There are countless stories of Jews changing their names to escape antisemitism. Well, sometimes they have to change their father's name.

In Slavic-speaking countries, the patronymic is an official part of the moniker. It is taken by adding a suffix to the name of one's father. For example, Soviet leader Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is named so because his father's name was Sergey. Simple enough.

Simple in theory, at least. For what happens when your father's name is too... JEWISH?

Such was the case with Soviet soccer player Viktor Kanevsky. A star forward for Dynamo Kyiv, he was part of the USSR World Cup team in 1962. His full name? Viktor IZRAILovich Kanevsky. Yeah... that didn't exactly fly.

So the powers that be made Viktor change his patronymic. He became Viktor Ilich Kanevsky, and was allowed to compete under the more goyishe moniker.

Did that help him escape antisemitism?

We doubt it.