Soon after the formation of the Soviet Union, emigration restrictions were put in place to keep citizens from leaving the various countries of the Soviet Socialist Republics,[1] though some defections still occurred. During and after World War II, similar restrictions were put in place in non-Soviet countries of the Eastern Bloc,[2] which consisted of the Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe (except for non-aligned Yugoslavia).[3][4]

Until 1952, however, the Inner German border between East Germany and West Germany could be easily crossed in most places.[5] Accordingly, before 1961, most of that east–west flow took place between East and West Germany, with over 3.5 million East Germans emigrating to West Germany before 1961.[6][7] On August 13, 1961, a barbed-wire barrier, which would become the Berlin Wall separating East and West Berlin, was erected by East Germany.[8]

Although international movement was, for the most part, strictly controlled, there was a steady loss through escapees who were able to use ingenious methods to evade frontier security.[9] Numerous notable Eastern Bloc citizens defected to non-Eastern Bloc countries.[10]

The following list of Eastern Bloc defectors contains notable defectors from East Germany, the Soviet Union, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Albania before those countries' conversions from Communist states in the early 1990s.

List of defections

Defections violating emigration restrictions of the Eastern Bloc countries
Defector Profession/
Prominence
Birthplace Year Notes
George BalanchinechoreographerRussia1924Defected during tour of Germany to the Weimar Republic
Boris BazhanovPolitburo SecretaryRussia1928Defected to France via Iran and India
Georges AgabekovOGPUTurkmenistan1930Defected in France; led the manhunt for Bazhanov before defecting
Grigol RobakidzeauthorGeorgia1930Defected to Germany; primarily known for his exotic prose and anti-Soviet émigré activities
Tatiana TchernavinwriterRussia1932Fled from USSR with her husband Vladimir Tchernavin (physicist, writer) and her son Andrei through Karelia to Finland and then to the United Kingdom. (She and her son visited her husband in a gulag prison, then fled together). She wrote a book about their experience: 'Escape from the Soviets' and her husband wrote another: 'I Speak For the Silent Prisoners of the Soviets'
George GamowphysicistUkraine1933First tried to kayak across the Black Sea; defected in Brussels, Belgium; later discovered alpha decay via quantum tunneling
Ignace ReissNKVDRussia1937Former spy of Soviet intelligence services; assassinated by NKVD
Walter KrivitskyNKVDRussia1937Defected in Paris after assassination of Reiss; apparent 1941 suicide in the United States may have been an NKVD assassination
Alexander OrlovNKVDBelarus1938Fled while stationed in Spain to avoid execution in the Great Purge
Genrikh LyushkovNKVDRussia1938Crossed the border into Manchukuo with secret documents; family arrested and sent to the gulag, where several died
Aron SheinmanDirector of the London department of IntouristRussia1939Was recalled from London, refused to return to the USSR.
Abdurakhman AvtorkhanovauthorRussia1942Sent to infiltrate anti-Soviet Chechens, he joined them instead
Nasreddin Murat-Khanarchitect/engineerRussia1944Fled to evade religious persecution. Defected in Berlin, Germany; then to Pakistan in 1950 where he was given refuge and citizenship. In honour of his new home, Pakistan; he designed and constructed the Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore, which stands as a national symbol of the country to this day. He also constructed the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore and Nishtar Medical University in Multan.
