The Real Red October??

I think everybody interested in Russian or Soviet History has seen or heard about the film "The Hunt For The Red October", starring Sean Connery in 1990. It was about a nuclear submarine captain who wanted to seek refuge in the USA during the climax of Cold War. (That was something really contrary to the stereotype of brainwashed robotic soviet military.)

I have recently learned that a very similar event has occured in 1975 in Riga (now the capital of Latvia) but it is very interesting that the author of the novel "The Hunt For The Red October", Tom Clancy, also acknowledged that he was inspired by the mutiny in Soviet Baltic Fleet in 1975 and the main character is based on the late Valery Sablin, the leader of the mutiny.

It is one of the lesser known mutinies/riots during the Soviet Union Reign. I think the soviets well hid the unrests from the outside world. We used to believe that all the Soviet nations are pretty satisfied about their government...

Here is the details from Wikipedia:

On 7 November 1975, Captain 3rd Rank Valery Sablin seized the Storozhevoy (means Sentry in Eng.), a Soviet Krivak Class missile frigate, and confined the ship's captain and other officers to the wardroom. Sablin's plan was to take the ship from the Gulf of Riga north into the Gulf of Finland and to Leningrad, from where he would, by radio and television, recount the sins and hypocrisy of the Soviet system and demand reforms. However a junior officer escaped from confinement and radioed for assistance. When the Storozhevoy cleared the mouth of the Gulf of Riga, she did so with 10 bomber and reconnaissance airplanes and nine warships in pursuit. Sablin surrendered after several bombs were dropped in front and behind the ship.

He was arrested, tried before a military court in May 1976; Sablin was found guilty of betraying the Motherland. Although this crime usually carried a 15-year prison sentence he was executed on 3 August 1976. His second in command, Alexander Shein, received an eight-year prison sentence. All of the other mutineers were freed.

And more detailed info for the soviet goofs (like me) can be found in http://www.marxist.com/History/realredoctober900.html

Keep It Real!