▁their ▁home ▁and ▁lived ▁briefly ▁in ▁the ▁poly cl in ic ▁where ▁his ▁mother ▁worked , ▁then ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁D eden ie vo ▁settlement , ▁some ▁ 3 0 ▁miles ▁north ▁of ▁Moscow , ▁where ▁his ▁mother ▁worked ▁in ▁a ▁n urs ing ▁home . ▁K ow al ski ▁joined ▁the ▁Red ▁P ione ers ▁in ▁elementary ▁school . ▁He ▁learned ▁that ▁his ▁father ▁had ▁ ▁died ▁in ▁a ▁Si ber ian ▁camp ▁some ▁two ▁years ▁later , ▁aged ▁ 3 6 . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁when ▁Naz i ▁Germany ▁attacked ▁the ▁USS R , ▁the ▁Red ▁Army ▁retre ated ▁from ▁D eden ie vo , ▁but ▁the ▁German ▁army ▁halt ed ▁in ▁nearby ▁J ach rom a ▁( Y akh rom a ). ▁However , ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁bom bed ▁the ▁settlement , ▁killing ▁many ▁residents . ▁K ow al ski ▁surv ived ▁this ▁period ▁in ▁the ▁bas ement ▁of ▁an ▁old ▁church ▁where ▁pe as ants ▁had ▁stored ▁veget ables ▁from ▁collect ive ▁far ms . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁K ow al ski ' s ▁mother ▁became ▁a ▁nur se ▁in ▁a ▁Polish ▁or phan age ▁near ▁Moscow , ▁while ▁K ow al ski ▁re lear ned ▁Polish ▁in ▁the ▁attached ▁elementary ▁school . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁the ▁or phan age ▁moved ▁to ▁Wars aw ▁and ▁merged ▁into ▁the ▁existing ▁N asz ▁Dom ▁or phan age . ▁His ▁mother ▁worked ▁there ▁as ▁a ▁nur se