Readers recall the exact date when the magazine Behind the Wheel first appeared, February 23, 1928. They also know that the magazine paused during the war and did not resume publication until 1956. Few realize that pre-war and post-war Driving are, in fact, two distinct publications, a distinction tied to the name Mark Grigoryevich Tilevich (Girshevich). He could have turned a hundred this year. He lived ninety-five years, and more than half of those years were devoted to Behind the Wheel.
Prisoner 73025
He lived almost a century. In 1941, a 19-year-old Jewish deputy political officer of an artillery unit was imprisoned at the Witzendorf camp in Lower Saxony, sent to a lumber mill, and subjected to failed escape attempts and harsher work regimes. He escaped again after nearly two years, was captured, and ended up in Sachsenhausen. At the gates there hung the ironic inscription Work Sets You Free. Liberation from this camp was possible only through death. About 100,000 people fell victim there. In the early months of the war, Nazis executed 18,000 Soviet POWs in Sachsenhausen, and the machine of death only grew louder over time.
win!
Mark Grigoryevich Tilevich, then a member of the underground organization of Soviet prisoners of war, was released on May 2, 1945 near Krivitsa. The Nazis forced a convoy of prisoners to the Baltic Sea, where they were loaded onto barges and drowned near the Lübeck region, hiding their crimes. This operation was known as Death March.
After the war, the former prisoner 73025 served for another year in the group of Soviet troops in Germany, until October 1946. He rode a captured motorcycle for the first time, and this marked the spark of a hobby that grew into a career and a lifelong vocation.
At the helm of Behind the Wheel
In 1951, Mark Grigoryevich completed studies at the editing and publishing department of the Moscow Polygraphic Institute. By 1955 he led the magazine Building Materials, and in 1959 he joined Za Rulem, where he remained for the rest of his career. He served for many years as editor-in-chief, and later as a consultant. This was more than ceremonial; journalists learned from him until his last days.
The vintage cars featured in Behind the Wheel bear witness to Mark Grigorievich Tilevich’s influence. He reshaped the magazine, introduced coverage of privately owned cars, and expanded the publication’s scope. He authored memorable headlines that endure, and his editorial voice softened the magazine’s once stern style. He launched the famous Race of the Stars for the magazine’s awards and built a team of reporters who helped shape car culture across the vast Soviet Union. At that time, there were few other Soviet car publications of note.
We left his Moskvich
Many adults recall spending long hours with Behind the Wheel files, a staple for any self-respecting motorist. They remember the signature M. Tilevich among the magazine’s most intriguing articles, notes, and columns.
The story began when the Moskvich-401 editors from the Zarulevites of the Ministry of Defense persuaded Mark Grigoryevich to return. A seasoned motorcyclist then, he learned to drive and kept the Moskvich in top condition, supporting it for years despite the 401st’s age. It’s hard to imagine him being labeled anything other than a perfectionist, though he would likely smile at such a tag.
The hope remains alive that the Moskvich brand will be revived. Its collapse in the 1990s was a blow he felt deeply.
little big man
There was never a more thoughtful and compassionate editor in chief—one who could always be approached for advice or help. He preferred to be called by his full name, Mark Grigorievich, though Mark was used on occasion, always with warmth. He may have appeared small in stature, but the influence he wielded far exceeded his size. His portrait still watches over the conference room, alongside the gallery of Zarulevites.
Mark Grigoryevich once said, I have been very lucky twice in my life. The first time was surviving a German concentration camp as a Soviet Jew after two failed escapes. The second was ending up on the editorial board of Behind the Wheel. We are fortunate to have him with us.
MG Tilevich held roles as Vice President of the International Committee of Former Prisoners of Sachsenhausen, a member of the Brandenburg Memorials International Foundation, a trustee of the Russian Mutual Understanding and Reconciliation Foundation, and Vice President of the Interregional Public Organization for Disabled Persons who were prisoners of Nazi concentration camps. He was honored as a Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation. In 1965 he received the Order of the Red Star, followed by the Order of the Patriotic War, I degree, in 1985.
He initiated the opening of a monument to Soviet prisoners of war at the Sachsenhausen memorial complex in 2000. The regional charity foundation In Memory of Prisoners of Concentration Camps named after Mark Tilevich remains active in Moscow.
If you are interested in the biography of this remarkable person, here is a detailed article about him.
We thank jewishheroes.live for assistance in preparing this publication.
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