Victor KravchenkoengineerUkraine1944Soviet engineer who witnessed horrors of the Holodomor; defected while serving in the Soviet Purchasing Agency in Washington, D.C., in the United States
G. M. DimitrovpoliticianBulgaria1945Saved from execution by U.S. ambassador; later founded anti-Communist organizations
Fedir Bohatyrchukchess player, medical doctorUSSR1945Former Soviet chess champion eventually immigrated to Canada, where he became a professor of medicine, and resumed his competitive chess
Géza Füsterchess playerHungary1945Defected through East Berlin with friend Pal Benko who was caught and jailed for three years
Igor GouzenkoGRURussia1945Defected in Ottawa, Canada; helped uncover Communist spy rings
Konstantin VolkovNKVDRussia1945Deputy head of the NKVD in Istanbul, Turkey; contacted the British Istanbul consulate about defection, was arrested by the Soviets and disappeared forever (possibly executed)
Valeri Tihonovitch MinakovRussia1945Escaped from Siberia across the Bering Sea in a small boat with his 6-year-old son Oleg. He was assisted by Eskimos of Savoonga and Gambell on St. Lawrence Island. Shortly afterward, 14 Siberians arrived for "a visit" and questioned inhabitants whether they had seen a "white Russian".[11]
Anatoli GranovskyMGB agentRussia1946Defected in Stockholm, Sweden and later wrote an autobiography
Grigori Tokatyscientist and politicianOssetia1947Secretly worked with an underground opposition group in the USSR. Afraid that his ties to the underground would be discovered, he defected to the British Sector of Occupied Berlin, and arrived in the United Kingdom in 1947. He later worked in the Information Research Department, helping disseminate anti-communist propaganda.[12]
Jan ČepwriterCzechoslovakia1948Defected to France; poet friend who stayed behind was jailed for 13 years for "anti-socialist thinking"
Nesti Josifi KopaliChief of Sigurimi Albanian security service in RomeAlbania1949Offered himself to the U.S. Embassy in Rome in late 1949, but was rejected, so he turned to Italian Intelligence. After a couple of months of interrogation, he was turned over to the CIA, which flew him to Washington, D.C., for debriefing. Kopali had, among his other anti-western assignments in 1946–47, tried and failed to set up a liaison with the editor of an ethnic newspaper in Boston. In 1950, Kopali provided some valuable information about Albanian security and military matters, but not enough for the U.S. government to offer him political asylum and resettlement in the United States. He was ultimately flown back to Germany.[13]
Alena Vrzáňováfigure skaterCzechoslovakia1950Defected during 1950 World Championships in London
Josef Buršíktank commanderCzechoslovakia1950Escaped from prison to West Germany and later the United Kingdom. After the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, Buršík returned his Hero of the Soviet Union medal to the Soviet embassy in London.
Czesław MiłoszauthorPoland1951Defected to France after serving as a Polish diplomat and later settled in the United States
Istvan RabovskydancerHungary1953Escaped with wife Nora Kovach to West Berlin on an East Berlin tour
Franciszek JareckipilotPoland1953Flew a MiG-15 from Słupsk, Poland to Rønne Airport on the Danish island of Bornholm
Józef ŚwiatłoUB agentPoland1953Defected on a mission in East Berlin; he went on to reveal in Radio Free Europe broadcasts the internal struggle in the Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR) and the true face of the Security Office (UB). One result of his escape was the liquidation of the Ministry of Security (MBP).
