children like we were it was okay, whether the school was open or closed. I know we stayed home until the following September.
Senator DeCONCINI: For one year?
Ms. S.: No, that is from end of March to September.
Senator DeCONCINI: And then they reopened?
Ms. S: The schools reopened.
Senator DeCONCINI: When did the famine terminate, or when did things get bet¬ter? What period of time-1933, 1934, 1935? When was there a greater supply of staples?
Ms. S.: In 1933 in the summer we already had a so-called commercial bread that cost a lot of money, and people stood still in a line to get some. But gradually maybe at the end of 1933, but I doubt it I think about 1934, perhaps that is the time, be¬cause we had [it] a little bit better; we had some food coming. I am not sure if this cor¬relates with the experience of people—in the villages. They were given a little soil— or gardens—and those people who survived that famine were able to produce a little bit of food and gradually—
Senator DeCONCINI: The government let them keep that food?
Ms. S.: Well, they were given a little bit of field around the house.
Senator DeCONCINI: For themselves?
Ms. S: For themselves. I understand that even until now, that little piece of property really feeds the whole Ukraine. The Ukrainian soil is very productive.
Senator DeCONCINI: Did the government import any food after the famine or to relieve the famine?
Ms. S.: No. We had stores called torgsins’.
Senator DeCONCINI: But they never had any massive importation in 1934 or 1935?
Ms. S.: No. No. We had to survive on what we could produce as a people.
Ms. MAZURKEVICH: Before the famine began, how many children were in your classroom and how many came back after the famine?
Ms. S.: I remember we had a big class. Maybe 35 or 40.
Ms. MAZURKEVICH: And after the famine?
Ms. S.: I came back to the seventh grade to finish elementary school and we had maybe 28 or 30 because our class was, for some reason, small. At that time I never thought why and what happened. I graduated in 1934 in the spring.
Ms. MAZURKEVICH: So the others died?
Ms. S : Well, I can presume that is what happened. I know our class was much smaller than we had in the sixth grade.
Ms. MAZURKEVICH: Thank you.
Dr. WERES: No questions.
Senator DeCONCINI: Thank you very much, and Dr. Tsvetkov, thank you very much. We appreciate the hard work that you have given to the Commission today.

I want to express, as one member of Congress, my deep appreciation to all those who testified today. We do not relish bringing back all of these traumas and these ex¬periences, but they are helpful to those of us who have only read about them and can hardly believe it Last year, my wife and I visited Kiev, and you would not know that it ever had a famine, because the Soviet government there provided those of us from the Senate with all kinds of Ukrainian specialties and Ukrainian music and culture. We