Surrounded by members of his large family, Ivan Kobzar holds the Longmeadow’s Golden Cane, celebrating him being the oldest resident in town.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
LONGMEADOW — More than a century ago, Ivan Kobzar was born in what was then the Soviet Union. Now 102 years old, he has made a life for himself and his family in the United States, calling Longmeadow his home for the past 27 years.
On July 16, the town honored him by bestowing the Golden Cane.
The Golden Cane, also known as the Boston Post Cane, has a history that dates back to 1909. The Boston Post newspaper had 700 ebony canes, topped with 14-karat gold knobs, created and presented them to the boards of selectmen in communities across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island, with the instruction that they be continually passed down to the oldest resident in each community.
In Longmeadow, the cane, inscribed with the words, “Presented by The Boston Post to the Oldest Citizen of Longmeadow, MA (To be transmitted),” had not been awarded since 2017. Town Manager Lyn Simmons was joined by Select Board members Vineeth Hemavathi, Andrew Lam and Shelly Maynard-DeWolf, and Chair Josh Levine, thanked former Select Board member Mark Gold, for leading the call to bring back the tradition. She said it was “a great honor” to celebrate Kobzar, who had “witnessed over a century of history and change.” She added, “Longmeadow is a much better place because you’re a part of it.”
State Sen. Jake Oliveira (D-Ludlow) and state Rep. Brian Ashe (D-Longmeadow) each presented citations to Kobzar. Oliveira noted that Kobzar, who is a Cossack Russian, was surrounded by friends and loved ones whose families hailed from Ukraine, Belarus and Poland. He praised Kobzar for the number of major changes he has made over the course of his life. “It is an honor to meet you,” Oliveira told him.
Council on Aging Director Jim Leydon said the department’s board had set criteria for the honor that the cane goes to the oldest resident who has lived in town for at least 10 years. He explained that the town has skilled nursing and rehabilitation communities with older residents continuously moving in and out.
Kobzar and his wife, Mariya Kobzar, moved to the United States from the Soviet Union in 1990 and settled in Springfield, before moving to the independent senior living facility, Genesis House, in Longmeadow in 2013. The father of eight, grandfather of 25, great-grandfather of 36 and now, great-great-grandfather of three, left behind a large family.
Kobzar’s grandson, Andrey Orlov, said, “He taught us a lot of things.” Kobzar’s house “was a second home” for the grandchildren, and when he and his wife moved to the United States, Orlov said, it was difficult for them. Since then, much of the family has joined Kobzar in this country.
Two years after his wife died in 2011, Kobzar met his now-wife Nellie Kobzar. Mikhail Klakotsky, one of Kobzar’s grandchildren, said, “Ivan and Nellie are like high school sweethearts.” Nellie is “the drive that’s keeping him going,” Klakotsky said.
As a young man, Kobzar became a Christian and preached at an Evangelical church. Because the Soviet Union took a hard line of religion, Kobzar was punished for his faith. His grandson, Daniel Kobzar said, “He struggled. He suffered a lot.” Kobzar was sent to a Siberian prison “because he was a Christian.” After immigrating and until 2011, Kobzar began preaching Russian-language sermons at Crosslite Church, which serves a sizable Slavic community.
At the ceremony, Kobzar spoke in Russian, with Orlov translating. The centenarian, who became an American citizen in 2012, praised his adopted country and Longmeadow, in particular. He said he was very grateful to be honored with the cane. He spoke about his accomplishments, including building electrical grids in Russia. Citing one of his ongoing accomplishments, Kobzar said that despite his age, he still does not need glasses to read.
