His father was killed in World War II by the withdrawing Red Army, but his mother managed to escape with him to Russia and survive.
After finishing his studies in Saint Petersburg he returned to Riga and started working in several scientific institutions while also making inroads into the Chabad movement.
As a young scientist in Riga, Branover wrote philosophical essays questioning atheism, materialism, and determinism and seeking God.
Branover was the first Jew holding a Doctor of Science degree and the title of Full Professor to receive an exit visa to leave the USSR.
The late Sir Isaiah Berlin of Oxford was the first chief consultant of the encyclopedia, and the Israeli Ministry of Education helps support the project.
[citation needed] Under Branover's direction, SHAMIR established a well-accredited Jewish day school in Saint Petersburg.