Nikolai KhokhlovKGBRussia1953Refused to assassinate George Okolovich; defected in West Germany and survived a KGB assassination attempt in 1957
Nora KovachdancerHungary1953Escaped with husband Istvan Rabovsky to West Berlin on an East Berlin tour
Andrzej PanufnikcomposerPoland1954Escaped Polish secret police in nighttime taxi chase in Zürich, Switzerland, then defected to the United Kingdom while in London
Peter DeriabinKGB majorRussia1954KGB major and personnel officer who contacted U.S. intelligence in Vienna and was exfiltrated through the "Mozart Express" military train; worked with CIA for years afterwards
Vladimir PetrovdiplomatRussia1954Husband of undercover KGB agent Evdokia Petrova; defected on a mission in Australia; started the Petrov Affair
Evdokia PetrovaKGB agentRussia1954Undercover KGB agent who was the wife of Vladimir Petrov; defected in Australia during the Petrov Affair
Béla Bergerchess playerHungary1956Defected during Hungarian Revolution of 1956 to Australia
Ferenc Puskásfootball playerHungary1956Defected during the 1956–57 European Cup in Madrid, Spain
Imre Lakatosphilosopher of scienceHungary1956Fled to Vienna, Austria, and later to the United Kingdom after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Jenő Kalmárfootball playerHungary1956Defected during the 1956–57 European Cup in Madrid, Spain, then went to Switzerland
József MindszentyCardinalHungary1956Fled to U.S. Embassy in Budapest during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956; later moved to Austria
Sándor Kocsisfootball playerHungary1956Defected during the 1956–57 European Cup in Madrid, Spain, then went to Switzerland
Zoltán Cziborfootball playerHungary1956Fled to Spain during Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Ágnes Keletiartistic gymnastHungary1956Defected in Melbourne, Australia, during 1956 Summer Olympics
Christo Javacheffenvironmental artistBulgaria1957Escaped from Czechoslovakia to Austria
Reino HäyhänenKGB agentRussia1957Defected in Paris after spending several years spying undercover in the west
Pal Benkochess playerHungary1957Defected in Reykjavik following the World Student Team Championship
Nicholas Shadrinnaval officerRussia1959Defected in Sweden; later allegedly killed by the KGB
Alexander PetrovichphotographerRussia1960Defected through Iran and India; settled in Tampa, United States
Ernst Degnermotorcycle racerEast Germany1961Defected once he knew that his wife and two children had already escaped to West Germany in a car trunk. Degner, who was familiar with MZ Motorcycles' loop scavenging technique secrets, drove his car from the Swedish Grand Prix to Denmark, then on to West Germany.[14]
Michael GoleniewskiSB MSWPoland1961Defected in West Germany; sentenced to death after defection. Subsequently, worked for the CIA. Before he defected, he had spied for the CIA under the cover name Sniper, but the CIA did not know his identity until his escape.
Anatoliy GolitsynKGB agentUkraine1961Defected to the United States from Helsinki, Finland via Sweden and West Germany with his wife and daughter when he was stationed in Helsinki; made sensational claims after his defection
Rudolf Nureyevballet dancerRussia1961Defected on tour in Paris
Jonas Pleškyssubmarine tender captainLithuania1961Sailed vessel to Sweden; was sentenced to death and the CIA hid him from the USSR.
Valentin PoénarumathematicianRomania1961Defected at conference in Stockholm, Sweden; known for low-dimensional topology
Emil Poklitarfootball playerEast Germany1961Football player of SC Dynamo Berlin. Defected together with teammate Rolf Starost after a friendly match against Boldklubben af 1893 in Copenhagen.
Rolf Starostfootball playerEast Germany1961Football player of SC Dynamo Berlin. Defected together with Emil Poklitar after a friendly match against Boldklubben af 1893 in Copenhagen.
Conrad Schumannborder guardEast Germany1961Photographed jumping the Berlin Wall during construction
Bohdan StashynskyKGB agentUkraine1961Defected in West Berlin; assassinated Lev Rebet and Stepan Bandera before defection
Petr BeckmannphysicistCzechoslovakia1963Defected as visiting professor to University of Colorado in the United States; became a proponent of libertarianism and nuclear energy
Yuri KrotkovKGB agentGeorgia1963Defected while an undercover agent in London; later became a novelist
Gabor BallamarksmanHungary1964Defected in Tokyo during the 1964 Summer Olympics
András Törőflatwater canoe athleteHungary1964Defected in Tokyo, Japan, during the 1964 Summer Olympics
Paul Barbă Neagrăfilm directorRomania1964Defected in Tours, France
Yuri NosenkoKGB agentUkraine1964Defected in Washington, D.C., United States; for years, the CIA thought he might be a double agent
Michael Polywkafootball playerEast Germany1966Fled after a match in Sweden; traveled to West Germany
Ivan DivišpoetCzechoslovakia1967Fled after Prague Spring to West Germany and worked for Radio Free Europe
Svetlana AlliluyevaJoseph Stalin's daughterRussia1967Defected to the United States via New Delhi, India; denounced the former regime of her late father Joseph Stalin, but softened her criticism of him in the 1980s[15]
Anatoly KuznetsovauthorUkraine1968Defected after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia while doing research in London to the United Kingdom
Jan ŠejnaGeneralCzechoslovakia1968Fled after Prague Spring to the United States.
