Former Soviet refusenik Alex Goldfarb, who emigrated to New York 12 years ago, returned to his homeland for a visit Monday, greeted by tearful friends and relatives and pledging to test Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev`s reforms. Goldfarb, an assistant professor and microbiologist at Columbia University, was met at Moscow`s Sheremeteyvo Airport by his sister, Olga, and her family. Also on hand was a delegation from the Soviet Academy of Sciences and a couple of longtime refuseniks, Vladimir Slepak, who has been waiting to emigrate for 17 years, and Alexander Lerner, who has been waiting 15 years.
”I am overwhelmed, simply overwhelmed by it all,” said Goldfarb, 40, who plans to stay eight days. ”I did not think that I would ever be back.
”I was shocked to see Slepak and Lerner at the airport. They saw me off at this very airport 12 years ago. I was allowed to get on with my life, but for them it has been 12 years wasted.”
”I hope to test glasnost (openness). I hope to see how serious these reforms are. I hope to see for myself how things are changing,” Goldfarb said.
