By Ilya Magid

DIVORCE! WHO GETS WHAT?
(Case in the Soviet Union)



INTRODUCTION
 
American and Soviet life was very different. I will make some remarks.

1. Each Soviet citizen had an internal passport where his/her nationality was marked. It was impossible to alter. The person also had in his passport special registration, where he lived. The passport was necessary to begin a new job, to go to a government office, enroll in the university and etc.

2. When a citizen was getting married that citizen, for example, a wife, could keep her last name or take the name of her husband, in her passport.

3. At the age of 16 a child had to receive, example, boy his own passport. He could choose the nationality for his passport, the nationality of his mother or his father.

4. A young specialist, after completing studies at an institute, received direction from ministry (from Moscow) where to work. If he had special registration from his passport (Leningrad, Moscow) he had a good chance to receive a job there.

5. It was known that if the court divorced a couple that lived in one apartment (they had registration in their passport) the court would give one of them a separate room in that apartment. If that was impossible, the divorced couple would continue to live together.

THE COURT

Foreword
Svetlana Moshevna and Peter Aleksandrovich Ivanov were married in Leningrad in 1966. They lived in their own separate one-bedroom apartment together with her parents and her sister. The young couple had a separate room in that apartment. They didn't have children. One year later they started to have problems with each other. Now they want to get divorce.

Consider
Peter Aleksandrovich Ivanov*, 22, a civil engineer (150 rubles a month).Peter Aleksandrovich Ivanov gave the following statement to the court: "Svetlana is a good wife, but her parents disturb our life. They interfere with us."

Svetlana Moshevna Ivanova 21, a civil engineers (120 rubles a month).Svetlana Moshevna Ivanova (maiden name Rabinovitz**) gave the following statement to the Court: "He didn't love me. He married me because he wanted to receive a home in Leningrad and registration of his passport there. Otherwise, after completing his studies at the institute, he would have been directed to a job in another town. My parents didn't disturb us. They fed us and helped us with money".

Conclusion of the Court
1. They didn't have children.
2. They didn't have property.
3. They didn't have savings accounts.

Decision of the Court
1. Peter Aleksandrovich Ivanov and Svetlana Moshevna Ivanova (Rabinovitz) are divorced.
2. Peter Aleksandrovich Ivanov is assigned to a separate room in that (same) apartment.


.
MY REMARKS AFTER COURT

Svetlana Moshevna Ivanova (Rabinovich) was married to Peter Aleksandrovich Ivanov, because she wanted her children to receive a mark in their passport "Russian", as the nationality of their father.
Peter Aleksandrovich Ivanov wanted to receive registration in his passport that he lived in Leningrad so that he would not be sent for a job in other places. He also could receive a place for his bed in their apartment

______________________
*Ivanov is a typical Russian last name.
**Rabinovitz is Jewish last name

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