Zvi Milstein (also known as Zwy Milshtein)

Early Life and Family

Zvi (Grigory Isaakovich) Milstein was born on June 25, 1934, in Chisinau, Bessarabia (now Moldova), to a family of accountants. His father, Isaac Abramovich Milstein (1890-1942), was the director of the Orhei Savings and Loan Partnership and later the manager of the Chisinau Cooperative Bank. He was also a Regional Director of the Joint in Bessarabia and Commissioner for Balkan Countries.

Arrest and Imprisonment of Father

After the annexation of Bessarabia to the USSR on July 9, 1940, Zvi's father was arrested, sentenced to eight years in prison on November 2, 1940, and died on April 13, 1942, in Ivdellag.

Evacuation and Education

In 1941-1945, Zvi and his family were evacuated due to the war. They first went to Zhdanovsk and then to Tbilisi, where he studied at a Pioneers Palace from 1943 to 1944. His cousin's husband, Akaki Mgeladze, was the first secretary of the regional committee of the CP(b) of the Abkhaz ASSR.

Later Life

After completing his education in Tbilisi, Zvi moved to Bucharest with the painter George Ștefănescu. He later fled Europe prior to the Nazi invasion and settled in France, where he became a French artist, engraver, and writer, as well as a playwright.

Death

Zvy Milshtein passed away on January 29, 2020, in Paris.

Note: The birthdate mentioned in Source 4 (December 17, 1892) is likely an error, as it contradicts the information provided in other sources that Zvi was born in 1934.