Woman of strength: a journey from Uzbekistan to Australia
- Stephanie Bastiaan
- Oct 10, 2020
- 3 min read
As an Uzbek, Jewish immigrant, Veronica Zeltzer isn’t just a survivor. She’s a thriver and a classic example of an Australian success story.
Born in 1962, Veronica grew up in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, under the strict rule of the Soviet Union.
Life under the USSR was tough.
Access to basic necessities such as food, clothing and hygiene products was limited. A decline in agricultural production plagued the Soviet Union, and the distribution of quality food was restricted to bureaucrats and wealthy manufacturers leaving limited supplies for everyone else.
“Food was expensive. We lived off things like canned fish, and occasionally we would be able to get chicken or meat bones to make broth,” Veronica said.
A German teacher at a private school in Tashkent, Veronica’s mother, Inda Borisov, used her strong networking and communication skills to help the family secure necessities. Veronica’s father, Anatoli, was half Russian and half Jewish which mean their Russian surname disguised their Jewish roots.
“Jews were considered distrustful people. Being Jewish meant you were less likely allowed to study at university, and it would limit your ability to get a job,” Veronica said.
“My mother was a great communicator and networker. Connections were everything. Everything could be bought for a price. It was just about who you know.”
These connections helped Veronica secure a job and even purchase an apartment which was extremely rare given the Soviet Union controlled around 80% of all property.
“To get it, it was very hard. There were only a small number of properties built which could be purchased. Once again, you needed connections. Everything was built on bribes,” Veronica said.
Two years later, she married her husband Vadim and shortly after they had their daughter Anna.
“Anna was an amazing baby. She fed and slept well. It was such a lovely period of time,” Veronica said.
Supplies were short to the point where not even networking could provide essentials.
“During the winter, there were no baby clothes for Anna. I had to keep her in blankets all the time.”.
The situation in Uzbekistan was starting to change. Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev was leading a series of reforms in the Communist Party known as Perestroika. These reforms increased the liberties of citizens living in Soviet Republics but also provoked civil unrest.
“Economically it had become very unstable. There was also a lot of conflicts, and it became very unsafe,” Veronica said.
When the borders of Uzbekistan opened in 1991, Veronica seized the opportunity to escape to Israel with her family.
“We didn’t know how long the window would stay open. In the 1970s, there was only a small period of time Jews were allowed to leave the country.”
The process was not simple.
“You could only leave with an invitation from Israel. It was very superficial, but we were able to secure one. Then we had to get rid of all our property. We could only leave with one suitcase and $130 per person,” said Veronica.
Once everything was sold, the process to get documentation began.
“We had to queue up at 2 am to get the form, then queue up again to get it approved. If there were something wrong, we would have to go away and fix it then queue up all over again."
Eventually, they were free to leave.
Life didn't get any easier in Israel. Vadim was killed in a cycling accident, leaving a pregnant Veronica to find housing and provide for her family while also learning a new language, Hebrew.
“I was absolutely devastated,” said Veronica.
“There is a Jewish practice called Shiva. When someone dies, close family sit and mourn for seven days. Of course, you don’t forget, but this philosophy helps you get on with life."
Five years later, a school friend from Uzbekistan who had immigrated to Melbourne Australia invited Veronica to come and visit. Veronica accepted and travelled over with Anna.
“I loved Melbourne. IT was booming, and property prices were so low. However, I would only move if Anna was happy to,” Veronica said.
She was 35 and a single mother of two with no knowledge of the English language, but Veronica packed up her life in Isreal to migrate to Australia. Within 12 months, she had learned enough English to restart her career in IT, buy a house and raise her children.
Sitting peacefully in the leafy gardens of her heritage apartment block in St Kilda, 21 years later, she reflects on life's challenges.
“What’s the point of being a victim? I enjoy surviving. Look at where I live…and my family is here.”
Perspective is everything.
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