Oswald in Minsk

[Peter Lemkin]

I sent a copy of Harvey and Lee to ET. He sent me the following observations on the Russian portion of the book......FWIW...so either ET or A. Zeigger is not telling the truth about LHO speaking Russian!!!!! His comments also further confuse the picture as to Marina's ability to speak English...perhaps. Very strange!

Comments on deviations from the real facts I found in the book Harvey and Lee by John Armstrong. I touched only upon Oswald's Russian period of life that is familiar to me.

Armstrong: "I wanted to be sure that I understood her answer and said, "Ana, you knew
Oswald from the time he arrived in Minsk until the day he and Marina left for the
United States. You and your parents accompanied them to the train station and took
photographs (published in the Warren Volumes). During this time he never spoke any
Russian, even up to the day he left Minsk?" Ana, once again, replied, "No-not a word.
My father always interpreted for him-he was the only one in our family who spoke
English.".. ."
"An English-speaking medical student, Erich [Ernst] Titovets, first met Oswald at the Hotel Minsk and later was a regular visitor to his apartment.
Titovets: Actually, I met Oswald not at the Hotel Minsk but at the Ziggers apartments. It was in the presence of the whole family: Alexander Ziggers, his wife Signora Anna and his two daughters, Anita and Eleanora. Oswald spoke Russian and there was absolutely no need to interpret for him.

Armstrong: At the factory Oswald met another person who spoke English, Pavel Golovachev, the son of a famous Soviet Air Force General. … After Pavel and Oswald began spending a lot of time together the KGB asked him to report on Oswald's activities. He dutifully informed them of his contacts with Oswald and kept them apprised of his movements.
Titovets: Pavel Golobachev did not speak English at all. Once he confided in me that he wished he did and was sorry he did not speak the language.

Armstrong: On October 18 Lee Harvey Oswald celebrated his 21st birthday. Ella Germann,
a girl from the Horizon factory who Oswald had been dating for the past two months and
spoke very good English, attended a small birthday party at his apartment.
Titovets: Ella Germann did not speak English at all.

Armstrong: "It is clear that Marina associated with Americans, spoke English with Webster, and almost certainly spoke English with Oswald." … "Marina's ability to read, write, and speak English fluently before she left Russia is indisputable".
Titovets: Marina did not speak English at all. It would have been really surprising if she would have spoken English with Oswald and completely ignored me even when the three of us were together.
Armstrong: " When Oswald and Marina met, danced, and agreed to a date the following Friday
they spoke a common language. Was it Russian or English? The HSCA asked Marina,
"At this time you were speaking in Russian together.P" She answered, "Yes. He spoke
with an accent so I assumed he was from another state. "70 Oswald came in contact with
hundreds of people in Russia, but Marina is the only person-THE ONLY PERSON who
said that Oswald spoke Russian while in Russia
Titovets: Armstrong is right about so many people who met Oswald in Minsk. There are still many living who would have willingly testified to the fact that Oswald spoke Russian to them had John Armstrong followed Norman Mailer's example of having come to Minsk and interviewed them.
In the book Oswald: Russian Episode by Ernst Titovets one can find an illustration with Oswald's longhand in Russian on an inside cover of a book where Oswald contemplates the names for his future child. Incidentally, Oswald signed his writings.
When a date-line does not fit Armstrong's logic he dismisses it as an error and suggests his "correct" one.
To give an example:
Armstrong: "NOTE: We will soon see the date of March 17 is in error . [It is the night at the Trade Union Palace when Oswald first met Marina Prussakova. E.T.].
Titovets: The date of March 17 is correct.


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Before I sent ET my own questions regarding the above, if anyone else has any for me to pass along, speak now....