▁war ▁commun ism ▁as ▁a ▁tra uma : ▁" the ir ▁entire ▁property ▁taken ▁away , ▁[ R oman ians ▁in ▁Trans n ist ria ] ▁were ▁left ▁n aked , ▁dow nt rod den , ▁worse ▁off ▁than ▁during ▁sla very ". ▁He ▁escaped ▁Soviet ▁Ukraine ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁December ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁and ▁crossed ▁the ▁D ni ester ▁into ▁Gre ater ▁Roman ia , ▁sett ling ▁in ▁the ▁former ▁Mold av ian ▁capital ▁of ▁I a și . ▁According ▁to ▁Sm och in ă , ▁his ▁relatives ▁were ▁exposed ▁to ▁violent ▁B ols he vik ▁repr is als : ▁his ▁father ▁and ▁his ▁female ▁cousin ▁were ▁shot , ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁were ▁deport ed ▁to ▁Si ber ia . ▁His ▁wife ▁Ag af ia ▁escaped ▁with ▁him , ▁but ▁Alexand ru ▁was ▁left ▁behind . ▁He ▁joined ▁them ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 , ▁when ▁a ▁cou rier ▁commission ed ▁by ▁the ▁father ▁took ▁him ▁over ▁to ▁I a și . ▁In ▁Roman ia , ▁the ▁couple ▁had ▁another ▁daughter , ▁bapt ized ▁Claud ia . ▁ ▁While ▁in ▁I a și , ▁Sm och in ă ▁met ▁with ▁jur ist ▁Io an ▁Te od ores cu , ▁who ▁helped ▁him ▁en roll ▁at ▁the ▁I a și ▁University ▁Department ▁of ▁Philosoph y ▁and ▁Law . ▁He ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 , ▁having ▁by ▁then ▁also ▁studied ▁Psych ology ▁with ▁Constantin ▁F ede le ș . ▁Sm och in ă ▁joined ▁up ▁with