GAOO STATE ARCHIVES (ODESSA REGION): JEWS IN THE REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT

GAOO  STATE ARCHIVES (ODESSA REGION):

JEWS IN THE REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT--

LEON TROTSKY

(Jews of Odessa & Southern Ukraine—LG Belousov)

From the distance of time, I found this personal view of Leyba David Bronshyten/Bronstein, aka Leon Trotsky, both interesting and amusing. It is interesting to note that this man, who became a world-known figure in history, was, in his youth, ruled by a domineering Jewish mother!

Fond. R-1928, op.1, 17)

On December 12,  1898, Aneta Bronstein petitioned the court to prevent the marriage of her son, Leyba David Bronstein (21), to Alexandra Sokolovsky (28), an older woman. She claimed that: Alexandra, Leyb’s intended, was too old, the Sokolovsky family was having a negative and dangerous influence on him, the Sokolovskys were looking for financial gain from the marriage.

Below is an excerpt of the case, roughly translated.

“Petition farmer's wife Aneta Bronstein Prosecutor Odessa judicial
Chamber of preventing his marriage to A.Sokolovskov (l.32)

Arriving in Odessa for a meeting with her son, Leib Bronstein, now contained in Odessa Castle prison, accidentally learned that he addressed to Your Excellency petition for permission to marry a virgin Alexandra Sokolovsky also contained castle in Odessa prison for the same crime. Consider it my duty to report to Your Excellency, that with the same request, he, my son. was addressed to Mr. gendarme colonel
in the mountains. Nikolaev, and I my husband found out about it, but now protested, noting Mr. Gendarme colonel of the fact that, due to the huge difference in age (19-20 pet him, and she was 28 years old) and
other reasons, this marriage should not be considered desirable and even fatal for him

.
Reporting all this to Your Excellency, I think it necessary to point out the fact that the family Sokolovsky - 4 are under arrest and that, in all probability, familiarity son of this family had a consequence, his current position, as a result, obviously, nvpravleniya evil inclinations and the family, and therefore marriage with a special can finally
destroy him. I can not at the same time and did not add the fact that the parents are poor people Sokolovskaya
and that this marriage is intended rather to ensure that this way to make my husband and me to spend money on them.
Woad of the foregoing, I respectfully petition before your Prevoskho-ditelyggeom my son, Leiba Bronstein, permission to marry than to give.
At the same time adds that  I absolutely refuse to give my son a means to life.”