[aflyax]

“The marine guard on duty was about to tell her the pretty, neatly dressed woman that the embassy was closed when she handed him her passport. He blanched…”

From what? Her name was Svetlana Iosifovna Alliluyeva. “Iosifovna” is not that an uncommon patronymic because “Iosif” is not that an uncommon a name.

[blahedo]

The fact that it was a Soviet passport, which meant that a) she was defecting and b) she had somehow gotten her passport away from the Soviet embassy.

[ptaipale]

Couldn't a Soviet international passport contain the names of parents as well? I am sure the domestic passport had that information.

For everyone in Soviet Union near the major population centers, a domestic passport was necessary. And for instance any "enemy of the people" (as defined by section §58 of Soviet penal code) status was recorded in not only the passport of the said enemy, but also his/her children's passports.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passport_system_in_the_Soviet_...

[TazeTSchnitzel]

Perhaps in her case the information was missing.

[crazypyro]

The Soviets maintained strict control over their passports, usually confiscating them at exit points and returning them right before re-entry, so a Soviet passport would be very uncommon and alarming.

[EGreg]

he just enjoyed blanching