Lee Harvey Oswald
Author: Newsmaker added 28-05-2013, 22:33
The 50th anniversary of one of the most important events in recent U.S. history will take place in autumn 2013. On November 22, 1963 at 12:30 PM in Dallas, Texas, people heard three shots, two of which stopped the life of President John F. Kennedy. According to the official version, the murder was committed by 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald. In June 1962, Oswald returned from the Soviet Union, where he had lived two and a half years in Minsk. He married and his first child was born in the capital of the Belarusian SSR.The 19-year-old former U.S. Marine came to the Soviet Union in the autumn of 1959. He received 5-day tourist visa in the Soviet Embassy in Helsinki, arrived in Moscow on October, 16 and immediately said to the interpreter of "Intourist" about his communist beliefs and intention to obtain the nationality of the USSR. He received a book written by Dostoevsky "The Idiot" from this interpreter 2 days later just to his twentieth birthday. This copy was printed in Chisinau, later Lee took it with him to his homeland, where it was confiscated by the FBI.
After a long period of bureaucratic approvals, he went to the Visa Office on January 4, 1960 where he was informed that he would live in Minsk. It goes without saying, that it was unsafe to settle former U.S. military in Moscow or Leningrad. Minsk was more suitable because it was a big city, the capital of the Union Republic, where he could be provided with a comfortable existence which demonstrated the advantages of the Soviet way of life. Moreover, it was easier to organize control over a suspicious element by the KGB of the Belorussian SSR.
Like any American, Oswald had no idea what was Minsk and where it was located. In his diary which was one of the main sources of information about the Soviet stage of his life, the future killer wrote: "They told me that I was sent to Minsk. I asked if it was in Siberia?". They laughed."
The postcard of Victory Square, Minsk. 1960.
Oswald got help from the Red Cross for the first time (5000 rubles, "a huge amount," noticed he) on January 5, 1960 and the next day he left for Minsk.
Minsk looked in the following way when it met a new resident.
Lee settled to the newly-opened hotel "Minsk" which was probably the best at that time in the city. The building maintains its appearance from early 1960s until now. He had to live 2 months in room 453 on the fourth floor.
The central shop "GUM", which situated near the hotel "Minsk" at that time:
Oswald visited Minsk Radio Plant named after Lenin on January, 11. He worked there almost two and a half years. A copy of the Belarusian work book with 2 entries: about hiring and dismissal were included into the materials of the "Warren Commission".
Oswald took to the United States several documents from Minsk: a working permission, trade union and library card.
In January, 1960 Oswald wrote in his diary about first impressions of his work: "I am working as a laborer on the metal, with the salary of 700 rubles per month and quickly learning Russian. All people are friendly and kind".
His daily work environment looked like in the following picture:
Here he formed the circle of communication, which was the main for Oswald during his life in Minsk.
At this photo you can see how quickly he joined the team.
Oswald met the head of the city Sharapov, who promised him a free apartment. Oswald got the promised apartment pretty quickly. On March, 1960 he wrote that he got a small one-room flat with kitchen and bathroom. It is situated near the plant and had lovely views from two balconies on the river. It waslmost free (60 rubles per month). It is a dream for the Russian."
The house where Oswald lived, 1960-1965:
The house where Oswald lived, present time:
Lee Harvey was called Alec by his Soviet friends.
At this photo he is in the doorway of the private balcony of the Minsk squints from the scorching sun:
Oswald did the same things that any young workers did. He often went to the cinema, theatre, loved classical music, went to dance to the Palace of Culture and House officers.
Lee at Victory Square.
Under the influence of the environment Oswald began to think about returning to his homeland after six month in Minsk.
Oswald got acquainted with four students of Minsk Institute of Foreign Languages at a concert at the Philharmony at the end of 1960. So, a new address appeared on Oswald map of the city - a hostel of this Institute. He regularly visited this building with a new companion Eric who was a student of the Medical Institute and perfectly knew English. It was a rare opportunity for students to practice the language with a native speaker.
He wrote at the diary that he went to the dance, it was boring, but he met a girl with a French hair in a red dress and white shoes. He danced with her. Her name was Marina. They liked each other at first sight. She gave him her phone number.
These dances happened on March, 17 1961 and played an important role in Lee's life. Oswald met his future wife.
Her name was Marina Prusakova. She a native of the Arkhangelsk region, arrived in Minsk to live with her aunt and worked in the 3rd city hospital near the stadium "Dinamo". She had a spectacular appearance and quite a mixed reputation.
They married on April, 30 1961.
He was disappointed by the Soviet Union and life in Minsk at that time. The city didn't seem beautiful to him, he wrote in his diary that he was beginning to reconsider his desire to stay. Work was gray, there was no place to spend money, no nightclubs and bowling, no recreation area.
Since February 1961 he started correspondence with the American Embassy in Moscow about his return to the USA.
In June, Oswald told his wife about his intention to return to the United States. Marina was surprised, but agreed to go with him. They traveled to Moscow for an interview at the embassy. This was known in Minsk and Marina got problems at her work.
Before the New Year Oswald and his wife finally were given the Soviet exit visas.
Their last New Year in the Soviet Union they spend with friends in this house:
On February 15, 1962, Marina born a girl named June.
On May, 20 Oswald family moved out of the apartments and spent the last night in Minsk with their best friends. They continued to communicate after departure.
On May, 22 they left the Soviet Union and Oswald started his way which finished on November 24, 1963.
Oswald was killed in Dallas by the local nightclub owner Jack Ruby after 2 days from Kennedy's death.
Marina was in a foreign country without knowing the language with two young children (the second daughter was born a month before Kennedy' death).
Marina became a widow under tragic circumstances and her photo was published on the cover of TIME.
She eventually found happiness re-marrying a wealthy Texas rancher. Marina Oswald Porter Prusakova lives in Texas nowadays.
Marina on her husband's funeral.
Well, could she imagine such a fate?
Marina returned to the capital of the independent Belarus in 1990s to see friends and relatives. In 1963 she tried to go back to the USSR. Oswald even signed up for "Spark" and "Soviet Belorussia". But in the end the last memory about the life remained letters and rare photos taken away from Minsk.
Marina Oswald is posing on the balcony of their apartment in Minsk.
This home photo with the landscape of Minsk was included to the thematic exhibition at the National Archives, dedicated to Kennedy's death. The photo was in Oswald's wallet when he was shot.
And finally the most famous photo of the pair. One of the most notorious criminals in U.S. history and his wife are standing on the same Minsk balcony surrounded by flowers.
That's where they stayed half a century ago.
Materials: onliner.by
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