L'affaire Levich

In 1972, Veniamin Levich, a Soviet chemist, writes to Ilya Prigogine to inform him that he will unfortunately be unable to attend the next Solvay Conference because the USSR Academy of Sciences is preventing him from leaving the country. He nevertheless asks his Belgian colleague to intervene in his favour. Ilya Prigogine writes not only to the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, but also to the director of the University of Moscow, where he taught.

Alexander Frumkin, the director of the Academy of Sciences, repeats his refusal.

Veniamin Levich, of Jewish origin, wanted to emigrate to Israel. The USSR therefore decided to prohibit his departure for fear of a definitive flight.

Veniamin Levich misses the 16th Conference on Chemistry.

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Seizième Conseil de chimie Solvay, photographie de groupe, 1976

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Lettre d'Ilya Prigogine à Mstislav Keldich (Keldych), 23 mai 1972

Ilya Prigogine intercedes with the director of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR so that Veniamin Levich can attend the Conference on Chemistry.

http://bib56.ulb.ac.be/uploads/r/null/0/b/d/0bdaea0b30bed36ff5a3fcd5330de9b64ef2bdfe926566de4db71ee94dd91f7c/Solvay_3_C.b.III.1.278-3.pdf

Lettre d'Ilya Prigogine à Alexander Frumkin, 23 mai 1972

Ilya Prigogine writes to Alexander Frumkin so that Veniamin Levich can attend the Conference on Chemistry.

https://dipot.ulb.ac.be/dspace/bitstream/2013/234802/3/DL2053663_000_f.pdf

Ilya Prigogine (1917-2003)

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Lettre d'Alexander Frumkin à Ilya Prigogine, 5 juin 1972

Alexander Frumkin refuses to let Veniamin Levich attend the Conference on Chemistry.

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Lettre d'Eliezer Gileadi, Joshua Jortner et Edward Malcolm Kosower à Gosta Wranglen, 1er mai 1972

Joshua Jortner explains Levich’s story and why the latter has been refused the authorization to travel to Belgium. He wishes to act on Levich’s behalf because ‘past experience has shown that the authorities of the Soviet Union are quite sensitive to public pressure’.

http://bib56.ulb.ac.be/uploads/r/null/9/c/1/9c1834b8df642a85accca200b05d7880d7755b2390fe8f19793615e631160938/Solvay_3_C.b.III.1.289.pdf

« Address bu (sic) professor B. Levich to the participants of the 1972 Solvay Congress of Chemistry »

Letter from Veniamin Levich to the members participating in the Conference on Chemistry. Levich laments the Cold War policy and the harmful effects of the obligation of secrecy on the advancement of world science.