[1]
Vitold ABANKIN (CCE 51.9-1) tried to get a job in the Elektro-instrument factory. After Abankin told them, however, that he had just served a 12-year sentence he was refused employment.
Afterwards, Kozlitin, head of the district internal affairs office, had a talk with him. He threatened Abankin and ordered him “not to express his views”.
Abankin finally found work as a loader, at a wage of 120 roubles a month.
*
In autumn 1978 Abankin sent a letter to Alexei Safronov in camp.
The envelope contained only a photograph with an inscription and a stereo postcard. It transpired that Safronov had not been given the letter. Procurator Goldyrev replied to Abankin’s complaint:
“When the matter was checked up on, it was established that Safronov was given the stereo postcard. The letter and photograph were confiscated due to obscure phrases in the text.”
*
A stranger named Konstantin often visits Abankin.
‘Konstantin’ tried to persuade Abankin to take part in the hijacking of an aeroplane, telling him that the preparations were almost complete and that there would be no need to use weapons. Abankin refused each time.
Finally, on 10 December 1978, he wrote to the KGB administration. A little later, receiving no reply, he sent similar statements to Brezhnev, Andropov and Rudenko. Konstantin’s visits stopped.
***
[2]
During summer 1978 Ivan KANDYBA (CCE 51.12) worked as a mechanic repairing sewing machines.
Since 1 November he has once again been employed as a stoker in a school boiler house. In the autumn Kandyba finally received an invitation to visit from his cousin in the USA. On 18 November 1978 he was summoned to Lvov for a ‘chat’ with Rudenko, the deputy Regional Procurator with responsibility for the KGB.
The Procurator and two KGB officials who were present gave Kandyba to understand that they were displeased by the fact that he had received an invitation.
*
[3]
On 31 January 1978 the surveillance (CCE 51.12) of Nina STROKATOVA [Ukr. Strokata] was again extended for six months.
On 6 February Strokata was granted a three-day visit to her imprisoned husband Svyatoslav Karavansky (CCE 13.7).
On 13 February 1978 Strokata was informed that a report had been filed against her: on 31 January, it claimed, she had refused to let some policemen into her home who had come to check things; she had sworn at them, allegedly, and generally been in a drunken state. In fact, no one had come to see her on 31 January.
On 1 February 1978 Strokata was summoned to the police station as though for an interview. When she arrived it turned out that she had been summoned to an administrative court, which examined her ‘violation’ and imposed a 10-rouble fine.
***
[4]
On 16 June 1977 Victor Mikhailovich GONCHAROV (CCE 41 & CCE 43) was released in the town of Novoukrainka, Kirovograd Region (central Ukraine).
He had served his sentence in Volnyansk, a town in the Zaporozhzhia Region (south-central Ukraine). Goncharov spent the last three months before his release in the punishment cells because he had written out the Lord’s Prayer in Russian and English for one of the prisoners.
Friends had offered Goncharov work in Odessa, promising to help him get a residence permit.
In 1977 he came to Odessa twice and was twice detained by the police. On both occasions he was searched and allowed to go within 24 hours. On the second occasion it was explained to him that he was “persona non grata in Odessa”.
*
In August 1978 Goncharov came to Odessa for the third time. This time he was taken away after he had visited Vyacheslav Igrunov (CCE 40).
At the police station he was beaten up. Then some KGB officials arrived and confiscated Father Dmitry Dudko’s book Conversations from him. They interrogated him as to where he had obtained such a book and made him sign an undertaking that he would not come to Odessa again.
On 18 December 1978 Goncharov was detained near his home.
At the police station they confiscated The First Circle, a photograph of Solzhenitsyn, and Father Dudko’s book About Our Hope. Major Samofalov, the KGB chief who was present, proposed to the investigator that he bring charges against Goncharov under Article 187-1 (Ukrainian Criminal Code = Article 190-1, RSFSR Code). Goncharov had to undertake not to leave the town.
Two days later Major Samofalov had a chat with Goncharov. He proposed that Goncharov publicly renounce his views, promising in exchange to help him gain admission to an institute. He warned Goncharov not to go to Moscow or Odessa, or “Things will get worse”.
After this, Goncharov had an interview at the procurator’s office. The procurator immediately annulled as illegal the undertaking not to leave the town.
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