home Cosmetics The most famous spies and intelligence officers in the world. Which member of the Soviet General Staff was a spy for the Nazi Abwehr? The most famous Soviet spy

The most famous spies and intelligence officers in the world. Which member of the Soviet General Staff was a spy for the Nazi Abwehr? The most famous Soviet spy

As you know, information rules the world. That is why the “profession” of a spy is no less ancient than another well-known occupation. But in this environment, money is not always everything. Sometimes secret agents put their lives on the line for the sake of high ideas. This collection contains the 10 most mysterious spies in history.

Richard Sorge

A Soviet intelligence officer of German origin, under the guise of a journalist, carried out secret missions for Soviet intelligence for many years. He spent the last ten years of his life in Japan, a loyal ally of Nazi Germany. There he created a high-profile intelligence network that allowed him to transmit unique classified information to the Soviets. In particular, long before the war, the well-known “Plan Barbarossa”, to which Moscow did not react in any way. In 1941, Richard warned Headquarters that Japan was not going to attack the USSR until the end of 1942. This made it possible for the Soviet government to transfer several fresh divisions from the Far East to the front near Moscow. It was these events that largely predetermined the outcome of the entire war. In 1944, Sorge was declassified by the Japanese and hanged after much torture.

Chevalier d'Eon or Charles de Beaumont

Perhaps one of the most mysterious personalities in history. No one still knows what gender the Chevalier was. Rumor has it that, having been born a girl, d’Eon was dressed as a boy from childhood in order to receive an inheritance on his mother’s side. Becoming an agent of Louis XV's secret intelligence network, he carried out secret missions in Russia and England. Staying in London under the guise of a French creditor, d'Eon aroused considerable interest among the highest circles of the English aristocracy. On the London Stock Exchange they even made bets on what gender d'Eon belonged to. After the death of the king, Charles ended his espionage activities. Having announced to everyone that he was, after all, a woman, he retired.

Olga Chekhova

The famous actress and relative of the famous Russian writer has long been suspected of collaborating with the USSR, although no official data on this matter has been preserved. Hitler's "muse", a close friend of Goebbels and Mussolini - she was an ideal ally for Soviet intelligence. There is an assumption that it was she who was entrusted with the murder of Hitler. Subsequently, Stalin personally abandoned this idea, considering the Fuhrer too predictable. And after his death, who knows what could happen? Olga Chekhova herself denied any connection with the Soviet Union until the end of her life.

Robert Hanssen

Robert Hannsen was never an adventurer. As a child, he generally dreamed of becoming a dentist. One thing pushed him onto the slippery slope of espionage - the thirst for profit. Working as an FBI officer in the main department in New York, at the height of the Cold War, Robert regularly “sold” useful information to the USSR. In total, he handed over about 6 thousand secret documents. Moreover, he was incredibly careful. Nobody knew the double agent by sight. Packages with “information” and money were always in different secluded places. Even his wife knew nothing about his secret life. After the collapse of the USSR, Hanssen continued to cooperate with Russia. In 2001, he was declassified and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Mata Hari

Margaretha Gertrude Zelle was the wife of a respectable husband in Holland. After divorcing him, she moved to Paris and took the pseudonym Mata Hari, which means “sun” or “eye of the dawn.” She made her living by performing exotic dances. Her lovers were the highest-ranking people: politicians, military men, officials. Having access to secret documents, Margareta began selling them to the right people. Many agree that she was not any secret agent at all, but simply a desperate adventurer thirsty for profit. For this she paid with her life.

Klaus Fuchs

Klaus Fuchs was a famous nuclear physicist who became interested in socialism in his youth. After the Nazis came to power, he moved to England, continuing to engage in scientific activities. At the height of the “nuclear race” between the West and the USSR, the scientist absolutely disinterestedly gave the Soviet residents all the information available to him about the development of the atomic bomb. As a result, the Soviet Union, thanks to the secret information received, developed a new weapon not in 10 years, as expected, but in only three years. The exposed scientist was sentenced to 14 years in prison. After serving 9 years, Klaus Fuchs was released from prison and sent to the GDR.

Sydney Reilly

This man is deservedly called the “king of espionage.” It is also known that he is the prototype of the legendary James Bond. Born in Odessa, Solomon Rosenblum, his real name, left his homeland at the age of 19, sailing on board an English ship to South America. Subsequently, it turned out that the crew of the ship, under the guise of geological exploration, was carrying out a secret mission M6. Soon, agent Sidney Reilly, recruited by British intelligence, went to the USSR to ruin the lives of the Bolsheviks, which he did very well. He even prepared an assassination attempt on Lenin. But all luck comes to an end. In 1925, Sidney Reilly was caught by NKVD agents and executed.

Kim Philby

Kim Philby was born into the family of an English officer. But unlike his father, the boy had no sympathy for British imperialism. Communism is the future of humanity. While studying at Cambridge, Philby was recruited by Soviet intelligence. He later became an agent for British Army Intelligence and headed the anti-communism department. Of course, throughout his service he leaked invaluable information to the Soviets. When things started to get hot, the USSR secretly transported their best agent to Moscow. This was the end of Philby's espionage activities. Being in the very heart of world communism, which he had dreamed of for so long, Philby became bored, and he slowly began to drink.

