Biographical Note
Mark Aleksandrovich Popovskii (1922- ), Russian writer journalist and essayist, was born in Odessa. A veteran of World War II, he started freelance literary work in 1946, and had numerous publications in the Soviet press (including 14 books), primarily dealing with issues of science and scientific ethics. During the 1970s two of Popovskii's books, Beda i vina akademika Vavilova and Zhizn' and Zhitie Voino-Iasenetskogo were rejected by the censor and circulated in samizdat. Popovskii also signed several letters in support of Russian dissidents. Systematically persecuted by KGB, he left the country in 1977 and settled in New York City. In emigration he contributed to numerous Russian-language periodicals, and served as a North American editor of émigré journal Strana I Mir . He wrote and published numerous books, some were translated into English French and German. After the fall of the Soviet Union Popovskii's work started once again to appear in Russia.
In the early 1980s a fire at Popovskii's New York apartment destroyed a large part of Popovskii's archive, so the microfilm in this collection may be the only extant copy.
Source of information: Mark Popovskii Papers, Finding Aid Prepared by Jane Gorjevsky, Columbia University, October 2002
From the guide to the Mark Aleksandrovich Popovskii collection, 1919-1977, (Hoover Institution Archives)
