In the history of the GULAG, there were several desperate and daring escapes, but one of the most meticulously planned and clever occurred in July 1934. Three well-known prisoners, the Solonevich brothers, escaped from the White Sea Canal. Ivan, Boris, and Yuri, born in Grodno, gained fame as weightlifting wrestlers. During the Civil War, they supported the Whites but were unable to leave Russia. Thanks to their sports connections, they managed to secure positions as coaches and instructors in the USSR. Ivan even developed a course on 'Self-defense and Attack without Weapons,' becoming one of the founders of Sambo. However, they did not harbor any sympathy for the Soviet regime.

In the 1930s, when repressions intensified, the Solonevich brothers found themselves at the White Sea Canal, where they devised their escape plan. Ivan suggested to the camp commander to hold a Spartakiad to demonstrate how people are reformed in the GULAG. The commander agreed, signed the documents, and allowed the selection of athletes without a convoy. During this time, the Solonevich brothers prepared a stash of supplies, studied the terrain and guard posts, and planned their route.

The escape was scheduled for the morning of July 28, but a few days prior, Boris was sent to another section. He promised that he would still escape and arranged to meet his brothers in Finland. Ivan and Yuri wrote themselves business trips so that their absence would not be noticed immediately. For the first few days, they traveled by railway to avoid detection by dogs. They slept in the forest, hiding under branches and moss, and swam across cold northern rivers and lakes. After 16 days, they reached their destination, and soon Boris joined them. After the escape, they lived in Germany for a while, and then Ivan moved to Argentina. Abroad, Solonevich wrote the work 'Russia in a Concentration Camp.'