Miloš Formanfilm director and actorCzechoslovakia1968Defected to the United States when the USSR and its Warsaw Pact allies invaded the country to end the Prague Spring; known for directing One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus.
Vladimir OravskyWriterCzechoslovakia1968Fled after Prague Spring to Sweden
Cornel ChiriacjournalistRomania1969Defected to Austria with fake invitation
Georgi MarkovplaywrightBulgaria1969Fled to Italy after ban on plays; assassinated in London in 1978
Jerzy Lewichess playerPoland1969Defected during tournament in Athens, Greece; traveled to Sweden
Ladislav BittmanCzech state security, disinformationCzechoslovakia1969Became a professor at Boston University, lecturing on disinformation and propaganda.
Josef FrolíkCzech state securityCzechoslovakia1969Defected from Bulgaria to Turkey on a boat, moved by the CIA to the United States
Simonas "Simas" KudirkaseamanLithuania1970Leaped from a Soviet ship to a United States Coast Guard ship
Natalia Makarovaballet dancerRussia1970Defected on ballet tour in London; later won a Tony Award[16]
Yuri BezmenovKGB propaganda agentRussia1970Left his KGB station in India disguised as a hippie, traveled to Greece, was debriefed in the United States, but refused to stay in the country because of KGB infiltration of the CIA, and was granted asylum in Canada
Oleg LyalinKGB agentRussia1971Defected in London, after being arrested there; exposed dozens of KGB agents in the city
Vasek Matousekfigure skaterCzechoslovakia1972
Ioan P. CulianuphilosopherRomania1972Defected during lectures in Italy. He was murdered in the United States in 1991, and speculation arose that it was at the hands of former Securitate personnel.
Alexander ElderauthorRussia1974Jumped from a Soviet ship, on which he was working as a doctor, while it was off the Ivory Coast; he later traveled to the United States
Mikhail Baryshnikovballet dancerLatvia1974Defected during a tour in Toronto, Canada
Paul NevaimathematicianHungary1974Defected in Paris; emigrated to the United States in 1976
Stanislav KurilovoceanographerUSSR1974While on a "cruise to nowhere" in the open ocean, jumped into the sea and swam to the Philippine coast, many kilometers away
Václav Nedomanskýhockey playerCzechoslovakia1974Defected during a vacation in Switzerland
Martina Navratilovatennis playerCzechoslovakia1975Defected at the 1975 US Open in the United States
Jürgen Pahlfootball playerEast Germany1976Fled with Norbert Nachtweih after an under-21 match in Turkey; traveled to West Germany
Norbert Nachtweihfootball playerEast Germany1976Fled with Jürgen Pahl after an under-21 match in Turkey; traveled to West Germany
Viktor BelenkopilotRussia1976Flew a MiG-25 from Chuguyevka, Russia to Hakodate, Japan
Viktor Korchnoichess playerRussia1976First Soviet Grandmaster to defect; fled following a tournament in Amsterdam, Netherlands[17]
Youri EgorovpianistRussia1976Fled during a tour in Rome, Italy
Vladimir Rezun (Viktor Suvorov)GRU / authorRussia1978GRU military intelligence officer who defected to the United Kingdom while working under UN cover in Switzerland
Arkady ShevchenkoUN Undersecretary GeneralUkraine1978Spied for the United States for three years before defection. His wife in Moscow died two months after his defection, purportedly of suicide.
