what daily life was like for your ancestors - and what we can learn from them today.

Enhance your research with online classes and dozens of helpful articles. University students can apply for the Bennett & Robin Greenspan L'dor V'dor Legacy Program, and those "out of school" can help preserve Jewish Heritage in Poland with unique study & volunteer experiences.

Connect with tens of thousands of other JewishGen members via the Family Finder, Discussion Group, Facebook Group, and ViewMate. It's a great way to share success, ask questions, and stay informed of the happenings throughout the Jewish genealogical community.

The JewishGen site is offered as a free public resource. However, it costs a lot of money to maintain and expand our services. If you are in a position to do so, please consider a contribution today - your support will make a difference!

ViewMate Posting VM 114124

Submitted by Maor Brodski