Aldrich Ames

Another masterful double agent. But unlike Philby, this man was driven to exploits not by an idea, but by money. While collaborating with the USSR, the head of foreign counterintelligence of the CIA, Aldrich Ames, earned about $4,000,000. Thanks to his work, the intelligence network of the United States and many European countries was almost completely destroyed. Aldrich was a tough nut to crack. When all the suspicions of betrayal fell on him, he “cheated” the lie detector several times. However, the CIA still managed to collect evidence of his guilt and put Aldrich Ames in prison for life imprisonment.

Ian Fleming

The famous English writer and “father” of James Bond worked for a long time in the secret service of the Royal Navy. But Fleming did not like risking his life in real life. But in the fictional world he became a masterly spy.

This post is about the spies who achieved the most serious results in their work in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, and also much earlier.

Top 10 most successful spies in world history

1. Aldrich Ames

CIA veteran recruited by the KGB. In 1994, he was arrested by the FBI along with his wife, Maria del Rosario Casas Dupi, who is believed to have been his accomplice. Ames admitted guilt and reported that the information he transmitted to the East led to the arrest of several people working for the CIA and FBI, as a result of which some of them were executed. The investigation into the double agent continued for a year. Investigators determined that Ames began working for the USSR in 1985. Through special hiding places, in exchange for millions of dollars, he transferred information about Soviet citizens recruited by the Americans, about the secret operations of his country's intelligence services, and a large amount of other secret information. Counterintelligence was on the trail of the Ames family precisely because of its suspicious spending. However, by that time the American spy network in Russia had already been practically destroyed. Aldrich Ames continues to serve a life sentence today. His wife took advantage of the plea agreement and served only five years.

2. Virginia Hall

Virginia Hall, also known as the "Lame Lady," was one of the most successful spies of World War II. She is the only non-military woman to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (USA). She created intelligence networks, recruited the local population in the territory of German-occupied France, organized safe houses, and helped prisoners of war who escaped from camps. Despite the fact that she was nicknamed “Lame” for a reason - she was missing one leg. She was recruited by British agent Vera Atkins to track the movements of German troops and recruit fighters into the ranks of the French Resistance. In 1944, after the Allied landings in Normandy, Virginia began organizing sabotage operations. It is estimated that she was responsible for more prisoner releases, acts of sabotage, and reports of enemy troop movements than any other agent working in France during the war.

3. Harriet Tubman

In the USA, this black woman is a national heroine, personifying the indomitable desire for freedom. After escaping slavery in 1849, she helped countless others do the same. It was largely through her efforts that the so-called Underground Railroad was organized, along which former slaves moved to the northern United States. When the civil war began, the woman entered enemy territory and became an agent of the northerners. Previous experience in the actual underground taught her to track complex details and obtain information, learn troop routes and organize secret meetings. These skills allowed her to create an effective spy network. She was the only woman to lead a military operation during the American Civil War - based on information gathered, she led Northern ships through Confederate-mined waters. During the ensuing battle, at least 700 slaves were freed, many of whom subsequently joined the ranks of the Northern army.

4. George Blake

George Blake joined the Secret Intelligence Service, otherwise known as MI6, during World War II. While participating in the Korean War, he was captured by the northerners. After staying there for three years, he became a convinced communist and went over to the enemy side. In 1953, Blake was returned to Britain. His compatriots accepted him as a hero, not suspecting that he was already secretly working for the KGB. During his espionage activities, he exposed more than 40 MI6 agents and practically stopped the activities of this organization in Eastern Europe. In 1961, he was extradited by a Polish defector. Blake was arrested and sentenced to 42 years in prison. However, in 1966, he escaped from prison and managed to move behind the Iron Curtain to Moscow. He will soon be 100 years old and is still alive.

5. Agent 355

During the American Revolutionary War, several American spy groups operated in British-controlled territory. There were, however, almost no women among these agents. Inside one of the most effective networks, which went down in history as the Culper Ring, there was, however, a representative of the fairer sex. She is known as "Agent 355". The name of this mysterious lady was kept secret for obvious reasons. According to surviving documents and testimonies, she took part in several counterintelligence operations. In particular, the information she obtained helped to arrest Major John Andrew, the head of British intelligence in New York, and also to expose the traitor Benedict Arnold. There are suggestions that "Agent 355" was a shopkeeper or trader who learned information about the British military plans from chatty customers. They also claim that she passed it directly to George Washington. Be that as it may, her contribution to the victory was very significant.

6. Rose Greenhow

A Confederate spy believed to have contributed greatly to Southern success during the early years of the American Civil War. Having settled in Washington, she found out about the plans of General Irwin McDowell, who led the troops during the Manasas Campaign. Greenhow passed on the intelligence to the southern general Pierre Beauregard, and he, requesting reserves, met the advancing northerners fully armed. The Battle of Bull Run was the first major ground engagement of this bloody war, and the Confederate victory gave them the long-term initiative. After the battle, their president, Jefferson Davis, personally sent Greenhow a letter of gratitude. The northerners were soon able to expose the spy. She spent some time in prison, but after her release she continued to fight. Rose Greenhow died in 1864 while carrying dispatches aboard the British ship HMS Condor.

