Ruth Hampel was born in Chemnitz, Germany in 1930. Devoted communists, her family moved to Leningrad to participate in the creation of a ‘workers’ paradise’. When her much-loved father disappeared during Russia’s Great Purge and her mother was falsely accused of treason, Ruth’s life fell into turmoil. Branded a traitor at the age of seven, Ruth managed to survive, despite the ongoing threats of Stalinism, war and starvation.

In her remarkable memoir, Ruth shares what it means to be a member of ‘Stalin’s lost generation’, and how finding love helped her overcome a childhood steeped in fear and sorrow.

Writers: Ruth Hampel with Romy Moshinsky

Editors: Romy Moshinsky & Georgie Raik-Allen

Designer: Trisha Garner