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Naum Kholmyansky approached every task with pride and an unshakable work ethic. He was raised in Vitebsk, Belarus, alongside his parents, Genya and Girsha, his sister Cilya, and brothers Elizar, Zinoviy, Roman, and Zahar. Born in 1908, Naum was among the youngest in the household. Times were hard for the Kholmyansky family. Girsha, who initially worked as a messenger, found employment in a grain mill after the Russian Revolution, while Genya stayed home to care for their six children.

Girsha’s health was poor, and though the eldest sons would normally have carried more of the financial load, at least one was serving in the Red Army by the early 1920s. That left Naum to fill the gap. In 1920, at only twelve years old, he became a courier for the Orlovsk–Vitebsk Railroad. The restored photograph shown here comes from his original railroad-issued courier identification.

As in every role he would hold throughout his life, Naum quickly proved himself indispensable. His energy and drive earned him a promotion to clerk in one of the railroad’s district offices. But in late 1922, staff reductions hit, and young, single workers like Naum were likely the first to be dismissed so that those with families could keep their jobs. In the end, the setback worked in his favor—freed from his position, he returned to school, opening the door to a far more adventurous career ahead.