7. Oleg Gordievsky

Some experts believe that the West owes its victory in the Cold War to this man. Gordievsky worked for MI6 for 11 years, leaking information of enormous importance to it. According to him, he became disillusioned with the USSR after the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, and decided to fight it from within. He was recruited in 1972, on the recommendation of a Czech intelligence officer who defected to Canada. Over the next decade, Gordievsky transmitted data on current and already completed KGB operations. In the end, the already mentioned Aldrich Ames pointed him out as a double agent. Having fallen into the hands of Soviet counterintelligence, Gordievsky managed to hold out and not incriminate himself during an hours-long interrogation using psychotropic drugs. He was released, but he did not linger in the USSR - through the mediation of British diplomats, he went to the West across the Finnish border.

8. Francis Walsingham

Most spies work secretly, but Francis Walsingham served Queen Elizabeth I quite openly. This staunch Protestant was a minister and member of the Privy Council. It was thanks to his efforts that intelligence and counterintelligence emerged in Great Britain. In 1586, he uncovered the so-called Babington Conspiracy, which resulted in Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, going to the chopping block. Anthony Babington entered into correspondence with Mary, who was imprisoned in England, suggesting that she overthrow Elizabeth. However, the letters were intercepted, and it was they who made it possible to convince the queen that as long as her rival was alive, there would be no rest for the Protestant throne. According to contemporaries, Walsingham was a real genius of intrigue and espionage. His agents worked both in Great Britain and abroad. This allowed him to keep abreast of everything that was happening on the continent and be prepared for the most unexpected turns of events.

9. Robert Hanssen

FBI agent Robert Hanssen worked first for the Soviet and then for the Russian intelligence services from 1979 to 2001, and during this time he caused enormous damage to his historical homeland. The number of secret documents he forwarded, including those about US nuclear projects, amounts to thousands of pages. He helped expose dozens of infiltrated agents. Hannsen is responsible for the arrest and execution of Dmitry Polyakov, a Soviet general recruited by the CIA. For his work, the spy received more than $1.4 million in cash and diamonds. After Hanssen was discovered by the FBI, he was charged with 21 counts of espionage for the USSR and Russia. He pleaded guilty to 15 charges and received 15 life sentences.

10. The Rosenbergs

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg became the first US citizens to be convicted and executed for peacetime espionage. They were found guilty of transferring secret technologies for making an atomic bomb to the USSR. Julius was an engineer in the Signal Corps, and his wife worked there as a secretary. The information was conveyed to them by David Greenglass, Ethel's younger brother, who worked in the secret Los Alamos laboratory, where, in fact, atomic weapons were developed. According to the investigation, the Rosenbergs transferred to a potential enemy not only information on the Manhattan Project, but also the latest developments of American scientists in the field of sonars and radars. The arrest was followed by a controversial and scandalous trial that ended with a death sentence. Many prominent figures, including Albert Einstein and the Pope, called for the Rosenbergs to be pardoned, but the exposed spies were nevertheless executed in the electric chair on June 19, 1953.

For some, Milady from The Three Musketeers was the embodiment of deceit, and for others, she was an exemplary intelligence officer for Cardinal Richelieu, who managed to complete the task of her patron even while being captured by Lord Winter.

But in real life there were also enough female spies (for their part, of course, intelligence officers) who successfully carried out such operations that James Bond himself would turn green with envy. Here 10 Most Famous Female Spies in History.

“Southern Bellie,” aka Isabella Maria Boyd, played a critical role in many Southern victories during the American Civil War. Finding herself in Martinsburg, occupied by the northerners, she collected information about enemy troops and transmitted information to the leadership of the Confederacy. One of these letters ended up in the hands of the northerners. Isabella's handwriting was recognized and threatened with reprisals, but the threat was not carried out.

After the war, the ex-spy of the southerners lived first in Canada, then in England and visited America several times with lectures and stories. Belly Boyd died in her native country, and a museum named after her still operates in Martinsburg.

The innocuous secretary of the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research Association (also known as "BNF") in the 1930s was responsible for things like arranging meetings and processing paperwork. Nothing serious. Except the BNF was actually a front for the Tube Alloys project, the UK's nuclear weapons program.

Although Norwood lived and worked in Britain, she was Russian at heart, identifying with the communist ideologies of the Soviet government. She collaborated with the KGB, working, as they say, for an idea, and not for money.

For 40 years, Melita transferred documents classified as “secret” to the USSR, including those related to the nuclear program. Much of this information was used to modernize Russian nuclear technology.

After Norwood's activities became known to the general public (thanks to the betrayal of intelligence officer Vasily Mitrokhin), she was asked to reveal the identities of her Russian accomplices. She refused, saying she couldn't remember their names due to memory loss. As Mayakovsky wrote: “Nails should be made from these people. There couldn’t be any stronger nails in the world.”

This Polish woman was one of the most beautiful and successful spies in the world. During World War II, she carried out secret missions for the Allies in Nazi-occupied Europe, in particular, organizing the work of couriers in Poland and Hungary.

One story tells how Skarbek escaped from the police by biting her tongue and pretending that she was dying of tuberculosis. She also used her beauty as a bargaining chip, extracting valuable information from her Nazi lovers.

Perhaps it was Skarbek’s personality that inspired Ian Fleming when describing Vesper Lynd in the book “Casino Royale”.

Nur's father Inayat Khan came from a princely Indian family, so Nur can safely be called an Indian princess. But instead of a luxurious and carefree life, a bright, glorious, albeit short career as a British intelligence officer and radio operator awaited her.

