Soviet Union: Information on whether persons employed in space research were required to sign a document acknowledging a prohibition from having relatives outside the USSR and the penalties applied for concealing the existence of such relatives
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SUN13199 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Soviet Union: Information on whether persons employed in space research were required to sign a document acknowledging a prohibition from having relatives outside the USSR and the penalties applied for concealing the existence of such relatives, 1 February 1993, SUN13199, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac1598.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
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.
References
Director of Russian Research Centre, Harvard University. 24 February 1993. Telephone Interview.
Professor Specializing in Soviet History, Yale University. 23 February 1993. Telephone Interview.
