Mrs. Gibson. A very difficult time. I think he said it took him a year to be able to get out of Russia. He almost didn't make it. It scared him very much. He was supposed to give over his citizenship and become a citizen of Russia to be able to work there, but he didn't do this, and he was still able to work there. He didn't know why exactly, but they allowed him to work there anyway. But they kept pressuring him to give up his citizenship to be able to work in Russia, get working papers.
Mr. Jenner. Tell us more about that. Tell us everything you remember as to what he said about the fact that they pressured him to give up his citizenship so he could stay in Russia and work.
Mrs. Gibson. Well, I don't know how you consider pressuring him. They kept suggesting that he should give up his citizenship to be able to work in Russia; otherwise, why was he there? If he was there obviously he wanted to become a Russian. To be able to work in Russia you were supposed to be a Russian citizen. You had to give up your citizenship. And he kept objecting to this. I guess he was scared. He didn't really want to go as far as giving up his American citizenship.
Mr. Jenner. Did he say anything about his course of conduct when he first went to Russia, any attempted surrender by him of his citizenship at that time voluntarily?
Mrs. Gibson. No; I don't recall that he did say anything about voluntarily giving up his citizenship; no. He might have. I don't recall that.
Mr. Jenner. Was there any discussion as to how he met Marina; and their courtship and marriage?
Mrs. Gibson. There was. I don't remember too much of it. I think he met her in Minsk. I believe he was working there at a factory that manufactured television chassis, and he met her, I don't know exactly how. I think he met her when he was sick in the hospital. I don't know what was wrong with him. And they I guess went out from there, and I guess, I don't know how long they went out, and they got married.
Mr. Jenner. When you say "went out" you meant began to date?
Mrs. Gibson. Dating; yes. I don't know exactly what you do in Russia. And I think she wanted to come to the United States very badly.
Mr. Jenner. Would you elaborate on that, calling of course on your recollection of what was said which gave you these impressions? That is, what you learned from her or from conversations with him in her presence?