Mr. Belin. Did she say whether or not her husband was a Communist?
Mr. Mamantov. She would like to ask you now what do you understand by the word Communist?
Mr. Belin. Well, I would like to have your mother-in-law explain just what she would call it.
Mrs. Gravitis. I had a conversation. I said here in Dallas is a person or a gentleman who helps many Russians who are arriving in this city, or who has helped in the past, Mr. Bouhe. Marina said, "Yes, I know him." She said her husband and Mr. Bouhe don't match in their characters. And I replied that you think probably not match the characters, but they agree in their principles, and she said, "Yes."
Mr. Mamantov. She said, my husband—and this word, I don't know exactly how to translate it—I mistranslated it for the FBI, this word, and I think in your investigation it is very important.
She replied that her husband is now—I could not translate just the individual word. I have to give you the meaning of the Russian word, which was developed fairly recently—that my husband is a person who believes in ideas, and it means ideals of the Communist movement. Now, I can give you the translation of this word if you would like to insert, because maybe in Washington you can get a better description of this word.
Mr. Belin. Can you spell the word?
Mr. Mamantov. Yes; ideinyi—which has political connotations, and it means a person who believes in the Communist movement, Communist ideals, but doesn't hold yet a ticket or membership in the Communist Party. But this is a step to achieve the membership in the Communist Party.
And I think it is very important, which mother emphasizes, and I translated it in the FBI report, "idealist," which is not correct. So it is broken down first, pioneer. Second, the membership in the Youth Communist Party. Third, the candidate for the Communist Party. And this third step is eventually for this particular work.
Mr. Belin. As I understand it now, you say there are various stages to become a member of the Communist Party in Russia, is that correct?