From: nikolay@husc10.harvard.edu (Philip Nikolayev)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet,soc.culture.cis
Subject: HELP YEFIM EPSTEIN
Date: 5 Nov 92 08:06:15 GMT
Organization: The Kremlin Wall of Harvard

I have been asked to publish the following message. I would
also appreciate suggestions about appropriate individuals and 
organizations that I could forward it to.

Philip Nikolayev
nikolay@husc.harvard.edu

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Dear friends!

This is an appeal to help Yefim Epstein, a well know Russian dissident
who suffers from cancer of kidney (metastatic hypernephroma with
metastases in lung and bone).

In April the newspaper "Novoye Russkoye Slovo" (USA) published
the following letter:

	Dear friends!
	We have known Yefim Epstein for many years. In the 70s and 80s
	he participated in the human rights movement, in compiling the
	Chronicle of Current Events. He helped the persecuted and defended
	the deprived. He was one of those people who made possible the
	very existence of the dissident movement. Together with the other 
	people of the kind he created the moral atmosphere and provided
	support for the Democratic Movement in the USSR. Since 1987
	he has been on the editorial board of the samizdat newspaper
	"Express-Chronicle".

	Today Yefim Epstein needs our support. He has contracted a
	serious disease. The results of tests on cancer and the prognoses
	have been threatening. Yefim needs our help urgently, but we
	are unable to provide it in this collapsing country with its
	degenerating health service system. Like himself we do not have
	adequate financial resources for sending him abroad for
	a better medical treatment.

	It is a natural situation in our life: while devoting oneself
	to defending ideal moral and political standards as well as
	human dignity, one cannot obtain the material means which can
	save the person's life in a crisis. But there is also another
	tendency: the noble aspirations and disinterested kindness
	appeal to the hearts of sincere people who respond with compassion
	and willingness to help. It is this tendency we store our hope
	with: our hope to save Yefim's life.

	You may be able to contact oncologists who will be willing to 
	provide free treatment. Or you may be willing to contribute
	some money towards his treatment and to contact other
	possible contributors. Please contact Yefim's wife
	Svetlana Zavrazhnova at 
		  Moldagulovoi Street, 15-2-114
		  Moscow 111538, Russia
		  (phone: 7-095-375-6023 or 373-9569).

	Money san be sent to the account:
		  Credit Suisse, CH-6002,
		  Lucerne, 259850 - 90 - 1
		  Hilfsfond Express Chronica
	(Please make a special mark: Epstein.)

	Signed by: Alexander and Alla Podrabinek, Leonid Wool,
	Alexander Daniel, Semion Gluzman, Iosif Zisels,
	Valey Senderov, Alexander Feldman, Piotr Starchik,
	Vera Lashkova, Ekaterina Velikanova, Arseny Roginsky,
	Nina Demurova, Sergei Kovalev, Tatiana Velikanova,
	Alexander Lavut, Larisa Bogoraz, Malva Landa

In answer to this letter many people, who knew Yefim and who
had never met him, sent their expressions of sympathy, medicines,
advice and money. He was operated on in Hospital # 62 of the
Moscow Region (left transabdominal nephrectomy and resection of
the left phemoral bone) and treated there for three months. In
September he visited Dortmund, Germany, on the invitation of a
friend, Dr. Loffler of the Dortmund City Hospital. The skill and
expertise of the doctors, the sympathy and aid provided by people
have dome wonders: Yefim continues his professional and public
activities, and there is hope for his survival.

Unfortunately, though, the disease being a rather rare one and in
a very aggravated stage, his treatment cannot be continued here in 
Russia without further friendly aid. Both professional and financial 
assistance is required. The medicines Yefim needs are very expensive
and only available for hard currency: interpheron alpha-2, (intron A
and ropheron A), tamoxiphen (zitasonium, nolvadex).

We cannot reconcile ourselves to the the situation where after
years of struggle, persecution and sufferings of Yefim Epstein
will not be able to enjoy the fruits of the new-found freedom
at least fro some time because of a lack of financial resources.

That is why we again appeal for any possible aid you can provide,
including professional advice in case the treatment cannot be continued
or proves, at some stage, to be ineffective. We are willing to try 
the most daring experimental strategies and methods.

Svetlana Zavrazhnova-Epstein
Moldagulovoi Street 15-2-114
Moscow 111538 Russia
(phone: 7-095-375-6023 or 373-9569)
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