Twice exiled! Journey of mathematician Alexey Sossinsky through Russia's history and Ukraine war
Discover the remarkable journey of renowned mathematician Alexey Sossinsky, who experienced exile twice in his lifetime, and his unique perspective on Russia's tumultuous history and the Ukraine conflict.
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FollowRenowned mathematician Alexey Sossinsky finds himself repeating history a century after his parents fled Russia to escape the Bolsheviks, as President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine prompts him to seek exile once more. Brought up in France and the United States, Sossinsky returned to his parents' homeland in 1957, building an illustrious academic career. However, at 85, he faced a critical decision when Putin's war broke out last year, leading him to leave the country hastily with just two suitcases.
Reflecting on his decision, Sossinsky expressed that he had no doubts about escaping the escalating conflict. A former student came to his aid, securing a plane ticket to Istanbul, akin to the path taken by his father in 1919, and from there, he journeyed to France, where his daughter resides. Despite living in exile, Sossinsky remains fluent in three languages and continues to deliver classes to Russian students via Zoom.
Sossinsky's family history mirrors the tumultuous events that shaped Russia's past century, marked by upheavals, wars, and repression. His mother, Ariadna Chernova, descended from Viktor Chernov, a socialist revolutionary who briefly served as the president of Russia's Constituent Assembly in 1918 before its dispersion by the Bolsheviks. Fleeing Russia in 1923 with her mother and sisters, Ariadna found love and solace in France when she married Bronislav Sossinsky, a gallant soldier who fought against the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War.
Born in France in 1937, Alexey Sossinsky experienced the upheaval of World War II as his father fought against the Nazis and became a prisoner of war. In 1948, the family relocated to New York, where his father worked for the United Nations. Sossinsky's first encounter with Russia came in the mid-1950s, following Stalin's death, during a family holiday. Despite witnessing the distressing conditions in Moscow, he decided to stay and study mathematics there, believing it to be the epicenter of the subject.
By the early 1970s, Sossinsky became an associate professor at Moscow State University, gaining international recognition for his expertise in knot theory, a branch of geometry. However, his life took a turn after he and a friend wrote a letter in 1974 defending Alexander Solzhenitsyn, a dissident writer expelled from the Soviet Union. This act led to repercussions, and Sossinsky found himself at odds with the authorities, facing pressure to conform by signing an application for Marxism-Leninism classes. Unyielding to coercion, he courageously resigned from the department, which impacted his career trajectory. After working as an editor for a science journal for 13 years, he eventually resumed his academic pursuits.
Today, Sossinsky remains a vocal critic of President Putin's regime, cautioning that the West has underestimated Putin's intelligence, cleverness, and cruelty. He expresses deep concern over ordinary people supporting such a regime and believes the ongoing war in Ukraine will not end in his lifetime.
"It's absolutely horrible that normal ordinary people support this hideous regime," Sossinsky told Reuters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is a hero who has made mistakes but is doing a "fantastic job" overall, he added.
"I'm very pessimistic because I'm pretty sure the war will not end in my lifetime," he said. "This is the kind of war that nobody is ever going to win."
Despite his exile, Sossinsky occasionally contemplates returning to Russia, primarily to reconnect with friends and revisit his country cottage outside Moscow, where he cherished skiing in winter and swimming in summer.
Although restless in exile, Sossinsky's hope persists, and he contemplates overcoming the fear of repression for a brief return to Russia, even if not immediately. However, his daughter worries about the potential risks, fearing for his safety. Despite the uncertainties, Sossinsky remains resolute in speaking out against injustice and remains committed to sharing his perspective with the world.
"Surprisingly, my hope is that at some time I will overcome my fear of repression and go back to Russia for the summer - if not next year, then the year after that or the year after that," he said.
"My daughter is absolutely panicked by the thought that I will return to Russia and will be put in prison and God knows what. So I have to convince her she should not worry."
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