Russell Rascislav Zavistovich[a] (June 2, 1928 – December 20, 2000) was one of the leaders of the Belarusian American community in 1990–2000.
After several years in displaced persons camps, in 1948 the family moved to the United States and settled in South River, New Jersey.
[1] In the early 1950s he was drafted in the US Army and served in Germany[2] in the 313th Military Intelligence Service Platoon[1] After demobilization, Zavistovich returned to the United States and studied at Rutgers University in New Jersey, graduating with a degree in electronics engineering.
He attended White House meetings on the Belarusian issues,[1] held correspondence with President Bill Clinton and assisted the newly established embassy of the independent Republic of Belarus in Washington, D.C.[2] After President Aliaksandr Lukashenka established his authoritarian regime in Belarus, Zavistovich actively criticized him in a number of articles.
[1] Zavistovich served as an honorary member of the host committee for the NATO 50th anniversary summit.