Death is always scary. But the pain is unbearable, when the children leave before the parents. And for some reason, most leave the most good.
Lenya lived a short life. He died a week before his 23rd birthday. A Russian community of New York was shocked with his absurd death. Despite such a young age, he was known in all boro in New York thanks his activities as a novice entrepreneur.
Lenya was born May 6, 1984 year in Minsk. He was a long-awaited child in a family of Roman and Irina Sologub. His father
worked as a teacher, mother-engineer. He grew up sturdy. At 2 months of age, baby, Lenya already knew how to swim and to dive; in 4 years he has visited the section of Judo. He started to go in school when he was 6 years old. He was loved everybody who knew him: in the kindergarten and school, friends and neighbors, and, later, his business partners, and all who were familiar with him. He was the leader everywhere. Always he had many friends. He attracted everybody because of his friendliness, openness, sincerity, charisma. He was a source, a generator of ideas. From an early age he showed curiosity in different spheres of life. He was a good friend, ready to close down an "enemy embrasure" for friends. Throughout his life he had never had enemies.
When in the family were born, first brother Slava, and then sister
Jenny, Lenya became the first assistant of the parents. He gently, in a brotherly, loved his siblings. He was their protector, adviser and most reliable friend. I remember when Slava fell down from the stairs at "MacDonald’s" in Minsk and hurt his leg, the 10 year old Lenya was carrying 6 year old brother on the hands to home more of kilometer.
In the early 90s, during the process of collapsing of the Soviet Union, family began to experience financial difficulties. The parents had to go to Lithuania, Poland, and Russia for a penny doing business almost every weekend. And attention to children has been weakened. At that time, began to rapidly grow Lenya, to enter into our problems and we are sometimes left the younger children under his care.
Lenya was a restless child. He always wanted something to do. Because of it he had problems at school. The material he was taken too quick but had to wait until the teacher will explains it to others. Lenya was very good with mathematics. He did all calculations even not using a calculator. It was useful for him in the future. Favorite subject in school for Lenya was history. This interest to history he kept in adult life. After coming to America, he is constantly watched History Channel. Particularly, he was interested in programs about the 2nd World War, which he was told two of his grandfather, the immediate parties to the war, holders of many awards and medals, Sergeant Michael Sologub and Captain Mendel Ozer. Lenya was proud of his war-grandfathers and very respected and loved his grandparents.
After graduation of 8th grade Lenya was transferred to grammar High School Eco-L. There were the best school years for Lenya. Soon the new classmates became the good friends for him and he kept that friendship after moving to America. Here is an excerpt from a letter to Lenya dated classmate-girl: "You know it is very difficult to write you this letter because it is very painful to realize that you will no longer close. You were very important for us all. The most important thing is not what you leave but would you have always remained the same kind and good.. "
In 1998, family financial status has improved and the whole family, we
were able to go on vacation to Bulgaria . The children were very happy. Way of life in our family has been focused on creating a good environment for the development and education of children. We bought a computer, and everybody in the family became to study to work on it. Under the leadership of the father, Lenya started to learn driving a car, which we also bought at this time. However, in 1999 year we received the letter from the Department of Immigration and Naturalization, which reported that, if we fail to seize the right of refugees which we hade from 1995 year and will not moving to the U.S. during the year, we lose that right. But we did not go because of someone's mistake did not have the right of refugees to grandparents, and we were waiting for a response to our request for solutions to this problem. We did not want to leave the elderly alone in the Minsk. Finally, taking into account the views of grandparents, and Lenya, which we believe as an adult family member, we have decided that for the future of the children will be better opportunities in America. We decided not to go to Minneapolis, where by the time my sister had lived with her family, but we got going to New York, where more employment opportunities, a lot of friends, classmates, fellow students. The our uncle Moisey Loev, a famous writer, director and his family lives in New York also. Close family friend Polina Siterman rented an apartment for us in advance. In January 2000 we arrived in New York. At the airport we met friends from Minsk and Cherkassy.
