Svetlana Alliluyeva

Date of Birth: February 28, 1926

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Date of Death: November 22, 2011

Biography

Svetlana Alliluyeva, born Svetlana Iosifovna Stalina, was the youngest child and only daughter of Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin and his second wife, Nadezhda Alliluyeva. Born into one of the most powerful and infamous families in the 20th century, her life was marked by dramatic turns, from the heights of Soviet privilege to defection to the West. She was born in Moscow and witnessed firsthand the turbulence of Soviet politics, including the purges and World War II. Her mother’s suicide in 1932 profoundly affected her childhood. After her father’s death in 1953, Svetlana gradually distanced herself from the Soviet regime. In 1967, she defected to the United States, a move that garnered international attention and symbolized a significant ideological shift. She lived in various countries, including the United States, India, and the United Kingdom, and authored several memoirs detailing her unique perspective on her father and the Soviet Union. Svetlana was married four times and had three children. Her later years were spent in relative obscurity, and she passed away in 2011 in Wisconsin, USA.

5 Interesting Facts about Svetlana Alliluyeva

1. Svetlana’s baptismal name was Elena, but she was also known as Lana Peters after her defection.

2. She defected to the United States by seeking asylum at the U.S. Embassy in India in 1967.

3. Svetlana renounced her father and Soviet communism, becoming a vocal critic of both.

4. She published her memoir “Twenty Letters to a Friend” in 1967, which became a bestseller.

5. Svetlana converted to various religions throughout her life, including Orthodox Christianity and later, Roman Catholicism.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Svetlana Alliluyeva

1. “I was born nine years after the revolution, and I have paid for it ever since.”

2. “You cannot regret your fate, though I do regret my mother didn’t marry a carpenter.”

3. “I am always, always lonely.”

4. “I defected because I wanted to be free.”

5. “I have come here to seek the self-expression that has been denied me for so long in Russia.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Svetlana Alliluyeva’s highest net worth was estimated to be around $2 million, largely from her book royalties and speaking engagements.

Children

1. Yekaterina Zhdanova (born 1950) – a scientist who remained in Russia. 2. Iosif Alliluyev (1945–2008) – a cardiologist who also remained in Russia. 3. Olga Peters (born 1971) – who lived with her mother in the United States and later moved to the United Kingdom.