Dokument #1193559
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
Documentation specific to this topic is not
currently available to the DIRB. Oral sources, however, provided
related information.
The director of the Russian Research Centre
at Harvard University indicated that, although he did not know
specifically whether persons employed in space research had to sign
a document attesting that they did not have relatives outside of
the Soviet Union, generally authorities verified that persons who
were to be employed in work of a military nature, including
research, did not have relatives outside of the Soviet Union (23
Feb. 1993).
According to a professor specializing in
Soviet history at Yale University, persons in the Soviet Union who
were employed in any activity that was even remotely related to the
military were not supposed to have relatives outside of the country
and were prohibited from meeting foreigners (24 Feb. 1993). It is
probable that this would be the case with persons employed in space
research (Ibid.). He indicated further that the application
of this policy was often taken to "absurd lengths" (Ibid.).
In reference to the question of possible penalties, the source
stated that a person who had violated the policy would have lost
his/her job. Depending on the importance of the person's work and
the nature of his/her contact with foreigners or relatives residing
abroad, it is also conceivable that KGB would have had a
"conversation" with the him/her which may have led to more serious
repercussions (Ibid.).
Additional and/or corroborating information
on this topic is not currently available to the DIRB.
Director of Russian Research Centre,
Harvard University. 24 February 1993. Telephone Interview.
Professor Specializing in Soviet
History, Yale University. 23 February 1993. Telephone
Interview.