Word: riga
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During the trip, we always worked in pairs. Melissa Milgram '88 and I visited families together in the first two cities on our itinerary, Moscow and Riga. We did not have any plans that first night to meet refuseniks until 7:30 p.m. and spent the day on a tour of Moscow and at the Pushkin Museum...
...arrived in Riga, the capital of Latvia. The official guide at the hotel informed us that "lunch was at two, excursion at three, and dinner at six." By 7 p.m. we were out to meet another family. Melissa and I linked arms, as much to appear inconspicuous as for reassurance and security, and walked down Lenina Street looking for our first family...
...Olga have been waiting for visas for about six years. In these six years, they have become the leaders of Jewish activity in Riga. They hold seminars on historical, cultural and religious topics attended by about 20 to 25 people. The whole group consists of about 100 people. Olga told us that in November their home was searched for about 10 hours, and many important books and religious articles confiscated...
...conversation turned to politics, President Reagan, Central America, the arms race and Israel. Although we conversed freely on all these issues, when we asked for details about other refuseniks in Riga, prisoners in labor camps, and recent arrests Lev's voice fell to a low whisper and he removed a "magic slate" from the wall. He wrote what he could not speak onto the board and then erased the words. He gave me the names of people in Riga who wanted invitations from Israel and the names of refuseniks who wanted visitors. My discomfort and surprise at watching adult...
After almost two days in Riga, a managably small city, Leningrad struck us as sprawling, huge, and complex. We switched teams in Leningrad; by 2 p.m. Rebecca Sheridan and I set off. Three hours later we were sitting with Misha Borlov and his family. Borlov's name has been changed. He is a scientist who was expelled from his job after applying for a visa in 1980. A few years later, officials voted to strip him of his Doctor of Science degree because of his "anti-political activity." Similarly, his wife, a chemist, is now unemployed. His daughter Marina...