In memoriam:
Liza Semyonov (November 20, 1955 – June 4, 2026)
In early January 1982, Liza and her husband Alexey Semyonov began their honeymoon amid freezing temperatures in Butte, Montana. The unorthodox choice of destination had a particular logic: it was in Butte, in June 1981, that the couple had been married — except that the bride had not been present. Montana is one of the states that permit marriage by proxy, and the couple had desperately hoped that the Soviet authorities would allow Liza to leave the Soviet Union and join her husband in the United States.
When it became clear that the Soviet authorities would not relent, Alexey’s mother Elena Bonner and her husband Andrei Sakharov began a hunger strike, demanding that the authorities stop destroying the lives of a young couple whose only wish was to be together. The fight for Liza resonated around the world, with spontaneous protests outside Soviet embassies — demonstrators carrying signs reading “Visa for Liza.”
After seventeen days, the Soviet authorities yielded to international pressure and issued Liza’s exit visa.
On the couple’s arrival in Butte, they were greeted with snow flurries and a letter from President Reagan — requested by Senator Max Baucus of Montana, and one that, given the political weight of the moment, had to be cleared by the National Security Council before it could be sent:
“Dear Liza and Alexey, Mrs. Reagan and I join the community of Butte, Mont., in sending you our warm welcome. We are delighted to share in this special time with you and to send our best wishes for every joy and blessing in your life together. God bless you.”
With that, the couple settled into life together: welcoming two children into the world, watching them grow, and delighting in a family that would eventually encompass seven grandchildren. And, throughout it all, dancing — Liza and Alexey were accomplished amateur tango dancers who performed competitively and never stopped.
“Life often felt unjust, but death is the greatest injustice of all” — a thought Andrei Sakharov returned to more than once. Today, it feels very close. Liza left us too young: always beautiful and graceful, sharp, intellectually alive, endlessly interesting and genuinely interested in others. At this Foundation, everyone knew and adored her. Some had known her for decades; several, for more than half a century. We all feel the loss deeply, and offer our most heartfelt condolences to Alexey, their children and grandchildren, and the whole family.