During World War II, she was part of the Resistance movement in Paris under the code name "Madeleine." While many other members of the Resistance were arrested, Khan evaded arrest time and time again by moving frequently and remaining in constant radio communication with London. Unfortunately, the long and successful career of the Anglo-Indian intelligence officer ended when she was betrayed to the Nazis by a local Frenchwoman. Khan ended up in the Gestapo, but even under torture she did not give out the encryption codes. She tried to escape several times and was finally sent to the Dachau concentration camp, where she died.

She is perhaps the most famous female spy in history, although not the most successful. This exotic dancer, famous at the beginning of the 20th century, traveled around Europe, telling interesting but completely untrue stories of her youth. She assured some that she was a princess, the daughter of King Edward VII and an Indian princess. She told others that Indian priestesses taught her to dance.

Mata Hari's seductive appearance and occupation gave her the perfect cover to spy for Germany during the First World War. This beauty was famous for making high-ranking lovers from different countries, extracting from them details about weapons and the number of troops. However, there is speculation that her effectiveness as a spy was greatly overestimated.

In 1917, Mata Hari was captured by the French and executed for spying for the enemy. A dramatic end to a dramatic career.

This British spy was known to German counterintelligence under the name "Artemis". During World War II, she worked with the French Resistance, rescuing prisoners of war and recruiting hundreds of people to work against the Nazis (who called her "the lame lady" because Hall had a wooden prosthetic leg instead of one).

Using her keen mind to stay one step ahead of the enemy, Hall conducted successful intelligence activities and, unlike Noor Inayat Khan, managed to escape the Gestapo dungeons. She became the only woman to receive the Distinguished Service Cross, the second most prestigious military award in the United States.

“The White Mouse,” as Nancy was known during her time in the French Resistance, quickly became a heroine of the movement. Her successes included establishing links between the British military and the French Resistance, saving Allied lives by smuggling them through France into Spain, and collecting and storing weapons for the Allied advance.

She was often credited with eliminating German spies, and Wake was once rumored to have killed a German with her bare hands by cutting off his larynx using a special move. In 1943, the Gestapo placed a reward of 5 million francs on the head of the “White Mouse”. However, the Nazis never managed to capture her. Wake died at the ripe old age of 98 in 2011.

One of the most famous Russian intelligence officers of the 21st century operated in the United States under the guise of an entrepreneur. She spent years in the United States trying to gather any kind of information that could be useful to the Russian government.

In 2010, Chapman was arrested in New York, admitted that she collaborated with the Russian Federation and, together with other defendants in this case, was exchanged for several Russian citizens who were accused of spying for the United States and England.

She was accused of trying to seduce ex-NSA and CIA employee Edward Snowden in order to keep him in Russia, but the flirtation between the two exposed agents did not result in a strong and happy marriage.

The American-born black singer and dancer quickly became one of the most popular and highest-paid entertainers in Europe in the 1920s. Dressed only in her famous banana skirt and colorful jewelry, she performed on stage at the famous Parisian cabaret Folies Bergere. And she even gained access to the center of the musical and theatrical world of America - Broadway.

However, what most people don't know is that Baker was not only a talented singer and dancer, but also a successful spy. She worked for the French Resistance during World War II, smuggling secret messages in music books and sometimes even in her underwear. For her work, Baker received military honors from the French government after the war.

An employee of the US Defense Intelligence Agency had a warm sympathy for Liberty Island and openly disagreed with US foreign policy towards Cuba. Therefore, when Cuban officials approached her one day, Ana agreed to carry out secret assignments for them.

Montes not only had access to state secrets (particularly the invasion of Afghanistan), but also had a photographic memory. This made it easier for her to remember the necessary documents. When her colleagues became suspicious of Montez, she agreed to take a polygraph test to prove her allegiance to the United States. And she passed it successfully.

She secretly worked for the Cuban government for several years until the FBI got on Montez's trail. In 2002, Ana pleaded guilty to espionage and received a 25-year prison sentence.

These knights of cloak and dagger wage their war in peacetime. After all, there are always secrets that countries, corporations and simply powerful people hide. And don't underestimate spies. Yes, they don’t win wars, but they significantly change the balance of power on the military, political and economic map. Information rules the world, so secret agents are needed.

It’s not for nothing that films are made about them and books are written. The most famous spy is James Bond. Even though the character turned out to be fictitious, he formed the image of an ideal special agent. In real life, little is known about real spies, because their job is to remain in the shadows. Nevertheless, it is worth telling about the most famous secret agents.

Kim Philby (1912-1988). The life story of this man is so dizzying that it will probably become the basis for the script of some spy film. Kim was born in India into the family of a British official. The Philby family was quite old. The boy was educated in England, where he then graduated with honors from Cambridge School. In 1929, Philby entered Cambridge, where he showed sympathy for socialist views. In 1934, Kim was recruited by Soviet intelligence officer Arnold Dane. During the Spanish Civil War, Philby visited there as a correspondent for The Times, at the same time carrying out his first secret assignments. In 1940, a Soviet spy becomes an employee of the British Secret Service and quickly makes a career there. Formally, Philby fights Soviet spies, but in reality he regularly supplies Moscow with secret documents. Thanks to this, many British agents and informants were exposed. In the 1950s, Moscow's high-ranking spies in England begin to reveal themselves, and suspicion falls on Philby. After a short retirement, he becomes a member of MI6 again. Now his field of action is Beirut. As a result, in 1963, Philby was illegally transported to the USSR, where the spy was showered with state awards and given a pension. But the enthusiasm for all the delights of socialism quickly faded. Philby turned out to be of no use to anyone and started drinking. In the USSR, those who believed in the justice of the spy were in for a severe disappointment.

