Vladimir Begun

Who was Vladimir Begun?

Vladimir Yakovlevich Begun was one of the leading communist Zionologists in the Soviet Union; senior researcher in Institute for Philosophy and Law of Belarusian Academy of Sciences, member of the Union of Journalists of the USSR.

One of his controversial books, The Encroaching Counter Revolution, caused protests worldwide. In November 1975, the leading Soviet historian, academic M. Korostovtsev criticized it: "...it perceptibly stirs up anti-Semitism under the flag of anti-Zionism."

Begun gained a certain position in the Soviet hierarchy and was transferred from provincial Minsk to Moscow. Until his death, he staunchly opposed bringing Marc Chagall's exhibition to Belarus, the famous artist's place of birth, on "anti-Zionist" grounds.