Three original prints by Rozanna Antonova, a Schoke JFS Holocaust Survivor Anachnu participant.

Here is Rozanna's story:

Rozanna Antonova was born in September of 1941 in Stavropol where her mother came from Moscow to give birth. In 1942, the Nazis occupied the city, and only a miracle helped Rozanna's mom to leave Stavropol and get to Kazakhstan where the family lived until returning to Moscow in 1943.

Since she was 4 years old Rozanna was interested in mosaics, creating her first works from broken glass. In school, her hobby was to copy pictures from books, she especially liked historic costumes. Rozanna didn't receive any formal art education, but by visiting the exhibitions and studying the masters works she self-educated herself.

After school, she started to work at a shoe factory as a fashion designer assistant where she soon she became a fashion designer at the same time getting a degree in creating leather footwear. She was young and relatively famous: the soviet radio had a program about her, there was a newspaper article about her works and there was even the story about Rozanna on the local television station.

After working 10 years in the shoe factory, Rozanna went to the Center Shoe Fashion House where she worked almost 20 years. She then worked in the central design bureau of light industry where she created her personal shoe models.

In 1993, Rozanna, with her family moved to America. They first lived in New York, then moved to Connecticut where, at the age of 68, she started to take pictures for the first time, gradually improving her mastery. Her works have been on display in Pomperaug Woods, a senior living community in Southbury and UConn, Stamford.

Rozanna lives with her husband Yuriy who is her constant supporter in everything she does!