The first thing after the arrival we had to arrange children in the schools. We decided at first let the children to go in Public school, but during the summer we would see. That decision proved good for youngest children, but for 15 year old Lenya, who was involved in the educational process without knowing the language, this period was very difficult. Lenya immediately joined to the Russian-speaking students.
English was very hard to learn for Lenya, but little by little, he was adjusted to the studying, made new friends, and later on he had not wanted to transfer to another school. Along with education, Lenya started looking for part time job. He gave away the flyers, worked like a helper on a construction site. The parents attended English courses and worked part time on the different jobs: cleaning, caring of the sick, and washing windows in the skyscrapers of Manhattan. It lasted for a year and a half. And next year, in the summer, Lenya took a job in the restaurant "Rasputin" like a busboy. This work has had a great influence on him. He had a good for teenager salary; in addition he received the opportunity to meet famous people of New York: athletes, artists, businessmen, politicians.
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In the same summer, I joined the MTA. The family started to live better. At that time, Lenya’s grandfather and grandmother came to New York from Minsk. We rented apartment for them in the same building where we lived. A new concerns and unrests got appeared. Emerging challenges we overcome together. The family created an atmosphere of mutual support based on the love to children and to each other.
Many of the guys from the Russian-speaking families seeking well learn to be doctors, lawyers, financiers. But Lenya had entrepreneurial streak. For example, Lenya played in school’s theater Taras Bulba in the same play by N. Gogol. He wanted to show this performance on a commercial basis, to organize the tour, the revenue split among the artists. Continuing to work in a restaurant, Lenya started trying to do his own business. In New York moved a former Lenya’s teacher from Minsk. He opened here a manufacture of chocolate gifts with photos of customers. Lenya helped to search customers, advertised and distributed products. To do this he had to attend a large number of shops, cafes, and to explain everything about the manufacture. It took a lot of time for Lenya and prevented the studying. We decided that the study is more important. As of 2002 Lenya graduated the High School and entered the Kingsboro Community College, specializing in “Finance and Management”. The studying in the College was too hard for Lenya because he continued to work hard.
In January 2003, took place an event that has had an indelible impression on Lenya. He traveled into Israel by special program for students. There he was in the most interesting historical places, met with his classmates from Minsk, which had gone to study and live in Israel, has visited many of our relatives who moved to Israel, when Lenya was small. They were pleasantly surprised when they saw the high, beautiful, intelligent guy. After his return, Lenya continued to study and to work. During this time he began successfully to make one-time business transactions and almost completely became financially independent. In the summer Lenya visited to relatives in Minneapolis. This trip reminded him how he visited grandparents in Cherkassy in his childhood.
In spring 2004, our family has experienced the first death in America: Grandfather Mendel died at age 90. He lived in America for about 3 years. But life was going on. We continued to work and to study, in order to family’s life became decent. As a result, in the summer of 2004, we acquired an apartment. The children were proud of their parents, and we rejoiced the success of our children. And everyone was happy. The atmosphere in the family was benevolent and creative. Of course, all time there were different issues that we have solved all together. The grandmother Fanya have lived with us in the same apartment. She could not walk after breaking her hips on both legs, and we all together, as could have helped her. Soon youngest son Slava started to work for a part-time. Lenya was his chief authority, helped to Slava looking for jobs. At this time stability was created in the family. Everyone has his own business. In the next, 2005 year, Lenya took a break in his studies, and fully engaged in the work. Together with a friend,
they have opened a workshop to repair computers . The representative of NAYANA, where they asked for financial assistance for business expansion, agreed their business plan. However, after a half-year shop was closed because it was unprofitable. After that Lenya was engaged in sending cars to Russia by the orders and continued to engage in commercial transactions of different companies. He wanted to build a decent amount to start his own business and to buy an apartment. He also wanted to have a strong family and a lot of kids. In the family was tradition: in the birthday of each member of family we issued booth with pictures and wishes. At the 22nd birthday of Lenya, we also wrought wishes for him health, success and drew a big house and Lenya among children. This was his dream.
