This scrap album is one of the few items my dad brought with him from Russia to New York in 1990. It documents the time he spent in the Soviet Union Army from 1979 to 1981. He was stationed in Azerbaijan and handmade this album in his down time. It is full of his caricatures of army life, felt covered pages with russian lettering he designed, and photographs of his friends on the job and in their free time. Looking through these photos transforms me into a world where my father is no longer 57, but just a 19 year old kid who has been plopped into army. This artifact lets me have a glimpse of a country and time I can't even begin to visualize. I am thankful for this album as it gives me a better understanding of my dad and the life he left when he came to New York. 

– Jacqueline Moshkovich

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant