Slavomir Rawicz
Born in 1915
Slavomir Rawicz was a Polish Army lieutenant imprisoned by the Soviets during World War II. He claimed to have escaped from a Siberian Gulag and walked over 6,500 km to India in 1941-1942, as detailed in his ghost-written book "The Long Walk." However, Soviet and Polish records contradict his account, suggesting he was released in a 1942 amnesty and transported to Iran.
The book's authenticity has been questioned by critics and researchers.
In 2009, another Polish veteran, Witold Gliński, claimed the story was actually his own experience.
Despite the controversy, Rawicz's tale has captivated readers and sparked debates about survival and the nature of truth in wartime memoirs.