Lenya was very persistent, pursuing his goal, and very hardworking: he starts to help family financially when he was 16 year old. In early 2006, Lenya begins work in the department of advertising of radio "VSE".
The possibility of his acquaintances expands. He participates in many different business presentations by the radio. Like any young man, he loved music, visited the disco, concerts. To the girls he treated very respectfully; do not let anyone in his presence to say something bad about them. He loved beautiful, fashionable dress. He had a nice car. Lenya was very trustful. He believed that the world should be just to everybody. His relations to people were kind and courtesy. He believed that he deserves the same attitude toward himself. But in the life he often met with hostility of people whom he trusted. That makes him a negative reaction. In March 2006, Lenya takes the oath and became a U.S. citizen. During the interview for citizenship, a lawyer, who talked with him, was struck by how well Lenya knows American history, contemporary international situation and the direction of the global economy. Lenya knew well as a large number of names of various companies and organizations and their price-list.
On April 2006, the grief came in the family again. The grandmother Fanya passed away. But life continues. In autumn 2006, Lenya became the investor of "Gvantsa Distributors Inc" and begins to actively engage in advertising Georgian water “Natahtari”. The revenue of the company began to increase.
In January 2007, for the first time after trip to Bulgaria 9 years ago, in whole went to the wedding of our niece Natasha to the Minneapolis. These 4 days for all of us were the happiest days in the last period of time We did not
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know how terrible grief will struck our family in 3 months. After returning in New York the family continued the regular life. Lenya zealous worked. Sometimes on weekends he was meeting with his friends, went to disk club. In the fall he wanted to restart his studying in the College. In the last time, he was actively involved in improving his physical condition. Every day he trained on training apparatus, with weight, skipping rope. But suddenly "bombshell" crashed out. Lenya went with a friend to his home in Long Island. The weather was good and the guys decided to see how touring the motorcycle, which they purchased in order to be sent to Russia. Sending a delayed and the bike was in the friend’s garage. They alternately sat on the bike and made a circle with a diameter of 10 meters on the drive way. Lenya accidentally turned handle of speed and immediately flew with the motorcycle out of a circle and tangential went into the garden, and hit a tree. Almost immediately a neighbor called for ambulance. Police arrived, led to a helicopter for delivery to the hospital. It happened in 6. 07 p.m. Unfortunately, Lenya’s heart stopped during the surgery at 8.50 p.m. The surgeon, who operated Lenyu, said those 40 minutes after the collision to the surgery was a large loss of blood. If taken quickly, the Lenya could be saved.
So stopped Lenya’s life, which just begun. So stopped all of his plans and dreams. Without Lenya our family orphaned, our house got empty. Despite his youth, he was as a driver in our family car. He stroked through the road in the thick of American life for all of us and we moved after him. Lenya was not like everybody. It confirms all who were familiar with him. He distinguished from the general masses of people, with extraordinary kindness, intelligence, a broad outlook, a desire to help others, diligence and perseverance in overcoming difficulties. When Lenya appeared anywhere there immediately changed the atmosphere. Became like a lighter, warmer, friendly. A brutality and strife stopped momentarily. In memory of all who knew him, he will always smiling, encouraging everybody with jokes, with his a special aura, effulgence.
In one of his essays Lenya wrote: "I came to this country to become successful, and I would like to live so that my name will stay in American history. That is my goal and I will move toward it.” It is a very pity that his dreams was not realized, that he had lived so short life and did not experience all the joy, which are intended for people during a lifetime. To see off Lenyu in the last journey came hundreds of people who could not hold the tears. It says that God takes the best people the first. The death of Leniya remains inconsolable pain for our family. He was part of the Sun, and the energy that he radiated throughout his life, will continue to warm us up to the end of our days.
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