Jumped overboard from a cruise ship to escape from USSR

The year is 1981. The Soviet Union's grip on its citizens is ironclad, escape seemingly impossible. While the West enjoyed relative freedom and prosperity, the countries behind the Iron Curtain experienced varying degrees of political repression, economic hardship, and limited personal liberties. Yet there were those who had a dream, an inner unstoppable force moved them to freedom and to their goals! One of them was the antagonist of this article oceanographer Stanislav Kurilov.

Kurilov's early maritime ambitions were dashed by a vision problem, rendering him ineligible for naval careers. Following military service, he pursued oceanography while exploring scuba diving, yoga, and meditation. Employed at the Institute of Oceanology and the Marine Biology Institute, he encountered constraints on overseas expeditions due to multiple factors.

Yoga and meditation helped Kurilov develop excellent physical and mental shape

Possible reasons included Kurilov's exposure to chemical warfare during military service, his father's status as a World War II prisoner of war, or Kurilov's "foreign connection" through his sister's marriage to an Indian citizen who later immigrated to Canada. Consequently, his fieldwork remained confined to Soviet coastal waters, specifically the Black Sea and Sea of Japan, focusing on Soviet underwater research stations in the Black Sea.

Resentment mounted when joint projects with Jacques-Yves Cousteau were thwarted by passport denials. Instead, the Soviets dispatched another group, "without diving experience, but with [exit] visas," prompting Cousteau to refuse collaboration.

Alas, all these rejections only intensified his yearning for freedom.

In December 1974, Kurilov boarded Soviet cruise liner “Sovetsky Soyuz”, leaving for a tour advertised as a "Cruise from the winter into the summer".

That same Soviet cruise liner “Sovetsky Soyuz"

Meticulously planning his escape, Kurilov studied the route of the cruise ship, which would pass through the Philippine Sea near Siargao Island. Armed with a snorkeling mask, fins, and an unwavering determination, he waited for the right moment. Under the cover of darkness, on December 13th, 1974, he took the plunge, leaping into the unforgiving ocean amidst stormy weather.

Due to problems with navigation and currents, the planned eighteen kilometers turned into almost a hundred.

For three agonizing days, Kurilov battled the waves, relying on his swimming skills and sheer willpower to stay afloat. Guided by the stars and the faint hope of reaching land, he defied hunger, exhaustion, and the ever-present fear of sharks. Miraculously, on the third day, a powerful wave propelled him onto the shores of Siargao Island, where he was found by local villagers.

Kurilov's escape sparked international attention, becoming a symbol of defiance against Soviet oppression. The story of his incredible journey captured the imagination of the world, highlighting the lengths people would go to for freedom. In the USSR he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for treason. But after a period of scrutiny by Philippine authorities, he was ultimately granted asylum in Canada, where he started a new life filled with the freedom he so desperately craved.

In Canada, Kurilov first worked as a laborer in a pizzeria, then worked for Canadian and American companies involved in marine research (searching for minerals in the Hawaiian Islands, working in the Arctic, oceanographic research in equatorial waters).

Map of the location and route of the cruise liner

In 1986, having married E. Gendeleva, he settled in Israel and became an employee of the Haifa Oceanographic Institute. In 1986, the Israeli magazine “22” published Kurilov’s story “Escape” in full. Excerpts from the story were published in 1991 in the Soviet-Russian magazine “Ogonyok”.

Kurilov died on January 29, 1998 while diving on Lake Tiberias in Israel. While freeing the equipment installed at the bottom from fishing nets, Kurilov got entangled in the nets and ran out of air. He was buried in Jerusalem in a little-known cemetery of the German Templer community.

Kurilov's story serves as a powerful reminder that the human spirit can overcome even the most formidable obstacles. His daring escape not only secured his own freedom but also became a beacon of hope for others yearning to break free from oppressive regimes. Even today, his tale continues to inspire and remind us that the pursuit of freedom is a journey worth taking, no matter the price.