In the former Soviet republic, there was the constant eavesdropping. The mysterious ransacking of his apartment. The whisper campaigns about his private life. The midnight escape across the border of his homeland into Poland. "Incredibly relieved, are you kidding" is how Tourchin, 35, a former businessman, said he felt upon arriving in New York City -- "the home of the free" -- on an August day in 1996. Copyright © Newsday, Inc. Produced by Newsday Electronic Publishing.