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Friday, January 25, 1985
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
With only the
clothes on his back,
Russian Jewish violinist
Anatoly Sheyniuk defects
for freedom in the U.S.
BY HEIDI PRESS
Unlike the Robin Williams char-
acter in the film Moscow on the Hud-
son, Anatoly Sheyniuk did not decide
to defect from his native Russia in
Bloomingdale's , clutching a pair of de-
signer jeans.
Rather, he chose to make his dec-
laration in Paris while on a tour with
the Virtuosi of Moscow. A violinist
with the orchestra, Sheyniuk made his
decision in August and came to Detroit
on Jan. 12.
Sheyniuk granted The Jewish
News an interview under the condition
that no political questions be asked.
Because he speaks only a nominal
amount of English, Sheyniuk's com-
ments were translated by Lydia
Kuniaysky, a Resettlement Service
worker and herself an immigrant from
Russia.
Through Kuniaysky, Sheyniuk
said that his action was an "impulsive
decision," so quick that he left France
with only the clothes on his back. The
violin remained in his hotel.
However, he didn't forget the vio-
lin because of his haste to leave.
Sheyniuk said that the violin was lent
to him by the orchestra's director, Vla-
dimir Spivakoff, and even though he
felt as if the violin was his own, he said
he didn't feel right taking it with him.
What prompted Sheyniuk to
leave, he said, were years of feeling
that he could not make his own deci-
sions. Asked - why he chose to defect
rather than go through the usual route
of applying for an exit visa, Sheyniuk
said he was anxious to get out.
"Legal immigration, in most
cases, doesn't work. There's always a
fear after you apply. You never know
how long you will wait and what hap-
pens to you while you wait." In reports
received from such advocacy organiza-
tions as the Union of Councils for
Soviet Jews, the Student Struggle for
Soviet Jewry, Jews who apply for exist
visas are usually dismissed from their
jobs, harassed, have their apartments
searched and pretty much are made
outcasts by the Soviet regime.
In addition, a family or individual
can wait months or- years before being
allowed to leave. Sometimes, the exit
visa never comes.
Sheyniuk said he wasn't
frightened by his decision. just "over-
whelmed by the feeling of the un-
known."
"It was more a feeling of adven-
ture, shockingly new." He said it was a
feeling he never experienced before.
Divorced, Sheyniuk leaves only a
brother in Moscow. After he defected
in Paris, he called his brother to tell
him of his decision. His brother ad-
vised him against making any politi-
cal statements.
Although he has friends all over
Europe, many of whom helped him
Benyas-Kaufman
Local News Editor
Anatoly Sheyniuk poses with a violin lent to him by a friend of musician Misha
Rachlevsky to replace the one he left behind.
throughout his ordeal, he chose to
come to Detroit for a special reason.
Misha Rachlevsky, director of Renais-
sance Concerts and the Renaissance
City Chamber Players and himself an
immigrant, had been a fellow or-
chestra member in Russia and it was
Rachlevsky who took upon himself the
duties of arranging for Sheyniuk's visa
to come to the U.S.
Rachlevsky left the USSR in 1973
for Israel. From Israel he went to
South Africa, Canada and Mexico
until 1976 when he came to Detroit to
play with the Detroit Symphony Or-
chestra. In 1978, he started a series
called Renaissance concerts, of which
the Nightcap with Mozart concerts at
the Birmingham Unitarian Church
are a part. The Renaissance City
Chamber Players group was formed
last year.
For the five months between his
request for asylum in France until his
arrival in Detroit, Sheyniuk stayed
with friends in Europe. He had many
job offers, but didn't accept any of
them. From France he went to Swit-
zerland, where he said his papers were
processed and then came to the U.S.
According to Sam Lerner, execu-
tive director of the Jewish Family
Service, new immigrants usually come
here with the aid of the Hebrew Im-
migrant Aid Service (HIAS). This
time, HIAS was not involved.
Mrs. Kuniaysky said the Reset-
tlement Service will take care of
Sheyniuk's basic needs — clothing, an
apartment, furniture, food and cash.
"The Resettlement Service gives
money for food and living expenses,"
Mrs. Kuniaysky said. "We pay all bills
and rent until they (new arrivals) be-
come self-sufficient."
Mrs. Kuniaysky is no stranger to
the immigration process. Ten years
ago, she, her husband and son made
the decision to emigrate. In Moscow,
she worked for the arts and literature
department at Central TV and holds a
master's degree in linguistics —
English and Spanish.
Although she has no social work
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