Page 2 - The Michigan Daily - Saturday, May 18, 1985
Emigre prof offers an alternate view of Soviet affairs
(continuedfromPage1) ce department. Yanov said he an- and the United States. According to fire here for the same ideas that either isolated, or compromised, or,
valuable asset to the University's ticipated reviews for his book for a David Singer, a professor of world ultimately led to his exile from the still better, just out of the country,
political science department. long time, but all the waiting was in politics, "My impression is that his Soviet Union 11 years ago. (condemned) asa traitor."
It certainly doesn't seem like the vain because his publisher neglected theoretical interpretation is different Yanov received a degree in history ALTHOUGH LIFE in the Soviet
bottom, but in his own eyes, Yanov to send out review forms for the book. from the conventional American from Moscow University in 1954 and a Union was far from ideal, Yanov said
said, "I am in a position in which I "A BOOK not reviewed is a book wisdom." doctoral degree from the same being an exile was "terrible."
can't influence anything, in which it is non-existent for the author," Yanov YANOV BLAMES ignorance about university's Institute of National When he arrived in America with
not my choices, but somebody else's said. the Soviet Union for the vehement op- Economy in 1970. From 1954 to 1974, his wife Lydia and his daughter, he
choices." At the heart of conflict within the position to his ideas. Although he Yanov was, publicly, a freelance knew virtually no English. "When I
He has run into obstacles with his political science department lie came to the United States because he political writer, and secretly a poet. came here I knew 'hello' and 'okay,' "
recent book and in the political scien- Yanov's views on the Soviet Union thought it was "the intellectual leader Yanov said shame kept him from he said. "And all my friends were still
of the modern world," he found that revealing the poet in his soul. (in the Soviet Union)."
this was not always true. "WHY WERE you ashamed of His friends here, both students and
What I found out is that America ... these poems?" his daughter Marina <collegues, agree that he has made
is a rather underdeveloped country asked. "They are wonderful poems." the transition successfully.
in terms of intellectual superpower," "It wouldn't look good in the eyes of "I'M GETTING more praise from
he said. "It might be a superpower in my colleagues," he answered. his students than I have from any
many other things, not, unfortunately, Yanov said the Soviet government other colleague," Singer said.
in Soviet-American relations." gave him several reasons for exiling "He's very provocative," said Tom
Yanov bases his political views of him, including treason. Dwyer, who was a student of
the Soviet Union on his own experien- From 1970 to 1974, Yanov put Yanov's for one term. Dwyer said that
ces. He spent the first 44 years of his together a three-volume book called Yanov's method of teaching, which
life there, where he experienced the "The History of Russian Political Op- involves attacking and finding flaws
turmoil of World War II, the terrors of position" which chronicled the in traditional schools of thought
the Stalin regime, and de- political opposition in the country regarding the Soviet Union, made his
Stalinization under Khrushchev. from the 15th to the 18th centuries, he class especially stimulating.
BECAUSE OF the vast differences said. "He is basically a very kind-
Yanov sees between Soviet regimes - "IT DIDN'T even touch the 19th or hearted, caring person, in a way I
which he described as being "the dif- 20th centuries," he said. "But you un- can't say all professors here are,"
ference between life and death" for derstand, of course, that political op- Dwyer said.
him - Yanov asserts that the key to position is not a popular subject in CYNTHIA BUCKLEY, a graduate
the solution of the superpower conflict that country." student who took three of Yanov's
lies in one fact: that there is no Soviet The Soviet government accused classes as an undergraduate, said
political system. Yanov of treason when he smuggled that Yanov is very open with his
"Not only is there no Soviet political the book on microfilm to the United students.
k system, but there exist different States via an American professor. "He's very flamboyant," she said.
regimes which are antagonistic, Although Yanov tried to be careful, "He dances with his dog at the
hostile to each other," he said. he said that the KGB knew all the Russian House parties."
Yanov tells his students in his Soviet details of how he smuggled the book The importance of his students is
r'foreign policy, government, and to the U.S. that he sees much of his hope in them.
politics classes that this difference "IN THE LAST five years (in the "The students are my hope in this
"must be the main conceptual Soviet Union) my every step was sense: The message (that the super-
political tool. If we have ... a unified registered," he said. power conflict can be resolved) is still
Soviet system, there is no solution. If Although treason was the reason the not delivered. We can do," he pauses,
we have different regimes, then we Soviets said they were exiling him, he then emphasizes those same words
can press for the regime which we thinks there was a deeper reason. again. "We can do something about it.
