Siberian Akademgorodok (Academy Town) was built by the Soviet government using the slave labor of military construction troops and prisoners, as a backup for central Russian scientific institutions. In the late fifties a new town imitating Los-Alamos was standing in the pine forest, about 20 miles from large industrial city of Novosibirsk.

Established scientists from Moscow and St. Petersburg weren't eager to move, so the new town was populated by young university graduates lured by a governmental promise of an apartment (which would normally take 10-15 years to get). Some famous scientists, formerly imprisoned for political reasons, were not allowed to reside in capital cities: these also settled there. Unusual mix of people, together with the short period of political "ottepel" (thaw) after Stalin's death, produced an atmosphere of free discussions and exchanges unprecedented in Soviet Russia.

Alexander Feht was the first child born in Siberian Akademgorodok, in a family of mathematician known not only for his scientific works but also for his anti-Soviet activity. Alexander started violin lessons at the age of 3, and went to music school and college for piano, violin and composition classes.

Problems started in the college where career-oriented musicians were supposed to be Young Communist League members and write musical compositions glorifying the Communist Party and Soviet Government. Refusing to satisfy these conditions, Alexander graduated due to the fact that he was winning musical awards for the college while participating in anonymous competitions.

After graduation, a musical career was closed to him, since he didn't follow the beaten path of political subservience. He worked as a night guard and did construction work. He composed his music and wrote his poetry without any hope of publication or public performance. Only a few friends knew of their existence.

After Alexander's brother-in-law, Dimitri Sokolenko, escaped to America, Alexander's wife was fired from her job in a scientific institute as a "sister of the traitor". The military was threatening to send Alexander to Afghanistan, or, if he refused, to mental hospital for life. At the same time, the KGB found some of his anti-Soviet poetry while searching the apartment of a man who obligingly supplied them with the name of the author. Leaving the country as soon as possible was Alexander's only hope to survive. Fortunately, at that time (Gorbachev's perestroika just started) this option existed: KGB didn't seem to mind getting rid of the troublemaker.

It wasn't simple to leave the USSR even if the authorities didn't mind. An invitation from a foreign relative was necessary. Already in the US, Dimitri provided a fake invitation from an unexisting aunt (invitation from himself obviously wouldn't work: he was a "traitor"). The exit visa and citizenship refusal needed to leave the country would cost 500 rubles per person &emdash; half a year's salary. Alexander and his wife had to sell everything to raise the money.

Another major problem was that the Soviet Government would not allow any manuscripts to be brought out of the country. Photographs were taken of all the scores, and the resulting films were given to the Western tourists who agreed to bring them through the customs, and to mail the films to Dimitri in the States. When he received the scores, Dimitri mailed a postcard to Alexander using a code. The manuscripts were safe.

Several years after arriving in the US, Alexander heard from Russia that the KGB had tried to stop him on his way abroad. Because 99% of the emigrants were leaving by plane, agents searched at the Moscow airport, planning to arrest him for using the fake documents. Alexander, however, had taken the train, desiring to experience the actual crossing of the border. This decision may possibly have saved him and his family.

He started his new life in the US with only a few dollars and very little English but with a strong desire to find an audience for his music. Unfortunately, tonal serious music wasn't in vogue in the 1980s. Although aware of Alexander's talent, no professional musician was willing to associate himself with music which was a sure target for modernist critics. Needing to support his family, Alexander started a translation business, which, after several years, became very successful. During this time, classical music critics began to show interest in tonal music once again. Meanwhile, Alexander was digitizing his scores and sending score samples to professional classical singers who might be interested in performing his vocal compositions and participating in recordings.

One day he received a demo disk from Moscow with some of his songs recorded by tenor Nikolai Doroshkin and pianist Sergey Chechetko, showing impressive technical ability and understanding of music. Next year his first CD, "Demon", was recorded in Moscow. It received favorable reviews, and some US radio stations played it. A recital of Alexander's songs took place in Moscow's Helikon Opera Theater on April 16, 2002. The audience reaction was very positive; more concerts are planned for the fall and winter.

A second CD, "Arion", is scheduled to appear in 2007. It will consist of 20 songs written on Pushkin's poems.

Currently Alexander Feht, his wife and their son are living in the South Colorado mountains. Mr. Feht is one of the leading Russian translators in the United States.