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Podcast: Today In History with The Retrospectors
Episode: 'Nureyev's 'Leap To Freedom'
Description: Russia’s brightest ballet star, Rudolf Nureyev, evaded his KGB minders and defected from the USSR on 16th June, 1961.
According to feverish newspaper reports, the dancer dashed towards the barrier, proclaiming in English, "I want to be free," and was swiftly escorted to the airport police station, marking the start of his life in the West.
His defection, while fraught with personal sacrifice - including a potential permanent separation from his family and homeland - became a major propaganda victory in the Cold War, highlighting the repressive nature of th...