Nathan Hale (1755-1776). Hale is considered the first American spy. In his homeland he is revered as a national hero; he has become a symbol of his people’s struggle for independence. Nathan was born into the family of a wealthy farmer. At the age of 18, the young man graduated with honors from Yale University. At first he wanted to become a priest, like his brother, but then he decided to choose the path of a teacher. The young teacher's place of work was a school for the scions of noble families in New London. As soon as the first shots were fired, signaling the beginning of the American War of Independence, the young patriotic teacher joined the army. Hale's letters have been preserved, in which he told how Washington managed to turn the people's militia into a regular army. Nathan showed courage during the battles and rose to the rank of captain in the ranger squad. When Washington needed a spy to find out details about the British, Hale volunteered. Even though this was not part of his duties, and there was a great risk of being discovered, the ardent young man decided to serve the cause of his country. In mid-September 1776, he left the camp and, in civilian clothes, disguised as a teacher, went to New York. Within a week, Hale obtained the required information, but on the appointed day he signaled not to his own, but to the English boat. The spy was captured, and notes were found under the insoles of his shoes. Hale stated his rank and the purpose of his mission. He was sentenced to death. The last words of the brave spy were: “I really regret that I have only one life that I can give for my Motherland.” Today, there are many monuments to Nathan Hale in America, which are decorated with the hero’s posthumous phrase.

Fritz Duquesne (1877-1956). This spy's life is filled with adventures that would make James Bond jealous. Duquesne graduated from the University of London and then from the Royal Military Academy in Brussels. With the outbreak of the Boer War, the young man travels to South Africa and joins the Boer commandos, where he receives the rank of captain. Captures, escapes, captured gold - the plot for an exciting action movie. As a result, Duquesne ends up in England through Paris, where he joins the army of his recent enemy. Once again the officer goes to South Africa. There he unexpectedly learns that the British burned his family estate and destroyed his relatives. Then Fritz declared personal war on the British and even began to gather his army. Ducane is captured and first imprisoned in Cape Town prison, and then redirected to Bermuda. Attempts to escape fail, but German smugglers help, transporting Fritz to America. There Duquesne began working as a journalist, visiting the hottest spots. A handsome man who speaks 5 languages, is a brilliant storyteller, and is popular with women. During the First World War, Duquesne, experiencing a pathological hatred of the British, begins to collaborate with the Germans. Under the guise of a rubber researcher, he goes to Brazil. But the samples he collected, transported exclusively on British ships, never made it anywhere - the ships disappeared without a trace along the way. In 1916, Duquesne, disguised as a Russian prince, gets on board the heavy cruiser Hampshire. Along the way, the spy transmits a signal to a German submarine, and he himself escapes on a raft. This operation earned the intelligence officer the Iron Cross. Despite rumors spreading about Duquesne's death (at the hands of the savages of the Amazon!), he was arrested in 1917. Both the Americans and the British have an interest in Fritz's antics. The paralyzed spy is transferred to the hospital, where he lies motionless for 2 years. But then he manages to escape by sawing through the sieve and disguised as a woman. Only in 1932 the spy was caught, and his next mistress turned him in. Despite demands for extradition from the British, the court decides that the case must be closed due to the passage of years. In 1941, Duquesne was caught again. It turns out that over the past 10 years he has managed to organize the largest German spy network in the country. At the trial, Duquesne claims that in this way he was taking revenge on the British all this time for their crimes in the Boer War. Despite the fact that the spy is already 64 years old, he is sentenced to 20 years in prison. Duquesne served 14 of them and was released weakened and exhausted; other prisoners constantly beat him. Two years later, the famous spy died in poverty in a city hospital.

Sidney Reilly (1873-1925). This British spy was nicknamed the "Spy King". He was born under the name Georgy Rosenblum in the south of Russia - either in Odessa or in Kherson. At the age of 19, the young student was arrested for participating in a revolutionary circle. Having learned the truth about his real parents, the young man realized that nothing was keeping him in his homeland anymore. He sailed on an English ship to South America, where he took the name Pedro. Reilly did the most menial work, but was noted by British intelligence officers and redirected to Great Britain. There the name of the future spy was formed. Reilly enlisted in British intelligence and went to Russia. Under the guise of a timber merchant, the spy visited Port Arthur, where he managed to obtain military maps and sell them to the Japanese. Up until the First World War, Reilly resided under the guise of an antiquarian in St. Petersburg, acting as assistant to the British naval attaché. In 1918, a spy represents his country in an allied mission, trying to recruit red officers. In May 1918, he was already on the Don and was able to take them to Kerensky’s Russia. The revolt of the Social Revolutionaries on July 6, 1918 in Moscow was coordinated by Reilly. In post-revolutionary Moscow, the spy easily recruited Soviet employees; he even had a pass to the Kremlin. He pretended to be a criminal investigation officer, a Turk, or an antique dealer. The authorities began to hunt for the English spy, who appeared in different cities of the country, then in London. Reilly also infiltrated the ranks of anti-Soviet emigrants. In 1925, after crossing the border again, the spy was finally captured. Reilly told what he knew and was shot. The super agent, who organized many conspiracies, became very popular in the film industry of both the USSR and the West. It is believed that James Bond was written from it.