- would prefer." "I was a writer, indeed," he ex- "That's what I'm telling my studen-
Daily Photo by ALISA BLOCK plained. "I had my ideas, I had my ts - it is for them, it is for their
Soviet emigre Alexander Yanov tells his political science students that it "THIS IS a different approach," he audience, I had my following, I had generation to solve this problem," he
is possible to resolve the superpower conflict. He looks to the students' admitted. people who believed me, and just to said. "And I think we know how to do
generation to find that solution, he says. Paradoxically, then, Yanov is under incapacitate this audience I had to be it."
HAPPENINGS
Saturday
Highlignt
If you're bored Saturday afternoon check out
the Michigan Theater's 1928 vaudeville and
movie palace tour. The tour begins at 2 p.m.,
and there is no admission charge.
Films
Alternative Action Films-Gorky Park, 7:30
and 9:45 p.m., MLB 4.
Ann Arbor Film Coop - Jules and Jim, 7:30
p.m., Nat. Sci.; The Story of Adele IH., 9:30
p.m., Nat. Sci. Aud.
Cinema Two - Broadway Danny Rose, 7:30,
8:40, and 10:20 p.m., Aud. A, Angell.
Michigan Theater Foundation - Harold and
Maude, 7:15 and 11 p.m., Michigan Theater;
Brewster McCloud, 9 p:m., Michigan Theater.
Cinema Guild - Trading Places, 7:30 and
9:45 p.m., MLB Aud.
Performances
Ann Arbor Chamber Orchestra - "Dance to
the Music," 2p.m., Power Center.
Performance Network - "A Midsummer
Night's Dream," 8p.m., 408 West Washington.
Miscellaneous
Michigan Alliance for Disarmament - Giant
Yard Sale, 9 a.m., 521 North Division.
Ann Arbor Cyclery - Bicycle Maintenance
Clinic, 10 a.m., Farmer's Market
Kempf House - Walking Tour of Historic
Downtown Churches, 9:30 a.m., 312 South
Division.
Ann Arbor Go Club - Meeting, 2 p.m., 1433
Mason Hall.
Student Wood & Craft Shop - Power Tool
Safety class, 10 a.m., 537 Student Activities
Building.
Sunday
Highlight
Four Detroit area puppeteers will perform
their versions of the Russian fairy tale "The
Firebird" at 2 p.m. in the Lydia Mendelssohn
Theatre in the Michigan League. The show
features puppets, polyfoam creatures, and
unusual lighting effects. Free admission.
Films
Michigan Theatre Foundation - The Muppet
Movie, 4 and 7 p.m., Michigan Theatre.
Cinema Guild - Wuthering Heights, 7:30 and
9:30 p.m., MLB 3.
Performances
Ars Musica - Concert, 8 p.m., Bethlehem
United Church of Christ, 423 South Fourth.
Performance Network - "A Midsummer
Night's Dream," 8p.m., 408 West Washington.
Miscellaneous
Museum of Art - lecture, "Landscapes in
East and West," 2 p.m., State Street at South
University.
His House Christian Fellowship - dinner,
630 p.m., Bible study, 7 p.m., 925 East Ann.
Michigan Orchid Society - May meeting, 2
p.m., Matthaei Botanical Gardens.
Cobblestone Farm Association - Farm
Spring Festival, 1 to 4 p.m., Cobblestone Farm,
2780 Packard Road.
Monda
Highlight
The Washtenaw Association for Retarded
Citizens will hold its May membership meeting
at 7:30 p.m. at 290 Wagner Road. Child
Psychologist Vicki Bennett will speak on the
emotional needs of developmentally disabled
children.
Films
Ann Arbor Film Cooperative - Metropolis,
7:30 p.m., MLB 3.
Michigan Theater Foundation - Mad Max, 7
and 9:45 p.m., Michigan Theater.
Speakers
School of Education - Robert Doerr, "The
future of Dentistry in the United States," 7:30
p.m., 1309School of Education.
Chemistry department - Hyung-Soo Choi,
"Mechanism of Propylene Oxidation to
Acrolein over Copper Oxide," 4 p.m., 1200
Chemistry Building.
Miscellaneous
Dental School - faculty meeting, noon,
Kellog Auditorium.
Continuing Education for Women - Brown
bag discussion, "How does the Student
Lifestyle Feel to You?", noon, 350 South
Thayer.
Department of Statistics - seminar, "Em-
pirical Processes: Uniform Strong Laws and
Rates of Convergence," 4 p.m., Mason Hall.
Chemistry Department - seminar,
"Stereochemical Aspects of Iminium Cycload-
ditions," 4 p.m., 1300 Cheimstry Building.
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