 He was a member of Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, and a member of the Public Council of the Russian Jewish Congress.He was born into the family of engineer Boris Danilovich Dondurey and lawyer Faina Moiseevna Cher.In 1975-1981 he worked at the Institute of the History of Art, in 1981-1986 in the Scientific Research Institute of Culture of the RSFSR.