Richard Sorge (1895-1944). The father of the famous intelligence officer was a German oil producer, whom fate brought to Baku. In 1898 the family moved to Germany. In his youth, Richard took part in battles on the fields of the First World War, was wounded, awarded and discharged. In the hospital, Sorge met socialists and began to study the works of Marx. In 1919, Richard joined the German Communist Party and began to conduct propaganda work. In 1924, Sorge moved to the Soviet Union and received citizenship. Since 1926, the former German began to serve in intelligence. Since 1930, Sorge has been working in China, where he organizes an agent network. Soon the Soviet spy moves to Japan, where he poses as a correspondent for influential German newspapers. During the wave of repressions of 1937-1938, the Soviet leadership persistently called its agent to the Motherland. But he apparently guessed why and refused to return, as it could harm his work. Despite his refusal to submit to the Center, Sorge still supplied Moscow with data. The most important period of work is considered to be 1939-1941. The intelligence officer was able to warn that Germany was preparing an attack on the USSR. However, Stalin did not believe this report. The second time “Ramsay” transmitted the most important data in the fall of 1941. He was able to find out that the Japanese did not intend to attack the Soviet Union in the near future. This made it possible to transfer 26 fresh divisions from the Far East right into the heat of the battle near Moscow, which predetermined the victory of the Red Army. In October 1941, Sorge was arrested by the Japanese and sentenced to death. Hitler personally demanded the extradition of the traitor. In 1944, the spy was executed. It is interesting that the USSR did not recognize for 20 years that Sorge was an intelligence officer. Only in 1964 was he declassified and he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Aldrich Ames (born 1941). If most spies work for ideological or political reasons, there will always be those who are only interested in money. Ames was a hereditary intelligence officer; his father also collaborated with the CIA. The pinnacle of Aldrich's career came in 1985, when he was appointed head of the department overseeing CIA counterintelligence in the USSR. His wife was also an agent. The scandal broke in 1994. The married couple was arrested; it turned out that they had been collaborating with the KGB for the last 9 years. Thanks to Ames, from 12 to 25 CIA agents were arrested, and at the height of the Cold War, the United States was left without valuable sources. When the intelligence services began to look for shelter within their organization, they were alarmed by the luxurious life of the Ames couple. The couple bought a house, a luxury car, stocks and a couple of apartments, telling stories about the wife's inheritance. Even though the high salary of a high-ranking official did not encourage this. During his collaboration with the KGB, Ames received about $2.5 million. The capture of the spy caused a scandal. CIA chief James Woolvie has resigned. It turned out that no one could even approximately estimate the volume of information sold by the spy. The press laughed with all its might at the CIA, because it turned out that Ames freely took secret documents to his home, went to the Soviet embassy, and scattered floppy disks with the collected information. And the authorities were looking for a classic spy by detective standards, not seeing him in a harmless employee. As a result, Ames is serving a life sentence, but his wife and part of the money managed to remain free.

Klaus Fuchs (1911-1988). The German physicist at the age of 22 joined the ranks of the Communist Party, having become disillusioned with the Social Democrats. But political views forced Fuchs to flee to Great Britain. The communists went underground, and Fuchs himself was sentenced to death in absentia. At the University of Bristol, the German received a doctorate in physics. Since 1941, under the leadership of Professor Born, Fuchs has been working in a group of nuclear scientists. Realizing the threat of new weapons, he transferred his part of the Manhattan Project research to the Soviet Union. Moreover, this was done disinterestedly, out of political convictions. The scientist himself found the Soviet resident and passed on the information. Over time, Fuchs transmitted information about the bomb's design. In 1942, the physicist received English citizenship and was entrusted with secret materials about the progress of similar developments in Germany. As a result, Fuchs even managed to get into Oppenheimer’s team, into the very heart of the project. As a result, the USSR was able to create atomic weapons amazingly quickly. This aroused suspicion. The intelligence services began to check all those involved, and in 1950 Fuchs was arrested. It turned out that his information allowed the Soviet Union to develop new weapons not in 10 years, but in just 3 years. Based on documents from Fuchs, the information in the hydrogen bomb came to the USSR, which made it possible to begin work on it even earlier than in the USA. The spy was sentenced to 14 years, since formally England and the USSR were still considered allies. Fuchs was released in 1959 and lived in the GDR until the end of his life.

Robert Hanssen (born 1944). Nothing foreshadowed a career as a spy in this typically American career. Hanssen graduated from college, where, by the way, he studied Russian. Robert planned to become a dentist, but then received an MBA. In 1972, Hanssen became a police officer, working in internal security. Since 1976, the promising officer has been working for the FBI. In 1978, he already ended up in the main office in New York, where he was engaged in counterintelligence. Since 1983, the American has worked in the Soviet analytical department. Around 1985, Hanssen's collaboration with the Soviet Union began. Moscow received a lot of information about the electronic intelligence of its enemy, that the FBI had dug a tunnel under the embassy building, and also revealed several double agents. In 1991, the USSR collapsed, and there was no one to cooperate with. But the Russian intelligence services did not forget the useful agent, and cooperation resumed in 1999. In 2001, Hanssen was nevertheless arrested - he was extradited by defectors from Russia. The investigation was able to prove 13 episodes of espionage, which entailed life imprisonment for the spy without the right of pardon. Hanssen handed over more than 6 thousand secret documents. And in this case, the spies were driven by the thirst for profit. But he did not waste money, and even demanded that part of the payment be given in diamonds. Hanssen left the packages in secluded places and took the money there. No one knew the special agent by sight; he himself sent caustic and ironic letters to the KGB, criticizing him for slowness and unprofessionalism. Even the spy's wife knew nothing about his second life. During the deal, Hanssen told everything to the authorities, and they left his wife all the property and her husband’s pension from the FBI.

