From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

A dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. In a religious context, the word has been used since 18th century, and in the political sense since 1940, coinciding with the rise of totalitarian systems, especially the Soviet Union.

* In memory of Alexander Solomonovich Pinsker (1937 -2017) who was forced to leave Soviet Union for political reasons in 1974.