Mr. President. last August. while I was in the Soviet Union as a member of a congressional delegation. I learned from a group of Moscows Soviet Jews who had been refused exit visas. that one of their friends. Igor Guberman. a poet. and Jewish activist. had been arrested on charges of dealing with stolen icons. Guberman had been an editor of the underground journal Jews in the U.S.S.R.. a nonpolitical. cultural magazine. He was also a wellknown expert in medieval Russian art and icons. He collected icons in his fiat in Moscow. More than 3 years before his arrest. he stopped purchasing icons so that he would not be charged with "illegal dealings." In December 1978. he applied for an exit visa with his family. In April 1979. he was asked by the KGB to cooperate in their monitoring activities. He was asked to follow the activities of emigrating Soviet Jews and to denounce Jewish activists and activities. including the magazine he worked for. He refused to cooperate. He was asked again.
Keywords matched
visas visa emigrating