Rudolf Abel (1903-1971). In 1901, William Fisher was born in Newcastle into a family of revolutionaries expelled from Russia. The Russified German began studying at the University of London. But in 1920, the Fishers moved to live in Russia, without renouncing their English citizenship. William entered the Institute of Oriental Studies in 1924 and began to study India. But then he was drafted into the army, where he became a brilliant radio operator. These talents were noted by intelligence, where the young man ended up in 1927. In 1931, Fischer, along with his wife and daughter, went on a special trip to England. The intelligence officer was responsible for installing a whole network of secret radio points. From 1935 to 1936, the spy worked in Belgium and France. In 1936, Fischer returned to the USSR, where, due to the flight of a major resident, he remained unnecessary. During World War II, Fischer worked in radio engineering, receiving several awards. The failure of the USSR's agents in America in 1945-1946 led to the fact that Fischer was again in demand. This is how the artist Emil Goldfuss sailed to America from Germany. Abel needed to resume intelligence connections in the USSR and obtain information on atomic research. The active work of the intelligence officer quickly bore fruit and in 1949 he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. In 1957, defector radio operator Heikhanen betrayed a Soviet spy. Abel categorically refused to cooperate with the authorities and denied his affiliation with intelligence. The court sentenced him to 32 years in prison, but served only 5 of them. Abel continued to pursue his hobby in prison - drawing. In 1962, the famous spy was exchanged in Germany for the downed American pilot Francis Powers. Fisher returned to work in intelligence, training young employees. Based on his biography, the book “Shield and Sword” was written, and the film “Dead Season” was filmed.

Konon Molody (1922-1970). Konon's parents were scientists. When the boy was 7 years old, his father died, and at the age of 10 he moved to live with his aunt in the USA. In 1938, Young returned to the USSR and continued his studies. During the war, Konon served in front-line intelligence, showing courage and earning awards. After the battles ended, Young entered the Institute of Foreign Trade, where he studied Chinese. Since 1951, Young has served in foreign intelligence. In 1954, he traveled to Canada using forged documents. There he was able to transform into Gordon Lonsdale. The young man visited the USA and Great Britain with the aim of infiltrating military circles and collecting secret information. His sociable character allowed the scout to become a successful businessman. Lonsdale even managed to become a millionaire. The Queen even awarded the businessman the title of knight for his contribution to the development of entrepreneurship in the country. In London, Lonsdale became a constant hero of social life, he makes useful acquaintances. Young's most useful friend turned out to be Harry Houghton, who had access to secret documents at the naval base. For several years, the Englishman sold the secrets of his country, which ultimately allowed the USSR to save several billion dollars. Until the last moment, Houghton believed that he was collaborating with the Americans. The failure occurred in 1961 due to the betrayal of a Polish intelligence officer, who betrayed the traitor. It was through him that Molodoy was also arrested. The spy spent three years in an English prison, and then was exchanged for an English spy.

Encyclopedia of misconceptions. Third Reich Likhacheva Larisa Borisovna

Spies. What destroyed the German intelligence officers?

Something subtly betrayed him as a German spy: either a parachute dragging behind his back, or a Schmeisser dangling from his neck...

Thoughts out loud from a SMERSH employee

John Lancaster alone, mostly at night.

He clicked his nose - an infrared lens was hidden in it,

And then in normal light it appeared in black

What we value and love, what the team is proud of...

Vladimir Vysotsky

There is an opinion that Nazi Germany trained perhaps the most invulnerable spies in the world. They say that with the notorious German pedantry they could take care of everything, even the most seemingly insignificant little things. After all, according to the old spy saying, it is they who always “burn” the best agents.

In reality, the situation on the invisible German-Allied front was somewhat different. Sometimes the Nazi “knights of cloak and dagger” were destroyed by their scrupulousness. A similar story is given in the book “Spy Hunter” by the famous English counterintelligence officer Colonel O. Pinto. At the beginning of World War II, British counterintelligence had a lot of work: refugees from European countries conquered by the Reich flocked to the country in an endless stream. It is clear that under their guise, German agents and collaborators recruited in the occupied territories tried to penetrate the land of Foggy Albion. O. Pinto had a chance to deal with one such Belgian collaborator - Alphonse Timmermans. Timmermans himself did not arouse anyone’s suspicion: the former merchant seaman went through a lot of difficulties and dangers in order to find himself in the safety of England. His simple belongings also contained nothing from the spy arsenal. However, the attention of Colonel O. Pinto was attracted by 3 completely harmless, at first glance, things. However, let’s give the floor to the counterintelligence officer himself: “Whoever instructed him before his trip to England took into account every little detail and thereby betrayed the newcomer to English counterintelligence. He supplied Timmermans with three things necessary for “invisible” writing: pyramidon powder, which dissolves in a mixture of water and alcohol, orange sticks - a writing medium - and cotton wool for wrapping the tips of the sticks, thus avoiding treacherous scratches on the paper. Timmermans's problem was that he could buy all these things in any pharmacy in England, and no one would ever ask him why he was doing it. Now, because his mentor turned out to be too scrupulous a person. he had to answer some questions for me... Timmermans - a victim of German scrupulousness - was hanged in Vandevort prison..."

