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couple alone. In a small house, Iosif rented a two-room apartment. One room would be for him and Lyubov; the other for Malka. The apartment looked out on the flowing waters of the Volga River. Iosif 's luck continued. It turned out that March 5th, the day of Lyubov's arrival, was on a day called Commandant's Day. This was a planning day, one Monday every month, when Iosif had no classes to teach. Iosif talked to his supervisor and told him his new bride was coming on the train. The supervisor not only agreed to give Iosif the day off, but he gave him the use of a car and driver. Iosif was delighted. Now he could take Lyubov and Malka to their new home in style. But then Iosif had a better idea. He told the driver to go not to the Volsk train station, where Lyubov and her mother expected to meet him, but to the previous station on the train line, Prevolsk. Iosif wanted to surprise Lyubov. At Prevolsk, the train stopped and Iosif got on. He knew exactly which train compartment Lyubov was on. He entered the train compartment and there they were. Tears of joy and laughter filled the train compartment. The surprise worked, but not exactly as Iosif thought. If he thought they could all get off the train in Prevolsk, the joke was on him. There wasn't enough time for Lyubov and Malka to gather their belongings before the train started for the next station. Thinking quick, Iosif told the driver to take the car and meet them at the destination. Iosif then settled back and traveled with his new wife (and her mother) the last few miles. Finally the train stopped at Volsk, where the driver transferred their suitcases to the car and drove to their apartment, right on the beautiful Volga River. Iosif 's landlord made a nice dinner for the couple. Iosif had to be back at work the next day, so Lyubov didn't waste any time in finding a job. Aer a day of rest, she visited the local school, but no English teaching positions were available. However, she was told there would be an opening for an English teacher next term. The job was hers, if she would wait. Lyubov was introduced to the community two days later, on March 8, 1951, a day celebrated throughout Russia as International Women's Day. There was a party at the officer's club, and Iosif introduced her to all his iends and colleagues. Lyubov started a fashion trend with the high boots she wore, a relatively new fashion in Moscow that was news to the local ladies. Everyone was so impressed by the boots that Lyubov agreed to have the local shoemaker study them so he could make similar boots for all the ladies. Iosif was so proud of his wife's beauty, fashion sense, and charm. That Saturday, Iosif took Lyubov to the Grand Theater. There was nothing Lyubov loved more than the theater. The production that night was Bez Viny Vinovatie (Guilty Without Guilt) by Aleksandr Nikolayevich Ostrovsky, rightly considered to be the creator of Russian national theater. It was a wonderful show. The manager also noticed how many Russian officers and their wives bought tickets aer Lyubov's example. In gratitude, the manager gave Iosif and Lyubov a ee pass to the theater for the remainder of the season. Iosif, Lyubov, and her mother settled in for a few months until Malka decided in June to return to Moscow. Iosif was satisfied that Malka felt good about her daughter's situation. At that point, Iosif and Lyubov moved to an apartment with a bedroom, living room, and kitchen with a wooden stove. In the backyard there was a deep cellar. During the winter, residents filled their cellars with snow to provide a cool place to store meat and other perishables in warmer months. Every Sunday during the summer months, the couple took a ferry boat across the Volga to a nice, sandy beach, where they picnicked and enjoyed each other's company. Women's Day International Women's Day is marked on March 8th every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political, and social achievements of women. Started as a political event, the holiday blended the culture of many countries (primarily Russia and the countries of the former Soviet bloc). In some celebrations, the day lost its political flavor and became simply an occasion for men to express their love to the women around them, somewhat similar to Mother's Day and St. Valentine's Day mixed together. In others, however, the political and human rights themes as designated by the United Nations run strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.

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