LatviaPublished: 24 July 2026 at 04:37

Latvian Waitress Risked Her Life to Flee USSR – Story That Caught The New York Times' Attention

In the spring of 1970, 25-year-old Latvian Daina Pālena intentionally overdosed on sleeping pills aboard a Soviet fishing vessel to reach the US and seek political asylum. Her story drew the attention of The New York Times.

In the spring of 1970, global media focused on a 25-year-old Latvian woman named Daina Pālena. She took a desperate, life-threatening step to escape the Soviet regime.

While aboard the Soviet fishing ship "Viktor Glushkov," Pālena deliberately took an overdose of sleeping pills. Her aim was to reach the United States and request political asylum. The ship's crew alerted the US Coast Guard, which received an emergency call on April 10.

This story did not go unnoticed – the influential newspaper The New York Times followed the developments. Pālena's courage and determination sparked widespread interest, demonstrating how far one might go for freedom.

Comments

Choose a username (stays yours for good):

0/1500

Comments are automatically moderated. No hate, threats, personal data or spam.

Loading comments…

More in this category

Latvia

PVD Bribery Trial Dragging On: 15 Years and Still No Verdict

The criminal case of systematic bribery at Latvia's Food and Veterinary Service (PVD), initiated in 2011, has dragged on for over 15 years, testing the resilience of the country's court system.

TVNET · 49 min ago

Latvia

Mini Cooper and Truck Collide in Riga Due to Blind Spot

On Thursday at around 1 p.m. on Lubanas Street in Riga, a Mini Cooper and a truck collided; the Mini Cooper driver felt a rear impact, and the truck driver said the car was in his blind spot.

Apollo.lv · 49 min ago

Latvia

Brave Latvian waitress risked her life to escape USSR: The story of Daina Pālena

In the spring of 1970, 25-year-old Latvian Daina Pālena risked her life by overdosing on sleeping pills on a Soviet fishing boat to reach the US and seek political asylum. The extraordinary story even caught the attention of The New York Times.

TVNET · 1 h ago