after graduating from the institute of the tatar language and literature in 1938, enver galim worked as a school teacher and a journalist. he was drafted into the soviet army in 1941 and sent to the front to fight against nazi germany. a year later he was severely wounded and captured by german soldiers. after spending a few months in the pow camp enver galim was released. fearing repression in stalinist russia, he decided to stay in germany. to avoid deportation, he applied for turkish citizenship and after receiving it, changed his name to enver galimoglu.