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Birth name
Rafael Mavashev
Rafael Abramovich Mavashev was born on July 15, 1928, becoming the seventh child in the family of Abram Chaim and Rivka Mavashev. He was only two years old when his father had to go abroad, and just 12 years old when his mother passed away. The child was left without the care of his parents and remained under the guardianship of his brothers and sisters. At that time, he was too young to fully comprehend the tragedy of losing his parents, but old enough to feel that he had lost the closest person in his life – his mother.
Gratitude should be expressed to his brothers and sisters who showed sincere concern and took care of him, protecting him from external negative influences and the dangers of the streets. Often, during such fateful periods, teenagers start leading an antisocial lifestyle, succumbing to the temptations of drugs, alcohol, and the company of dubious individuals. Meanwhile, the country was at war, and three brothers were on the front lines, absent from home. The care, tenderness, and attention from close relatives made young Rafael feel an incredibly important sense of his own worth and significance.
In 1935, Rafael started school in Tashkent. At the onset of World War II, due to financial difficulties, he was compelled to work as an apprentice locksmith at the “Tashselmash” plant, where he toiled in extremely harsh conditions for two years. Despite his young age, his workdays lasted 12 hours. These unbearable conditions led to a severe illness for Rafael.
However, leaving his job was risky, as unauthorized departure could result in serious penalties, including up to 10 years in prison. In 1943, he found a job as an apprentice electrician at a Moscow-affiliated Goznak factory. From 1946 to 1947, he worked in various positions while continuing his education in the evening school for working youth.
In 1947, working as the school’s custodian, Rafael entered a financial college, which he successfully graduated from with honors. On the recommendation of the Uzbekistan government, he was sent to Leningrad University. After completing his studies at the university’s economics department, he received a placement at the Tashkent Institute of Commerce, where he became a lecturer in political economy. A year later, the party committee directed Rafael to work in a two-year school for leading officials of the Central Union.
In 1961, he was appointed as an assistant professor in the Department of Political Economy at the Tashkent Institute of Textile and Light Industry, where he worked until 1992, progressing from an assistant to an associate professor.
In 1967, he successfully defended his dissertation and obtained a Ph.D. in economics. Based on the recommendation of the party committee, Rafael also taught for over 25 years at the evening institute. In 1963, he was sent to Lviv to attend the Higher Military Academy for a six-month course. Upon completion, he assumed the position of Deputy Commander in the Political Department with the rank of reserve lieutenant colonel.
Photo: Rafael Mavashev and his future wife Alla Soifer
In 1955, Rafael married Alla Abramovna Soifer. Alla Abramovna graduated from Tashkent University with a specialization in “Classical Literature and English Language” in the Department of “Foreign Literature.” While still a student, she was invited to deliver lectures on foreign literature at the theatrical institute.
After her university studies in 1951, Alla Abramovna was assigned to work at the Tashkent Pedagogical Institute in the Department of “Foreign Literature and Russian Language,” where she worked until 1992.
In 1992, Rafael and Alla’s family emigrated to the United States. Rafael Abramovich and Alla Abramovna raised and nurtured two children, their daughter Alexandra and son Artem, as well as four grandchildren: Anastasia, Esther, Yulia, and Afelia. Alla Abramovna passed away in March 2012 in San Diego.
From the Memoirs of Rafael Mavashev…
About the Fateful Turning Point in My Life.
In 1959, I successfully graduated from the Tashkent Financial and Economic College. The college administration recommended continuing my education in Leningrad. I gratefully accepted this offer. As applicants sent for their studies from Uzbekistan to Moscow, Kiev, or Leningrad, we were invited to the Council of Ministers for briefing. The Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Usman Yusupov, addressed us. He explained the purpose and objectives of the assignment to various universities in the country.
Upon the conclusion of his speech, Usman Yusupov handed each of us one thousand rubles and a ticket to our respective destinations. I was sent to Leningrad in a third-class sleeper carriage.
Photo: Rafael with his wife Alla and their children – Alexandra and Artem.
I knew and understood well that the period of my education coincided with a challenging time in my family’s life. I needed the bare minimum to sustain myself during my studies in Leningrad. My family, including my brothers and sisters, wholeheartedly supported my initiative to go and study.
When I told my dear brother Shurik about my desire to study in Leningrad and that the Council of Ministers had approved my candidacy, covered my travel expenses, and provided funds, he embraced me and said, “Give me your word that you will study, and I, on my part, will support you to the best of my ability.”
It was these very words that played a decisive role. You see, when I was already studying, it was incredibly challenging. Some students couldn’t cope and returned home.
Photo: Rafael and Alla with their granddaughter , sisters and nephew.
I would come to the dormitory, cover my head with a pillow, and cry, contemplating how to overcome all the difficulties, to not disappoint my family and, especially, my brother Shuiel.
I studied diligently. In the first semester, I had three exams: the first was excellent, and two subjects were good. It was then that I promised myself, “I won’t leave here until I finish my university education.” I studied only for good and excellent grades because they didn’t provide scholarships for satisfactory grades.
I wish good health and many happy years to my brother Shmuel.
In the end, I successfully graduated from the university, taught political economy at a university, defended my dissertation, obtained the academic title of a candidate of sciences, and the academic degree of an associate professor.
Mavashev Rafael 80th Birthday
Photo: Shmuel visiting his brother Rafael in San Diego
First anniversary of the memory of Rafael Mavashev
Рафаэль Абрамович Мавашев, ушедший из этого мира 26 декабря 2022 года в возрасте 95 лет, был выдающейся личностью и деятелем старшего поколения семьи Мавашевых. Его жизненный путь и вклад в общество заслуживают искреннего уважения и восхищения. Рафаэль Абрамович был любимцем своей обширной семьи и оставил незабываемый след в сердцах многих. Его обаяние, образованность и умение логически мыслить делали его увлекательным собеседником и, возможно, вдохновляли окружающих. Его тридцатилетняя педагогическая деятельность в вузе и звание доцента кафедры “Политэкономии” свидетельствовали о высоком профессионализме и значительном вкладе в образование молодых поколений. Его аналитические способности, логика и внимательное планирование, без сомнения, были неоценимыми в его работе и личной жизни. Он преодолел множество трудностей, особенно во время войны и учебы в Ленинграде. Его опыт и выдержка, вероятно, сформировали его характер и помогли ему добиться успеха в жизни. Покойся с миром, Рафаэль Абрамович Мавашев. Мы благодарим вас за ваше вдохновляющее влияние на свою семью и всех вас окружавших.
