Baran, Henryk

Henryk Baran is a scholar, author, and professor currently at the State University of New York, Albany (SUNY) holding a position in the Department of Languages, Literature & Culture. He is particularly immersed in the Russian language and culture. He is also an authority on the 'career' of Protocols of Zion in the former Russian Empire. After attending the Bronx High School of Science, and achieving early admission to MIT, Prof. Baran received his B.S. in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1967. He received his M.A. in Slavic languages and Literature from Harvard University in 1969, and his Ph.D. in 1976. Of particular interest to historians of the notorious Protocols of Zion is Baran's presentation of his research on two individuals, Sergei Svatikov (1880–1942), and Alexandre du Chayla (1885–1945). The former was a historian, and a political figure. The latter was a French nobleman who converted to Russian Orthodoxy. Both played significant roles, on the side of the prosecution against the Protocols, at the Berne Trial of 1935. Until this presentation, not much was known about these individuals apart from their public participation at said trial. Prof. Baran made his presentation (in a paper) based on Western and Russian archival repositories. His paper presents new light on the relationship among Svatikov, Du Chayla, and on other individuals who either presented evidence or testified at the Berne Trial. Other individuals considered include Elias Tscherikower, a historian, and Vladimir Burtsev, a journalist and a political figure.