In a society where accessibility was nearly nonexistent, life for families with disabled members in the Soviet Union was a relentless struggle. Here’s a powerful fragment from an interview with Yura Astakhov (Boston, USA) conducted by Gregory Antimony in our studio. Yura is the son of Yuri Georgievich Astakhov, one of the founders of the Soviet Union of Disabled People. His father, a first-group disabled person, sustained a spinal injury and bone tuberculosis during the bombing of Moscow in 1941 at the age of three, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
“Life was very difficult because any movement for my father was a problem. To get up from the floor to the chair, he had to jump. It was such physical labor. But this burden was just as heavy for my mom and for me. So many disabled people, who lived on the second floor, didn’t go outside for years.
“When I got older, I just carried them on my back. I remember when someone gave my father and me tickets to the Kremlin Palace of Congresses. We tried to park the car, but it was forbidden near the Kremlin. I carried my father on my back for one and a half kilometers to get to the Kremlin.”
This story highlights the incredible resilience and dedication of families who faced overwhelming challenges in a society unequipped to support their needs. It also sheds light on the determination of individuals like Yuri Georgievich Astakhov, who not only endured but became advocates for change in an unforgiving system.
How do you think societies today can learn from these stories to improve accessibility and support for disabled individuals? Share your thoughts below.
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