Mikhail Yanovitch Makarenko (1931 – 15 March 2007), né Moishe Hershkovich, also Gershkovich, also spelled as Michail Janovitch Makarenko, was a human rights activist, born in

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

Orthodox Jewish Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...

parents, Yankel Hershkovich and Malka Weisman."The end: Michail J. Makarenko, 1931-2007"
/ref> When he was eight years old he ran away from home to live in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

. During World War II, from age 10 to 13, he was a "Son of the Regiment", bringing water and food to the troops. In 1954 he married Lyudmila Makarenko and took her family name. They had son Sergei and two daughters, Liza and Olga. He actually married and divorced Lyudmila twice. He spent a total of eleven years in prison for what the Soviet government considered to be

dissident A dissident is a person who actively challenges an established Political system, political or Organized religion, religious system, doctrine, belief, policy, or institution. In a religious context, the word has been used since the 18th century, and ...

activities. His longest imprisonment was a result of a 1970 arrest for exhibiting the work of

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

artists. He moved (alone) to the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

in 1979 after being exiled by the Soviet government. When asked who were the victims of

communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

, Makarenko is quoted as saying "Everyone who lived in the 20th century was a victim of communism." In 1982, Makarenko's testimony was published by the

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Conference of the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

regarding the human cost of building a natural gas pipeline in the Soviet Union. His testimony largely concerned the treatment of the prisoners in Soviet labor camps.

Murder

Makarenko was murdered at a

New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not consi ...

rest stop on Thursday, 15 March 2007, by Brian Kuo White (born 1 December 1980). It was reported that White attacked Makarenko with a landscaping rock after Makarenko refused to buy a CD of White's

Christian music Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely around ...

from him. On 25 September 2007, White was indicted by a grand jury on counts of murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, and eluding arrest. On 24 June 2008, he was found not guilty of these charges, by reason of

legal insanity The insanity defense, also known as the mental disorder defense, is an affirmative defense by excuse in a criminal case, arguing that the defendant is not responsible for their actions due to an episodic psychiatric disease at the time of the cri ...

; he was committed for life plus 10 years to the state Department of Human Services for treatment.

References

External links

“Remarks by VOCMF Chairman Lee Edwards At the Groundbreaking of the Victims of Communism Memorial”
by Lee Edwards,

Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) is a non-profit anti-communist organization in the United States, authorized by a unanimous Act of Congress in 1993 for the purpose of "educating Americans about the ideology, history and legacy ...

, 27 September 2006
Testimony of Michail Makarenko, ''CACC Newsletter'', 15 July 1982“Elderly Man Beaten to Death on N.J. Turnpike” from the Associated Press, 15 March 2007
*[https://archive.today/20071019052619/http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/112-01142008-1470802.html “Texas man pleads innocent to fatal beating on turnpike in Mount Laurel” by Mike Mathis, ''Burlington County Times'', 14 January 2008]
“Texas man insane, but not guilty, in turnpike killing” by Danielle Camili, ''Burlington County Times'', 24 June 2008
{{DEFAULTSORT:Makarenko, Michail J. Soviet dissidents Soviet expellees Soviet Jews 1931 births 2007 deaths Soviet emigrants to the United States