Letter from US congressmen (376 signatures) concerning emigration of 2,000 Soviet Jews [3.3; 9.1] and the response outlined by Central Committee International Department [R 14 July 1983]. 20 pages (13 in English).

=======================================

[page one of twenty]

Endorsed by Comrade B. N. Ponomaryov

[Below illegible signature followed by date (19/VIII/1983) and stamped number ‘19837’]

---

[page two of twenty]

This page contains seven handwritten lines.

[All illegible except for first line, “To Comrade Boris N. Ponomaryov”, chair of the International Department, 1957-1986. One word in 7th line: “reaction” and stamped number ‘19837’.]

————————————————–

[page three of twenty]

 Secret

To the Central Committee

[Right: a line of illegible numerals and letters ending
with the stamped number “19837.”]

[Left: four illegible handwritten lines angled at the
first three lines of the typewritten text.]

At a meeting between a group of deputies of the USSR Supreme Soviet and an official delegation from the House of Representatives (US Congress) visiting the Soviet Union from 2 to 10 July 1983 on the invitation of the USSR Supreme Soviet, the American Congressmen were given detailed information [and] exhaustive explanations about the departure from the USSR of Soviet citizens of Jewish and other nationality (ethnic Germans, Armenians, et al.) during a discussion of the “human rights” issue.

Since the members of the Congress sought in their speeches to present incorrectly the creation in the Soviet Union of the Anti-Zionist Committee of the Soviet People [¹], the nature of that committee’s activities was also explained to them.

The Congressmen expressed gratitude for the provided explanation. Before [their] departure from the Soviet Union, however, they handed over a letter addressed to Comrade Yu. V. Andropov [²], signed by 376 members of the House of Representatives (US Congress) to which were appended lists of Soviet citizens of Jewish nationality (more than 2,000 individuals), who allegedly wish to leave the Soviet Union.

In handing over the letter, the head of the delegation, T. [Tom] Foley [³], declared that he is doing this because the members of the delegation had promised the authors of the letter to carry out their assignment.

392 [next to which are two illegible characters]

25 [ illegible word, probably “July”] 1983

ISSUED: 29/VIII/1983 [’29 August 1983′ handwritten]

——————————————————————–

[page four of twenty]

[Continuation of document. In the top-right corner is the handwritten numeral “112,” underneath which is the number 2, crossed out.]

Since the Congressmen received crucial explanations, we consider it unwise to react in any fashion to the submitted letter. It might be possible to forward the submitted lists as information to the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs.

We request agreement.

(signature) B. Shaposhnikov

Deputy Head of the Central Committee International Department

19 July 1983

—————————————————-

[page five of twenty]

[At top center of page:

a line of handwritten numbers “01198-202; below, to the right, is an illegible line of numbers.]

NOTIFICATION

The letter addressed to Comrade Yu.V. Andropov from the group of members of the American Congress was handed over by a delegation from the House of Representatives (US Congress), which is in the Soviet Union from 2 to 10 July 1983 on the invitation of the USSR Supreme Soviet.

Research officer, Central Committee International Department

(signature) D. Muravyov

‘11‘ July 1983

 ————————————————

[page six of twenty]

SUMMARY

In the letter addressed to Comrade Yu. V. Andropov the group of US Congressmen and women expresses regret in connection with the “attempts” of the Soviet government “to present incorrectly the question of Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union.”[⁴]

The authors write that they reject the consolidation of an anti-Zionist committee, recently created in the USSR, “concerning the completion for the most part” of the reunification of Jewish families. The authors state that they are aware of the names of tens of thousands of Soviet Jews, who are seeking repatriation or reunification with their families.

The authors urge the Soviet Union to comply with all the articles of the Helsinki Agreement and international conventions on Human Rights, and to allow Soviet Jews who are seeking repatriation or family reunification to leave the USSR.

The authors also request a halt to the dissemination of anti-Semitic declarations, which the anti-Zionist committee and other Soviet organizations are disseminating under the pretext of the struggle against Zionism.

The authors call for urgent attention to be paid to these questions because they are giving rise to growing concern on the part of the US Congress and the American people.

The letter is signed by 376 American Congressmen and women.

Appended to the letter are lists of Soviet citizens of Jewish nationality, who allegedly want to leave the Soviet Union.

(Signature, D. Muravyov)

19837

————————————————-

[page seven of twenty]

[Copy of letter in English from 300 plus Congressmen and women]

————————————————-

[12 pages, eight to twenty]

[signatures & typed names in Latin script, 376 signatories]

==========================================

TRANSLATION

Translator’s notes are bracketed, handwritten text is indicated by italic script. (At the very top of the document is the handwritten numeral ‘109‘.)

English translation by Marta D. Olynyk, December 2010

*

NOTES

1. The anti-Zionist committee was established on 29 March 1983 by the CPSU Central Committee.
   ↩︎
2. Yury Vladimirovich ANDROPOV (1914-1984): KGB head, 1967-1982; CPSU General Secretary, 1982-1984, i.e., Soviet leader.
   ↩︎
3. Congressman Thomas S. Foley (Democrat: Washington State 5th district, 1965-1995).
   ↩︎
4. See CCE Contents, [15] “The Right to Leave” (1974-1982).
   
   The departure of Jewish emigrants (“those leaving on Israeli visas”) had shrunk by August 1983 to around one hundred a month (February to July figures: Vesti iz SSSR [R] 15-31). Compare the record high of 1979 when over 50,000 left the USSR on Israeli visas alone; a further 345 left that years on visas to the USA (see Vesti iz SSSR [R] March 1980, 5-10, “Emigration from the Soviet Union“).
   ↩︎

Annotation, John Crowfoot, March 2025

=========================