N
The Michigan Daily--Friday, February 10, 1978-Page 7
Freedom of expression lacking
in Soviet Union,
says poet
By MICHAEL ARKUSH
Former Soviet underground poet,Y
Andrei Svetkoff, said last night he
believes there is "extensive literal and
cultural starvation in the Soviet
Unionr."
Svetkoff, making his first public ap-
pearance in the United States, ex-
pressed deep regret over the lack of
"freedom of expression" in Communist
dominated Russian society.
THE FORMER Soviet poet delivered
his comments as part of the week long
symposium on human rights in Russia
and Eastern Europe being held at
Rackham Auditorium.
Svetkoff described the situation of
Soviet poets as one of "creative
restraint."
"I know that poets in the Soviet Union
live an artistic death. They become so
discouraged that they cut their ties with
the establishment and become un-
persons. Their real creativity is sup-
pressed," said Svetkoff.
SVETKOFF TOLD the audience of
his great difficulties trying to make a
living as a poet in Moscow.
"I found it very difficult to get my
poems published. They told me it was
not enough not to write anti-Soviet
literature but I had to write about the
great revolutionary spirit in the Soviet
Union," he said.
"I realized I could no longer live as a
human being in a society like this," he
continued.
UNABLE TO support himself" as a
poet, Svetkoff searched for other areas
of employment but was unsuccessful.
"I became blacklisted in Russia
because of my refusal to abide by
Soviet rules guarding poetry. The KGB
(the Russian Secret Police) often
threatened me because of the trouble I
gave them," he said.
Svetkoff said he was not the only poet
who didn't conform to Soviet desires
who was threatened by the KGB to
change his outlook.
"THE KGB often accuses poets of
being heretics and traitors to the
republic. In fact, one 18-year-old poet
was forced to reveal information about
the names and locations of other un-
derground poets. He was unable to
withstand the KGB pressure and told
them what they wanted to know. He
couldn't live with himself so hecommit-
ted suicide three months later," said
Svetkoff did admit a person could make
a living as a poet in the Soviet Union.
"He can receive assignments from
publishing houses and write journalism
but he lives an unsettled existence,"
said Svetkoff.
THE FORMER poet explained
"literary circles" in the Soviet Union
where poets mix and discuss their
views do not exist.
"But, these circles teach the poet
nothing. The literary institutions where
the poet is trained also fail to increase
his knowledge," he said.
"The poet must join a union of writers
if he expects to achieve any success in
the Soviet Union," said Svetkoff.
SVETKOFF SAID many Russian
poets release their frustration by
drinking great amounts of alcohol. He
explained this was the only way "to un-
dermine the regime a'nd cope with their
limited creativity."
Referring to the extent of in-
volvement of Soviet poets in the official
dissident movement, Svetkoff said he
believes there are no poets of impor-
tance involved in the movement.
"The dissidence of poets is a different
kind,,a search for their creativity," he
said.
SVETKOFF TOLD the audience he
thought the majority of dissidents do
not have faith in the socialist system.
"I don't know of many dissidents who
believe in socialism. Some do but the
majority have lost their faith after
seeing the idea become a reality in
Russian society. They have realized
that the government can't run
everything in the country."
Svetkoff, said he did not realize the
type of society the Soviet Union has un-
til he visited Moscow.
"I was not aware of the lack of
creativity in the Soviet Union from the
very beginning. Upon arriving in
Moscow, I realized what a different
kind of world I lived," he said.
HUGE HULA
DANCER
NEW YORK (AP) - The two larg-
est "Sesame Street" puppets, Big
Bird and his 15-foot-long pal, Snuffle-
Upagus, travel to Hawaii this season
to help teach preschool TV viewers
about cultural life on the islands.
Two specially trained puppeteers,
one of them a ballet dancer from
Honolulu, manipulate the giant Snuf-
fy through three variations of the
traditional hula dance (the Kaholo,
the Umi and the Kahela). Big Bird,
played by Carroll Spinney, also joins
in on the choreographed sequence.