Kirill KondrashinconductorRussia1978Defected in December 1978 while touring in the Netherlands and sought political asylum there.
Ion Mihai PacepaSecuritate agentRomania1978Two-star Romanian Securitate general and personal advisor to Nicolae Ceauşescu; defected in the American Embassy in Bonn, West Germany. He was sentenced to death twice in absentia with a $2 million bounty. Carlos the Jackal was sent to assassinate him.
Matei Pavel HaiducuSecuritate agentRomania1978Defected to France in 1981 while on an industrial espionage mission. He was sentenced to death in absentia.
Imants LešinskisKGB agentLatvia1978Defected to United States while working at UN.
Alexander Godunovballet dancerRussia1979Defected on a ballet tour in New York City while in JFK International Airport in Queens; later became an actor, playing among other roles a terrorist in Die Hard[18]
Werner StillerStasi agentEast Germany1979Defected to West Germany after stealing state secrets
Jörg Bergerfootball coachEast Germany1979Used a match with the East Germany youth national football team in Yugoslavia to flee to West Germany
Leonid Kozlovballet dancerRussia1979Defected with wife Valentina Kozlov during their company's tour in Los Angeles, United States
Valentina Kozlovaballet dancerRussia1979Defected with husband Leonid Kozlov during their company's tour in Los Angeles, United States
Lev Alburtchess playerRussia1979Soviet chess grandmaster; defected to the United States, where he won the U.S. chess Championship three times
Ludmila Belousovafigure skaterRussia1979Defected while in Switzerland
Lutz Eigendorffootball playerEast Germany1979Football player of BFC Dynamo. Fled during a match in West Germany; died in a car accident in 1983, allegedly assassinated by the Stasi.
Oleg Protopopovfigure skaterRussia1979Defected with Ludmila Belousova while on tour in Switzerland
Stanislav LevchenkoKGB agentRussia1979Defected during a mission in Tokyo, Japan; detailed KGB's Japanese spy network
Vladas Česiūnassprint canoe athleteLithuania1979Defected during world championships in the Frankfurt Airport in West Germany; recaptured by the KGB[19]
Anton Šťastnýhockey playerCzechoslovakia1980Defected with brother Peter during European Cup tournament in Innsbruck, Austria
Igor Vasilyevich Ivanovchess playerRussia1980Ran from KGB agents when his plane made an emergency stop in Gander, Canada
Peter Šťastnýhockey playerCzechoslovakia1980Defected with his wife and brother Anton during European Cup tournament in Innsbruck, Austria
Sulamith Messererballet dancerRussia1980Sister's husband purged; defected to Britain at the age of 72 to coach ballet
Walter Polovchakunderage defectorUkraine1980Fled from his parents when they were about to return to the Ukrainian SSR. Granted political asylum as a naturalized U.S. citizen upon turning 18 on October 3, 1985. Had been subject of lengthy political cause célèbre during the preceding five years.
Maxim ShostakovichconductorRussia1981Defected on tour in West Germany with his son[20]
Romuald SpasowskiambassadorPoland1981Defected when martial law was declared in Poland in 1981
Zdzisław RurarzambassadorPoland1981Defected to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo with Spasowski following the Polish United Workers' Party's declaration of martial law.[21]
Ryszard KuklińskicolonelPoland1981Spied for the United States for 10 years after the 1970 massacre of Polish workers. Later defected to United States and was sentenced to death in absentia. Died of a stroke. Sentence was annulled in 1998 by the Polish Supreme Court.
