Lyudmila Rudenko

World Champion (1950-1953), champion of the USSR 1952.
Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.

Ludmila Vladimirovna Rudenko I met in 1964 on the women's championship CA SWD 'Work'. We were both participating. During the tournament she was 60 years old. Anniversary celebrated solemnly. Attended by all chess players, judges, organizers, came to the authorities, invited the pioneers. There were many speeches, gifts, fun, jokes, and noise - all the usual. What was unusual was his reply, the Hero of the Day, . it began with the words: 'Do not laugh, . you too will be 60 ', . then recalled the ancient eastern proverb: 'A Walk to cheer a good word in the first counter, . in fact may be - will no longer be able to see ',
. Perhaps, then, in this proverb Lyudmila expressed his credo. Anyway, good words and good deeds, she never felt sorry for her numerous friends and acquaintances.

Rudenko lived in Leningrad. The doors of her apartment were always hospitably open for chess players who come into the city on the Neva River almost all over the Soviet Union. Hostess necessarily acquainted guests with a big, beautiful library, with the latest literary and artistic innovations, make recommendations, where and what to read, what exhibitions and museums to visit. On the 'dessert' in this house have always been a chess. She played the entire family - grandmother, son, daughter and grandson. All were informed of the latest chess news. Here, as in the club, always called and visited leading Leningrad chess.

. All the more surprising to hear from the most ex-world champion, that the main event of her life she felt did not win the chess crown, and one of the episodes of wartime
. No, at the front, it was not, but during the war, she also had to withstand the test of civic courage. Here's how it was.

Before the war, and in its very early Lyudmila worked as an economist at one of the Leningrad plant. In the period surrounding the plant hastily evacuated to the Urals.
Many of the workers and employees were supposed to leave with the equipment and not even managed to pick up their kids from suburban pioneer camps and kindergartens. As a special trip back to Leningrad, the children went L. Rudenko. Accessible from the great difficulty, with many transfers, military echelons. But when she arrived - had to tackle even more complex problem: how to find 300 kids in the confusion of the military city, where to place than to feed on what to send. Well, that aides were found among the participants of Defense - former employees of the plant, and the Board of the City Council, despite the difficult times, understood, and went against. For the evacuation of children were awarded to 12 cars and one more - the food. On each car children - all of 3-4 adults - typically, mothers with infants, grandmothers. Chief of the commemorative train was Rudenko.

We had to get half the country's most difficult autumn forty-one. We drove for about a month. It is impossible to, . much needed toughness, . determination, . will and, . sure, . soul, . that all this time to feed, . treat, . comfort, . cheer up young passengers, . On the other hand - require, . convince, . beg, . beg the green light for its composition: Lyudmila proud, . able to take that all the living.,

. After becoming acquainted with this history to understand why Rudenko often repeated simple words: 'The main thing - children'
.

How quickly time flies. That's me for 60. And I thank fate for a meeting with unusually good, remarkably interesting, unforgettable Lyudmila Vladimirovna Rudenko.