Very often, German pedantry turned out to be fatal for agents who had to work under the guise of US Army soldiers. Having a perfect command of the “great and mighty” English language, fascist intelligence officers turned out to be completely unprepared for American slang. Thus, many carefully hidden and legendary spies were caught using the literary name for gasoline at army gas stations, instead of the typical jargon “gas station” - “patrol”. Naturally, no one expected to hear such a clever word from a simple American soldier.

But the possible troubles of the German spies did not end there. As it turned out, Yankee soldiers even renamed military ranks in their own way. A sabotage group supervised by the most venerable German spy, Otto Skorzeny, was convinced of this from its own sad experience. The Scar Man's subordinates arrived in captured American self-propelled guns at the location of the 7th Armored Division near the Belgian city of Potto. The commander of the group of spies bravely jumped out of the car and introduced himself, according to the regulations, introducing himself as a company commander. It could never have occurred to him that in the US Army this name for a military rank has long become an anachronism, and various slang abbreviations are used instead. The Yankee soldiers immediately recognized the forgery and shot their pseudo-colleagues on the spot, led by their “company commander”...

It was even more difficult for pedantic German agents to work in the USSR. Let's give an example. Nazi Germany was preparing a group of spies to be sent to Soviet territory. All intelligence officers underwent thorough training and were fluent in Russian. Moreover, they were even introduced to the peculiarities of the Soviet mentality and the mysterious Russian soul. However, the mission of these almost ideal agents failed miserably at the first check of documents. The treacherous little thing that completely betrayed the soldiers of the invisible front turned out to be... passports! No, the “red passports” themselves, made by the best German masters of falsification, were no different from the real ones and were even worn and tattered accordingly. The only way the “pro-fascist” documents differed from their original Soviet counterparts was the metal staples with which they were sewn together. Diligent and punctual Germans made counterfeit “xivs” conscientiously, as if for themselves. Therefore, the pages of the passport were fastened with staples made of high-quality stainless wire, while in the Soviet Union they could not even imagine such wasteful and inappropriate use of stainless steel - the most ordinary iron was used for the main document of every citizen of the USSR. Naturally, over many years of use, such a wire oxidized, leaving characteristic red marks on the pages of the passport. It is not surprising that the valiant SMERSH became very interested when he discovered among the usual “rusty” passports books with clean, shiny stainless steel paper clips. According to unverified data, only at the beginning of the war, Soviet counterintelligence managed to identify and neutralize more than 150 such “clipper” spies. Truly, there are no trifles in intelligence. Even if it is intelligence of the Third Reich.

From the book Great Secrets of Gold, Money and Jewels. 100 stories about the secrets of the world of wealth author Korovina Elena Anatolyevna

The Infanta's dowry and wedding dresses of German princesses And the blue diamond, which, it would seem, was destined to remain forever in the monastery treasury, again ended up in the royal treasury. Velazquez saw him in 1660, when Philip IV decided to give away one of his daughters,

From the book Executioners and Killers [Mercenaries, terrorists, spies, professional killers] author Kochetkova P V

PART III. SPIES PREFACE Secret services existed at different times among different peoples. According to the calculations of the American researcher Rowan, the secret service is no less than 33 centuries old. More precisely, it has existed for as long as wars have existed. To

From the book I Explore the World. Aviation and aeronautics author Zigunenko Stanislav Nikolaevich

Spies in the stratosphere Another specialty of military aviation is reconnaissance. As already mentioned at the beginning of this book, the first thing that pilots began to do during military operations was to look from the heights where the headquarters of the military units were located, where they were being transferred

From the book The Author's Encyclopedia of Films. Volume II by Lourcelle Jacques

Spione Spies 1928 - Germany (4364 m) · Prod. UFA (Fritz Lang) · Dir. FRITZ LANG· Scene. Fritz Lang, Tea von Harbou based on the novel by Thea von Harbou· Oper. Fritz Arno Wagner· Cast: Rudolf Klein-Rogge (Haigi), Gerda Maurus (Sonya), Lyn Dyers (Kitty), Louis Ralph (Maurier), Craigel Sherry (Chief)

From the book Intelligence and Espionage author Damaskin Igor Anatolievich

Successes of German saboteurs During the First World War, the only serious achievement of German intelligence was the acts of sabotage that it organized and carried out against the United States. It was a real war, started long before the US entered into

author Malashkina M. M.

Sea spies This story took place in our days. A Scottish trawler - a fishing vessel - tried to break away from its pursuers. A Danish frigate was chasing him, firing her guns. Despite the volleys of naval artillery, the trawler did not stop. Trawler crew

From the book I Explore the World. Forensics author Malashkina M. M.

School for Scouts The testing of a potential employee is very strict, but 99 out of 100 people can pass it. Intelligence work is very diverse and each person can show his talent and achieve success. A person who loves thinking, observing and