he v ' s ▁comment aries ▁in ▁the ▁Sydney ▁Mor ning ▁Her ald ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁national ▁radio ▁and ▁television ▁established ▁him ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁pre - em inent ▁comment ators ▁on ▁Soviet ▁and ▁Russian ▁affairs . ▁His ▁work ▁as ▁an ▁interpreter ▁with ▁American ▁and ▁Russian ▁scient ists ▁in ▁the ▁ 8 0 ’ s ▁and ▁ 9 0 ’ s ▁in ▁the ▁areas ▁of ▁brain / mind ▁interaction ▁provided ▁him ▁with ▁a ▁wealth ▁of ▁material ▁for ▁his ▁book ▁Project ▁N ir v ana . ▁ ▁Report edly , ▁when ▁Pat rus he v ▁visited ▁his ▁native ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁ 2 8 ▁years ▁- ▁" the ▁country ▁which , ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁weeks ▁before ▁his ▁return , ▁over turn ed ▁the ▁death ▁penalty ▁im posed ▁on ▁him ▁for ▁his ▁dram atic ▁escape ▁abroad ▁all ▁those ▁years ▁ago " ▁- ▁he ▁was ▁taken ▁away ▁by ▁gu ards ▁and ▁det ained ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁eight ▁hours ▁when ▁he ▁first ▁arrived ▁at ▁Moscow ▁Airport . ▁He ▁had ▁made ▁the ▁trip ▁to ▁visit ▁relatives , ▁mainly ▁in ▁his ▁native ▁Si ber ia , ▁and ▁make ▁contacts ▁for ▁the ▁network , ▁which ▁teach es ▁conflict ▁resolution ▁skills ▁under ▁the ▁aus p ices ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁Association ▁of ▁Australia . ▁Although ▁both ▁Soviet ▁and ▁Australian ▁authorities ▁had ▁assured ▁Pat rus he v ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁safe ▁for ▁him ▁to ▁travel ▁to ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁on ▁his ▁Australian ▁pass port , ▁he ▁was ▁still ▁det ained ,