Vladimir Tismăneanupolitical scientistRomania1981Defected in Spain on an authorized trip with his mother to visit site of father's battles
Miroslav Fryčerhockey playerCzechoslovakia1981Defected to Canada while at a tournament with the Czechoslovakia men's national ice hockey team in Bern, Switzerland[22]
Clifford Kettemboroughmathematician, computer scientistRomania1982Defected to Turkey, then Austria, via Bulgaria before emigrating to the United States in June 1983
Vladimir KuzichkinKGB agentRussia1982Defected to a British intelligence Tehran station and then to the United Kingdom
Gega KobakhidzeactorGeorgia1983Hijacked Aeroflot Flight 6833; tried to defect to Turkey and was arrested
Falko Götzfootball playerEast Germany1983Football player of BFC Dynamo. Fled before a match in Yugoslavia together with teammate Dirk Schlegel; traveled to West Germany[23]
Dirk Schlegelfootball playerEast Germany1983Football player of BFC Dynamo. Fled before a match in Yugoslavia together with Falko Götz; traveled to West Germany[23]
Vakhtang JordaniaconductorGeorgia1983Defected while on tour with Victoria Mullova via Kuusamo, Finland and Haparanda, Sweden, to the United States
Viktoria MullovaviolinistRussia1983Defected in a tour with Vakhtang Jordania via Kuusamo, Finland, and Haparanda, Sweden, to the United States
Oleg BitoveditorRussia1983Foreign editor of Literaturnaya Gazeta; defected in Venice, Italy, to the United Kingdom[24]
Dariusz Janczewskitrack and field athletePoland1984Left a hotel room in the middle of the night while in Turin, Italy, at an international track meet; spent several months in a refugee camp in Italy before relocating to the United States
Vasily Matuzok Diplomatic translator Russia 1984 Translator at the Soviet embassy in Pyongyang. Defected during a guided tour of the Korean Joint Security Area by running across the demarcation line from North Korea to South Korea.
Valdo RandpereDeputy Minister of JusticeEstonia1984Defected via Kotka, Finland to Sweden; fled a Soviet crackdown on Estonian nationalism
Ivo Zdarskyaviation engineering studentCzechoslovakia1984Defected from Czechoslovakia after he created a homemade aircraft, flying to Vienna International Airport. Subsequently, settled in the United States and founded the Ivoprop corporation.
Ladislav Patakisports scientistCzechoslovakia1985Defected to the United States via Rome, Italy; "the highest-ranking Soviet-bloc sports scientist ever to defect to the West"
Milan Švecembassy employeeCzechoslovakia1985Defected in Washington, D.C., where he was Minister-Counselor at the Czechoslovak embassy; later became a commentator on east–west relations
Oleg GordievskyKGB agentRussia1985Defected to the United Kingdom via Finland; became MI6 double agent after the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia; sentenced to death in absentia
Vitaly YurchenkoKGB agentRussia1985Defected in Rome, Italy; exposed two KGB/CIA double agents, Ronald Pelton and Edward Lee Howard; ended up back in the KGB
Mircea FlorianmusicianRomania1986Defected while in the United States on an authorized visit for a performance
Frank Lippmannfootball playerEast Germany1986Football player of SG Dynamo Dresden. Fled after a match against FC Bayer 05 Uerdingen in the quarter finals of the 1985–86 European Cup Winners' Cup.
Naim SüleymanoğluweightlifterBulgaria1986Defected during World Cup final in Melbourne, Australia; traveled to Turkey
Vyacheslav Polozovopera singerUSSR1986Defected during a Madama Butterfly singing competition in Tokyo, Japan
Mihai Smighelschiair force cadetRomania1987Flew his Aero L-39ZA Albatros jet trainer aircraft from Buzău, Romania to near Kirklareli, Turkey, where he landed on a dirt road[25]
Tamás Budaysprint canoe athleteHungary1987Defected to Canada
Jürgen Sparwasserfootball playerEast Germany1988Defected to the West Germany while taking part in a veterans' tournament in Saarbrücken.
Mihai Șubăchess playerRomania1988Defected to the United Kingdom during the 1988 Lloyds Bank chess tournament in London
Miodrag Belodedicifootball playerRomania1988Defected to Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Luboš Kubíkfootball playerCzechoslovakia1988Defected from a Czechoslovakia national football team training camp in West Germany to Belgium alongside Ivo Knoflíček. Eventually settled in Italy after signing for Fiorentina.
