Simas Kudirka

{{Infobox person

| name = Simas Kudirka

| image = Simas Kudirka, KGB Photo.jpg

| alt =

| caption = KGB prison photo

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1930|04|09}}

| birth_place = Griškabūdis, Lithuania

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2023|02|11|1930|04|09}}

| death_place = Pilviškiai, Lithuania

| nationality = Lithuanian

| other_names =

| occupation = Sailor

| years_active =

| known_for =

| notable_works =

| education = {{ill|Lithuanian Maritime Academy|lt|Lietuvos aukštoji jūreivystės mokykla}}

}}

Simas Kudirka (9 April 1930 – 11 February 2023) was a Lithuanian sailor.{{cite encyclopedia |first= |last= |date=13 February 2023 |orig-year=2018 |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/simas-kudirka/ |title=Simas Kudirka |encyclopedia=Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija |publisher=Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos centras |language=lt |access-date=15 February 2023}} He is best known for the attempted defection from the Soviet Union in 1970 and subsequent activism against the Soviet regime in Lithuania. An important outcome of the incident was the creation of the improved guidelines for handling defections by American officials.

Biography

Born in Griškabūdis{{cite news |last1=Barnicle |first1=Mike |title=Lithuania's Agony and Then Freedom |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-simas-kudirka-1/130507570/ |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=10 January 1975 |location=St. Louis, MO |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-simas-kudirka-1/130507570/ 3D], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-simas-kudirka-1/130507501/ 4D] |access-date=23 August 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} on 9 April 1930, Kudirka graduated from the {{ill|Lithuanian Maritime Academy|lt|Lietuvos aukštoji jūreivystės mokykla}} in 1952. He worked as a radio operator on various ships from 1956 to 1970. He was denied promotions due to his refusal to join the Communist Party.{{cite news |last1=Eayrs |first1=James |title=A Day in the Life of Simas Kudirka |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-simas-kudirka-1930-202/130493049/ |work=The Windsor Star |date=12 November 1974 |location=Windsor, Ontario |page=13 |access-date=23 August 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} On 23 November 1970, during a bilateral negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union regarding fishing rights, he jumped from his ship, the trawler Sovetskaya Litva ('Soviet Lithuania'), onto the American coast guard ship, the USCGC Vigilant (WMEC-617). He requested political asylum, but he was detained, beaten, and forcibly returned to the Soviet ship by Soviet troops who had been let on board by the Americans.{{cite news |last1=Barnicle |first1=Mike |title=A Man's Struggle to Escape from Russia |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-simas-kudirka-1/130493549/ |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=9 January 1975 |location=St. Louis, MO |page=39 |access-date=23 August 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}

Actions by U.S. and Soviet officials were condemned by American news sources, particularly the Voice of America. President Richard Nixon was angered by the incident, because of the violation of the procedure of handling the defection cases. After that three high officers associated with the incident were relieved from the duties. A more important outcome was the creation of the new guidelines for handling defections, which made the standing procedures more specific to ensure that similar situations would not happen again.{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Terence |title=Defector: Why Nixon Was So Angry Over Refusal of Asylum |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/12/06/archives/defector-why-nixon-was-so-angry-over-refusal-of-asylum.html |access-date=23 August 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=6 December 1970}}

In May 1971, Kudirka was sentenced to 10 years of correctional labour camps and he served his time in camps in Pskov Oblast and at Potma in Mordovia. His mother, who had been born in the United States, confirmed her U.S. citizenship despite Soviet interference, and Kudirka managed to secure release from imprisonment in 1974. He moved to the United States with his family and gave lectures about the communist regime in Lithuania. He returned to Lithuania in 2000, ten years after the country's independence.

Kudirka died in Pilviškiai on 11 February 2023, at the age of 92.{{cite news |last= |first= |date=12 February 2023|title=Mirė filme "Šuolis" įamžintas jūreivis Simas Kudirka|trans-title= |url=https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/lietuvoje/2/1888047/mire-filme-suolis-iamzintas-jureivis-simas-kudirka|language=Lithuanian|work=Lithuanian National Radio and Television|location= |access-date=15 February 2023}}

Honors

Commander of the Order of the Cross of Vytis (2008)[https://www.lrp.lt/lt/prezidento-veikla/apdovanojimai/apdovanotu-asmenu-duomenu-baze/27252/p7190 Apdovanotų asmenų duomenų bazė]

Works about Kudirka

Several books and films have been produced about the life and story of Kudirka:

Simas (1971) – book written by Jurgis Gliauda
Day of Shame (1973) – book written by Algis Rukšėnas
Simas Kudirka in Chicago (1974) – film directed by Algimantas Kezys
The Defection of Simas Kudirka (1978) – US television film starring starring Alan Arkin as Kudirka; the film won two Emmys{{cite news |last1=Hopkins |first1=Tom |title=Defector's Story Celebrates Joy, Freedom Snatched from Despair |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/dayton-daily-news-the-defection-of-simas/130558015/ |work=Dayton Daily News |date=23 January 1978 |location=Dayton, OH |page=17 |access-date=24 August 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{cite news |title=From a Soviet Prison to American Television |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sunday-news-the-defection-of-simas-kudir/130611740/ |work=Sunday News |date=22 June 1980 |location=Lancaster, PA |page=105 |access-date=25 August 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{cite news |title=The Defection of Simas Kudirka |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-odessa-american-the-defection-of-sim/130611771/ |work=The Odessa American |date=22 June 1980 |location=Odessa, TX |page=179 |access-date=25 August 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}
For Those Still at Sea (1978) – book written by Kudirka and Lawrence E. Eichel
The Jump (2020) – Lithuanian documentary film

Simas Kudirka

Biography

Honors

Works about Kudirka

References

Further reading