Six countries today, two empires then
Places
The family travelled two thousand kilometres overland and another twelve thousand by sea. The names of these places changed almost as much as the surname. They are grouped by the stage of the journey they belong to.
- — — by sea
- · · · overland
until 1846
The Baltic
- LudzaA town in the east of present-day Latvia, then part of the Russian Empire. The family lived there until 1846, when David Zmud moved south. Falk Zhmood · David Zmud · Koppel Zhmood
- VitebskThe Russian Empire province to which Ludza belonged. Its territory is now divided between Belarus and Latvia.
- ŽemaitijaThe region of western Lithuania from which the surname comes. The Slavic languages called it Żmudź, hence Zmud: “the one from Samogitia”. Leizer Zhmuydya
1846 – 1890
The colonies
- AleksandrovskDistrict of Ekaterinoslav province to which the colony of Novy Zlatopol belonged when the 1858 census was taken.
- AndreyevkaA locality in what was then Taurida province, in the south of present-day Ukraine. Khana Reizel died there in 1885, David in 1880 and their son Koppel around 1900. Khana Reizel · David Zmud · Koppel Zhmood
- EkaterinoslavThe Russian Empire province where the Jewish agricultural colonies in which the family settled were located. Its territory is now in Ukraine.
- Novy ZlatopolA Jewish agricultural colony in Ekaterinoslav province where the family settled around 1850. It is the source of the oldest document we have: the 1858 census. David Zmud · Aba Senderov Zmudya · Koppel Zhmood
1890 – 1904
The Sea of Azov
- BerdyanskA port on the Sea of Azov with an active Jewish community. Felix and Malke married there around 1896, the family lived there, and Alejandro and Aida were born there. Malke Noel · Felix Smud · Aida Smud · Alejandro Smud
- MariupolA port city on the Sea of Azov. In its synagogue's register for 1899 the birth of Meyer —Marcos— Smud was recorded. Marcos Smud
- NogayskA coastal town on the Sea of Azov, now Prymorsk. Falk, Koppel's brother and Felix's uncle, became a merchant there and died in 1904. Falk Zhmood, the Nogaysk merchant
August to December 1904
The crossing
1904 – 1915
Buenos Aires
from 1915
Entre Ríos
- ArangurenA town in Nogoyá department, Entre Ríos. Marcos worked there in the Jozami brothers' general store and lived between Aranguren and Ramírez. Marcos Smud
- MaciáA town in Rosario Tala department, Entre Ríos. Alejandro worked there in Elías Loyber's general store and later opened his own business, opposite the railway station. Aida Smud · Alejandro Smud
- ParanáCapital of Entre Ríos. Marcos Smud is buried there, and his gravestone —which names him Meir, son of Folke— is the piece that joined the two halves of this story. Marcos Smud