Ivo Knoflíčekfootball playerCzechoslovakia1988Defected from a Czechoslovakia national football team training camp in West Germany to Belgium alongside Luboš Kubík. Eventually settled in West Germany after signing for St. Pauli
Aleksandr ZuyevpilotRussia1989Flew Mikoyan MiG-29 to Trabzon, Turkey
Alexander Mogilnyhockey playerRussia1989Defected after World Championships in Sweden
Kalinikos Kreangatable tennis playerRomania1989Defected in Luxembourg during youth table tennis championship
Mihai Apostolsprint canoe athleteRomania1989-
Nadia ComănecigymnastRomania1989Defected weeks before the Romanian Revolution to Austria
Cristian Raducanurugby playerRomania1989-
Petr Nedvědhockey playerCzechoslovakia1989Defected during a midget hockey tournament in Calgary, Canada
Vladimir Pasechnikbioweapons engineerRussia1989Defected in Paris, France, to warn the West about the Soviet biological weapons program
Zuo Xiukaimilitary officerChina1989Defected to South Korea from his post at the Joint Security Area[26]
Richard KruspemusicianEast Germany1989Defected to West Germany after political imprisonment
Marco Köllerfootball playerEast Germany1989Football player of BFC Dynamo, left for West Germany only a short time before the fall of the Berlin Wall.[27]
Gorsha Surice dancerRussia1990Defected to the United States while on tour with a Soviet troupe
Sergei Fedorovhockey playerRussia1990Defected in Seattle, United States during Goodwill Games
Vitali VitalievauthorUkraine1990Became a regular on BBC television in the United Kingdom

Defections after 1991

Notable defections after 1991 regarding Eastern Bloc intelligence
Defector Profession/
Prominence
Birthplace Year Notes
Kanatjan Alibekov Bioweapons chief Kazakhstan 1992 Former director of Biopreparat; defected to United States
Stanislav Lunev GRU agent Russia 1992 Defected to the United States; revealed KGB weapons caches in the west
Vasili Mitrokhin KGB agent Russia 1992 KGB archivist who was shocked by records of Soviet political repression; defected in Riga, Latvia to British Embassy
Sergei Tretyakov SVR (foreign intelligence service) Russia 2000 Defected in New York City to CIA; Deputy Resident Station Chief in New York City; revealed many political and intelligence secrets from the Russian Federation; sudden death occurred in Sarasota County, Florida, on June 13, 2010; foul play has been alleged
Alexander Litvinenko FSB agent Russia 2000 FSB officer exposed crimes ordered by Vladimir Putin; defected in London, United Kingdom; assassinated
Denis Sharonov Former agriculture minister of the Komi Republic Russia 2022 Defected to the United States via Kyrgyzstan, the UAE and Mexico to avoid conscription in the Russian army following the invasion of Ukraine, which he blamed on his falling out with officials of the regional government.[28]
Maksim Kuzminov Pilot Russia 2023 Attack pilot of the 319th Separate Helicopter Regiment of the Eastern Military District;[29] defected to Ukraine in Mi-8AMTSh helicopter during the Russian invasion.[30]

See also

Notes

