VADIM BELOTSERKOVSKY
59
History has often borne witness to the fact that in trying and
critical times for an opposition movement, people arise in its ranks
who , sometimes out of the best intentions, call their comrades
to
retreat,
to
opportunism', and even
to
the liquidation of the entire
movement. The momentum of such an attitude, however, usually
carries them so far that they find themselves in the camp of their former
adversaries and become, in fact, their most welcome guests.
Translated from the Russian by Lily Feiler
EDITORS ' NOTE: A Russian ext/e, now living in Europe, Vadim Belotser–
kovsky has been a journalist on a number of newspapers and magazines,
including
Izvestia
and
Literaturnaya Gazetta.
Mr. Belotserkovsky was gradu–
atedfrom Moscow University in
1952
and with much difficulty, because of
anti-semitism, found a job teaching physics and chemistry at an evening
school for working people. Five years later, he clashed with the administra–
tion, lost his job and turned to work as a journalist. His first novel, IN A
MAILCAR, was published in the Soviet Union in
1964
and provoked an
investigation ofits author by the government. In
1968,
his second book was
banned, andhe wasfiredfrom the staff
ojLiteraturnaya Gazetta.
For the next
few years, he took an active part in the democratic movement, participating in
severaldemonstrations, among them a hunger-strike in the reception room of
the Central Committee of the CPSu. In November of
1972,
he left Russia
with the wave ofJewish emigrants.