Ci Daily Photo by PETER SERLING
Cown Criers
It's more than hi-jinx for these two clowns. These UAC workers are busy spreading
the word of the Michigras revival. The festival will be held tonight at 9 at the
Michigan Union.
Derezinski: confident Dem vying for Griffin
'S
(Continued from Pagel)
ideas of equality, saying "we're
having new sensitivities."
"There are rising expectations on
the part of a lot of people who have
been kept down and are beginning to
realize that they have an equal right
to share the dream too."
Derezinski says he's running to try
to pose answers to some of those
questions.
DEREZINSKI, a University law
graduate and Vietnam veteran, also
urges changes which would give the
public a louder voice in government.
"We have to re-allocate some of that
decision-making power down to a more
local level, and where but Washington
v , C7 ! 414
could thatrmessage be best brought?"
he said.
Several of Derezinski's future op-
ponents in the August 8 primary,
notably James Elsman, claim past ef-
forts made at a U.S. Senate'seat prove-
they already have the support of their
past voters. But Derezinski sees these
past efforts as marks against his com-
petitors.
"THEY'VE FAILED before," he
noted. "I think that is just as strong a
vibration from them as their contention
that they've had the experience.
It's like having lost a Super Bowl.
Does that mean you're going to be in a
better position to win? All that proves is
that you're a loser," he said.
Derezinski has already formulated
several ideas for national legislation,
one of which deals with "a general plan
to try to get a better return on the
federal tax dollars going into
Washington for the state of Michigan."
Derezinski cited a vast improvement
in the allocation of federal funds to
Michigan since he was elected to the
State Senate, but he insists Michigan
still is not getting its fair share.
"MUCH OF THAT disallocation is
caused by federal laws which are for-
mulated for the distribution of grants
which disfavor Midwestern states, and
we've got to change that."
Local unions oppose contract
Another project Derezinski is looking
forward to is an increase in federal
legislation to aid Michigan's energy
programs.
"Michigan is going to have to get
more help in the energy field from the
federal government. We are an energy-
poor state. We import over 90 per cent
of our energy, and in the future that
could start to be a problem, when states
begin to look after their own self-
interest," he said.
AMONG OTHER Derezinski projects
is one, to formulate new tax policies to
attract business to Michigan.
Derezinski sees himself as the perfect
complement to Donald Riegle (D-
Michigan), because he and Riegle
would "balance each other."
"Together we caz present both in-
terests," he said. "Would our interests
be different? In some case I think they
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(Continued from Page i
then. Bargaining council approval is
required before the pact goes to the
rank and file. The council met
Tuesday but refused to consider a
summary of the agreement instead
of the final language.
BUT ONE council member, Tom-
my Gaston, president of District 23 in
western Kentucky, said the attorneys
should not bother writing it up.
"Time spent getting this typed up
is just time wasted," he said.
"I don't think it'll pass the mem-
bership. I don't think it'll pass the
bargaining council. They might just
as well get ready to go back and start
negotiating."
MIl
Wedn
tions
benef
think
out of
Mil
refusE
would
tell hi
impos
concerning strikes
dwindling coal stockpiles. When Car-
LLER, however, had warned on ter spoke, utilities in Ohio and
esday that resuming negotia- several other states had already
could mean losing many of the started asking for voluntary cut-
its in the proposal. "I don't backs of power usage.
I can get another damn nickel In the coal fields, about 100 pickets
them," he said. dumped coal from two trucks near
ler also had said that if miners Martin, Ky., and set fire to one of the
e to ratify the agreement he piles of coal yesterday, Kentucky
I go to President Carter "and state police said. A police spokes-
m what's going on." Carter can man said there were no injuries or
se an 80-day, back-to-work or- arrests.
der under the Taft-Hartley Act if he
finds the strike is creating a national
emergency, but he said recently he
has no plans to use that power.
Since then, however, Indiana and
West Virginia have declared "energy
emergencies" because of rapidly
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