| Birth Date: | 1922 |
| Death Date: | 2014 |
| Alma Mater: | Columbia University |
Spas T. Raikin (1922-2014) was a Bulgarian historian and anti-communist activist. His historical work focused primarily on the history of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church both prior to and during Communist Bulgaria.
Raikin was born in Zelenikovo, 26 October 1922. He studied theology before defecting in 1951 by crossing the Greek border.[1] He eventually reached New York, United States and studied political science at Columbia University.
He held a professorship at East Stroudsburg University[2] and upon retirement became professor emeritus.[3] His papers are held at the Hoover Archive of the Hoover Institution.[4]
Raikin was a member of the Bulgarian National Front until 1964[5] [6] and the editor of the group's newspaper 'Borba' (Struggle).[7] He was also Secretary-General of the 'American Friends of the Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations' from 1960 till 1962.[8] [6] Raikin had relations with the CIA, sending them material from various organisations he was involved with.[9] [10]
Beginning in 1962 Raikin was involved in the Travellers Aid Society, and met with Lee Harvey Oswald upon his return to the United States at the port of Hoboken, New Jersey.[11] He was also involved with the Church World Service.[12]
In 2001, he published his memoir 'Rebel with a Just Cause: A Political Journey against the Winds of the 20th Century'.[13]
The character of 'Stephen Raikin' in the film Journey to Freedom (1957) by Bulgarian filmmaker Stephen C. Apostolof takes his surname from Raikin and shares many biographical similarities to him.[14]