“My father, Sergei Fiedotovich “Siroya” (Isador) Lub is born near Pinsk, near the Ukrainian border. He was 5 years old at the brink of WWI when the men in his family were all drafted, and the remaining family fled to Siberia. A family of 19, only he and his mother Tekla survived, and returned to their unrecognizable family farm and rebuilt a modest home.
Our family name “Lub”, is the root of “lubov” (meaning love or lover in Russian).”
— 1909
“With WWII approaching, Sergei fled to Argentina. He had plans to work hard and bring his mother and brother to safety, but he also had to use his entire savings to buy a first class ticket. This expense was necessary because the immigrant quotas were full, however there were no visa requirements for the elite that could afford the more expensive passage. ”
— 1938
“My mother, Alexandra “Szura” Pronko was born in the small village of Domasze, near Baranovichi, Belarus to Nikodem Pronko & Justina Szezrba Pronko. My mother was one of thirteen children, only five of whom made it to adulthood.”
— May 12, 1926
“At the age of 12, my mother and her siblings sensed it was time to move out of the path of a potential new war. My uncles sold their family farm and decided to move to South America, via Poland, in what appears to have been the last ship with emigrants to leave the harbor before the German invasion.”
— 1938
“ Alejandra Szura Pronko and Sergei “Siroya” Isador Lub were married on February 2, 1943. My Dad was 33 and my Mom was 16.”
— February 2, 1943
“After WWII, my father dedicated himself to organizing his community of fellow immigrants in Argentina to send clothing, shoes, and medical supplies to war survivors through the Red Cross. Four ships were dispatched, and although the destinations could not be certain, later we confirmed that three of them aided Russian people who had suffered the loss of 24 million loved ones in the war. My mother, along with other women, volunteered to listen to shortwave broadcasts, matching names of families in displaced persons camps in Europe with those in Argentina.”
— 1945
“My older sister, Rosa Justina Lub, was born.”
— October 6, 1947
“On what was said to be one of the hottest days on record, I was born, a 10lb healthy baby. The hospital kept us for a week, as my mom had a surplus of milk, which she selflessly used to feed other babies in need. At home, word spread, leading to months of Mom’s generous donation of excess milk to mothers struggling to feed their infants in the neighborhood.”
— Feb 4, 1953
“ My parents gifted me rubber molds to make plaster casting. Dad taught me to add hooks, and my sister showed me how to paint with tempera and later varnish. Despite being made by a 6-year-old, they looked quite professional. I sold them door-to-door in our neighborhood, often selling out. I am still unsure if my sales were because people really liked my work, or they were more amused by me. In either case, it was encouraging, and fueled my entrepreneurial spirit, which only grew from there.”
— 1959
“While climbing a tree, I slipped, severely breaking my arm. My mom, shocked, quickly sought help from a neighbor with a truck. Within minutes, I was wrapped in a towel and en route to the hospital. The skilled surgeon on duty worked to save and restore movement to my arm. He was successful and after 2 months my cast was removed and I met my new left elbow.
Unknown at the time, this accident turned out to be a blessing, likely saving my life by preventing military conscription during a civil war.”
— 1960
“I excelled in primary school and, like Rosa, was awarded the honor of holding the flag during school assemblies — a role somewhat equivalent to that of a valedictorian.
On the weekends I worked with my dad to build a second house in the back, intended for Rosa and her future husband. However, when she called off the engagement, it transformed into our workshop where I could freely experiment with resins and other materials.
I was accepted into the best high school in Bs. As – Nacional Bartolome Mitre. A boys only school, where 80% of the students were Jewish, some affluent with chauffeur services. I woke up 90 minutes earlier, walked to the train station, took the train downtown, then the Subte and walked to school. I utilized my lengthy commute to focus on my studies, and I excelled academically. Two of my dearest friends Elias Saal, and Horacio Mica, are from this period.
My art teacher, Professor Luke, recognized my talent and sent a letter home to my parents. My sister, Rosa, came in their place, and spoke with him privately, leading to another letter. We left early that day, taking a taxi to the esteemed Colegio Nacional de Bellas Artes Manuel Belgrano, one of the best art schools in South America. Luke’s strong recommendation allowed me to enroll conditionally, pending high school graduation.
This marked a dichotomous period in my life. In the mornings, I attended a very conservative school, dressed in a tie and jacket, where interactions with girls were rare. In the afternoons, I was in live nude drawing classes where the models, often beautiful dancers, adopted provocative poses aimed straight at me just to see me blush. – I was 15 years old and I could not share those experiences with my high school peers, as the wouldn’t believe me. I was literally living in 2 different worlds. Simultaneously, I started a DJ business with Elias’s younger brother Coque Saal. Makaos, a local discotheque, hired me as their weekend DJ, exposing me to yet another reality. However, the lifestyle’s challenges, including cigarettes and alcohol, led me to quit the discotheque scene after a couple of years, shifting my focus to jewelry making.”
