Alexander Goldfarb

Microbiologist scientist, publicist and social activist.

About the author

Born on May 23, 1947 in Moscow. Graduated from Moscow State University with a degree in virology. In the 1970s, he was a member of the circle of Soviet dissidents and was Andrei Sakharov's translator. In 1975 he emigrated to Israel, where he defended his PhD thesis in biochemistry at the Weizmann Institute.

 

International academic careers:

Worked at the Institute of Biochemistry of the Max Planck Society (Germany).

From 1982 to 1991, he was a professor at Columbia University (USA).

Deputy Director of the Public Health Research Institute (PHRI), researched E. coli RNA polymerase, published in leading scientific journals (Science, Nature, Cell). Hirsch index is 41.

 

Human rights activities:

He was an activist of the Jewish Refugee Movement.

Headed the Soros International Science Foundation, helping Russian scientists in the 1990s.

Headed a program to fight tuberculosis in Russian prisons (Open Society Foundation).

In 2000 he became head of the Civil Liberties Foundation, which supported civil society in Russia.

 

Writing activities:

Co-author of the book “Sasha, Volodya, Boris... A Murder Story” about the death of Alexander Litvinenko.

He is the author of the book “A Tale of a Father, a Son, Spies, Dissidents and the Secrets of Biological Weapons,” which was shortlisted for the 2025 Dar Prize.

 

Fighting for justice:

After the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury (2018), Russian TV channels accused Goldfarb of involvement in the murder of Litvinenko. He filed a libel suit against Channel One and RT in a US court and won the case in 2024.

 

Alexander Goldfarb — is an example of how science, civic engagement and literature can come together in the life of one man. His contribution to science and the

Until the winners are announced —

The Independent Jury will announce the winner on May 25, 2026.

The winner will receive a grant for translation into three languages: English, German, and French.

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