Obituary of Nicholas Daniloff
Nicholas Daniloff, a distinguished American news correspondent known for his remarkable reporting, passed away on Thursday at an assisted living facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was 89 years old. His daughter, Miranda Daniloff Mancusi, confirmed the news of his death.
Daniloff’s life was marked by a gripping saga that seemed straight out of a John le Carré spy novel. His arrest in Moscow in 1986 on baseless espionage charges created a political uproar in the United States and sparked an international crisis during the twilight of the Cold War. This incident not only imprisoned him in a notorious Russian jail but also set the stage for a high-stakes diplomatic exchange involving a K.G.B. agent captured in New York City, the expulsion of numerous Soviet and American diplomats, and nearly derailed a crucial summit meeting between President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev.
Following his release, Daniloff transitioned into academia, eventually becoming a professor and director of a journalism school in Boston. His literary contributions included several insightful books on Soviet and Russian culture, one of which intriguingly intertwined his own harrowing experience with that of an ancestor who faced arrest and forced exile to Siberia for participating in the failed Decembrist uprising against Czar Nicholas I in 1825—an event that has been both revered and romanticized in Soviet historical narratives.
As a seasoned correspondent, Daniloff’s extensive knowledge of the Russian language and culture led him to significant assignments in Moscow, first with United Press International in the 1960s and later with U.S. News & World Report during the 1980s. He was just five days short of completing a grueling five-and-a-half-year stint when he fell victim to a K.G.B. trap, orchestrated by a betrayal from a former friend.
On August 30, 1986, Daniloff received a call at his Moscow apartment that would change his life forever. He met with a trusted Russian friend and news contact named Misha in a park for what he believed would be a farewell exchange. Daniloff gifted Misha several novels by Stephen King, while Misha presented him with a sealed packet, claiming it contained news clippings from a Soviet republic and photographs that could prove useful.
After their meeting, a van abruptly pulled up beside Daniloff. Several men emerged, handcuffed him, and forcefully dragged him into the vehicle, transporting him to the infamous K.G.B. torture center known as Lefortovo Prison. To his horror, the contents of Misha’s packet revealed photographs and maps of military installations, all marked as “secret.” This heavy-handed operation was a chilling reminder of the oppressive tactics reminiscent of the Stalinist era.