  1. Dowty 1989, p. 69
  2. Dowty 1989, p. 114
  3. Eastern bloc, The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005.
  4. Hirsch, Donald, Joseph F. Kett, James S. Trefil, The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2002, ISBN 0-618-22647-8, page 230
  5. Dowty 1989, p. 121
  6. Mynz 1995, p. 2.2.1
  7. Senate Chancellery, Governing Mayor of Berlin, The construction of the Berlin Wall Archived 2014-04-02 at the Wayback Machine states "Between 1945 and 1961, around 3.6 million people left the Soviet zone and East Berlin"
  8. Pearson 1998, p. 75
  9. Turnock 1997, p. 19
  10. Krasnov 1985, p. 2
  11. ALASKA magazine June 1971, and July 1972, articles by Frank J. Daugherty
  12. "Professor Grigori Tokaty". The Independent. 2003-11-25. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  13. G.S. Trice, Specialist/4, Dossier Number H8047134, U.S. Army Investigative Records Repository, 7 March 1974: contains such CIC records of Nesti Josifi Kopali as IDENTIFICATION F-2542 (11 Jan 1952), D-296877 (1 Nov 1951), File II-5092 (14 June 1951 – 18 Sept 1951). While these documents are the only known paperwork available to the public, various government officials active during the early 1950s acknowledged knowing about Kopali and some of his zany behavior.
  14. TEAM SUZUKI by Ray Battersby (2008) Parker House Publishing ISBN 0-9796891-5-5
  15. "Sovietologist Leopold Labedz, who met her in 1968, first noticed it in 1981: "She was getting soft on papochka." Once she had acknowledged Stalin's personal responsibility for the death of millions; now she called him a prisoner of Communist ideology. Her new book contained hardly any criticism of her father. She probably felt she had betrayed him. "My father would have shot me for what I have done", she often said during her final year in Britain." Patricia Blake, Time, 28 January 1985
  16. Natalia Makarova Dances Again With the Kirov. The New York Times, August 8, 1988
  17. Raymond Keene. Viktor Korchnoi: Fearless Competitor of World chess. Archived 2007-10-29 at the Wayback Machine chessville.com
  18. Turmoil on the Tarmac. Time magazine, September 3, 1979
  19. KGB Kidnapping. Time magazine, October 22, 1979
  20. Russians Call Defection Of Shostakovich 'Personal'. The New York Times, April 28, 1981
  21. "Rurarz (Zdzislaw) papers". oac.cdlib.org. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  22. "Two transplants and the wild hockey life of Miroslav Fryčer". Toronto Sun. 27 October 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  23. 1 2 Dirk Schlegel and Falko Götz: The East Berlin footballers who fled from the Stasi, BBC Sport, 5 November 2019
  24. "A Soviet Defector Is Granted Permission to Stay in Britain". The New York Times. Associated Press. October 26, 1983. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  25. "Evadare din comunism cu avionul de vânătoare". adevarul.ro. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  26. "Chinese Army Major Defects To South Korea With His Wife". The New York Times. July 30, 1989.
  27. Karas, Steffen (2022). 66 Jahre BFC Dynamo – Auswärts mit 'nem Bus (2nd ed.). Berlin: CULTURCON medien, Sole trader: Bernd Oeljeschläger. p. 135. ISBN 978-3-944068-95-4.
  28. Sauer, Pjotr (9 June 2023). "'One big adventure': the Russian minister who fled the draft to drive trucks in the US". The Guardian.
  29. Kostenko, Josh Pennington,Maria (2023-09-04). "'Let's give it a try,' recalls Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine in his military helicopter". CNN. Retrieved 2023-11-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  30. Nikolaienko, Matthew Luxmoore and Nikita. "Russian Pilot Describes Defection to Ukraine, Urges Others to Follow". WSJ. Retrieved 2023-11-16.

References

  • Böcker, Anita (1998), Regulation of Migration: International Experiences, Het Spinhuis, ISBN 90-5589-095-2
  • Council of Europe (1992), People on the move: new migration flows in Europe, Council of Europe, ISBN 92-871-2021-8
  • Dowty, Alan (1989), Closed Borders: The Contemporary Assault on Freedom of Movement, Yale University Press, ISBN 0-300-04498-4
  • Dowty, Alan (1988), "The Assault on Freedom of Emigration", World Affairs, 151 (2)
  • Krasnov, Vladislav (1985), Soviet Defectors: The KGB Wanted List, Hoover Institution Press, ISBN 0-8179-8231-0
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