otkaznik means synonym of refusenik. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 82 out of 100.
Why “otkaznik” is a great word
OTKAZNIK — [Noun] A person, especially a Soviet Jew, who was refused official permission to emigrate from the USSR. From Russian отка́зник (otkáznik), from отка́з (otkáz, 'refusal') + -ник (-nik, agent suffix). The English term 'refusenik' is a partial translation of this Russian word, first attested in English in 1973. Unlike "dissident," which denotes active opposition to a regime, or "émigré," which celebrates successful departure, an otkaznik is defined by a state-imposed limbo—a passive identity forged by a bureaucratic "no." It is the texture of a repeatedly handled, un-stamped visa application; the suitcase perpetually half-packed in the hallway; the peculiar warmth of a communal apartment made a prison by paperwork. To be an otkaznik was to live in the permanent chill of a door just closed.
noun
- Synonym of refusenik.“[Kiril] Khenkin said in a talk in his apartment that he can’t speak for all the otkazniki, but that his case is “fairly typical” of Jews denied exit visas for what they consider arbitrary reasons.”