The Gripping Tale of Britain's Greatest Spy | True Life Spy Stories
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- čas přidán 13. 06. 2024
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Oleg Gordievsky was the highest ranking KGB officer to ever become a British spy. He almost single-handedly shaped world events at one of the most dangerous times in global history during the Cold War when humanity peered over the precipice of nuclear holocaust. The plan to rescue him from deep behind the Iron Curtain after he was compromised was thought to be virtually impossible.
While to his motherland he remains a traitor, to the Western world he is a hero that risked it all for the sake of the democratic freedoms most of us take for granted.
This is the Gripping Tale of Britain's Greatest Spy.
0:00 - Introduction
0:51 - Early Life
3:07 - Coming of Age
5:51 - Joining the KGB
9:00 - A Dangerous Courtship
12:41 - Sunbeam
16:41 - Operation PIMLICO
20:38 - Return to Russia
23:21 - Spying in London
28:15 - Moscow Recall
32:59 - The Escape
40:23 - The Legacy
42:33 - Outro
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Further reading and sources 📚: (affiliate links) 🛒
📕 Next Stop Execution by Oleg Gordievsky - amzn.to/3oQPA7U
📘 The Spy and the Traitor by Ben McIntyre - amzn.to/3SniRVh
🎹 ROYALTY-FREE MUSIC ATTRIBUTIONS: 🎼
Tunetank: tunetank.com/
- Time Shift by Empire of Sound
- Windwalker by Victor Cooper
- Unbroken by Tigran Papazyan
Dar Golan: www.dargolan-free.com/
- Dramatic Russian Music
- 80s Music
Silverman Sound Studios: www.silvermansound.com/
- Switch Me On
- Piano Romantisme
- Action and Adventure
- Depth of Focus
- Dark Side of Mars
Fesliyan Studios (non-monetised license): www.fesliyanstudios.com/
- Balkan Polka by David Fesliyan
- Escape Route by David Fesliyan
- Undercover Spy Agent by David Fesliyan
- Too Crazy by David Fesliyan
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Gordievsky’s father went to his grave never revealing the specific role he played in the 1917 Russian Revolution nor the forced siezure of grain during Collectivisation. After his death it was revealed that his marriage to Olga was in fact his second marriage. It is not known whether his first marriage bore him any children, which he never discussed.
[2] This time became known as the “Khrushchev Thaw”. Students were allowed to criticise, print leaflets, and to organise rallies and speeches. Oleg delighted in this, perhaps a bit too much, when he tape recorded himself giving a speech in which he extolled the virtues of freedom and democracy. He promptly destroyed the tape on the advice of his college friends who were aghast at hearing what he had had to say.
[3] Oleg hoped that his message would be overheard and taken as a signal of intent to his Danish counterparts. Sources conflict as to whether PET were in fact listening in, however the Danes have since confirmed that they heard the conversation and noted it with interest. What Gordievsky was not aware of at that time was the extent to which PET and MI6 had developed an interest in him. In a bizarre decision, Oleg had purchased from a shop an item of homosexual pornography. He did this not because he had any such inclinations, but because he simply felt like exercising what was until then an unknown freedom. The event was observed and noted by the Danes. It was thought that KGB agents with homosexual leanings were more prone to defect given the strict anti-gay Soviet stance. PET set out on a classic ‘honey-trap’ operation, attempting to have a Danish agent seduce Oleg at a dinner party. The advances were unnoticed by Gordievsky, who, without cottoning on, declined the invitation to visit a bar with the Danish agent after the party.
[4] Bromhead was a gregarious, larger than life type character, and it was at his dinner party that the attempted but unsuccessful homosexual seduction took place.
[5] To hedge his bets, Gordievsky reported his intention to meet Bromhead for lunch, under the auspices of making a potential connection with a senior MI6 spy.
[6] This is in direct contrast to many of Gordievsky's counterparts, including Aldrich Ames who spied for Russia, and whose motivations were personal gain as opposed to having an ideological bent towards Communism.
[7] The special export licence plates however introduced a timing complication which was that special export licence plates had to be issued by the local authorities - dealing with Russian bureaucracy meant that timing was extremely tight
[8] Gordievsky was not the primary candidate for the posting - this honour went to his colleague Viktor Kubeykin, but who has his diplomatic visa refused by Britain on the grounds of their (correct) suspicions that he was a KGB agent.
[9] Some of the tedious tasks KGB officers were forced to undertake included counting the number of lights that were on or off in British government buildings at any given time, and monitoring whether UK blood banks were purchasing more than usual amounts of blood (the Soviets not realising that blood banks, despite their capitalist sounding name, did not in fact purchase any blood).
[10] Operation RYAN continued well into 1983 when the US and NATO performed their annual military exercise known as “Able Archer”, a simulated period of conflict escalation, culminating in the US military attaining a simulated DEFCON 1 coordinated nuclear attack. It is thought by some historians that “Abel Archer 83” was the closest the world has ever come to nuclear war, further fueling the paranoia associated with Operation RYAN.
[11] Bettany was later tried at the Old Bailey and sentenced to 23 years in prison. His detection as an attempted spy had to be carefully concealed so as not to create suspicion that he was outed by a mole from within the KGB.
[12]The reference to radioactive dust was the KGB’s practice of dusting items belonging to targets with radioactive materials that could be traced and followed using appropriate instruments. The warning about car accidents had to do with the KGB’s modus operandi of forcing Western agents out into the open by ramming their vehicles.
You may be interseted in our comment above.
You misspelled judeo-bolshevik revolution.
@@Emily-ou6lq I didn't!
@@mi6uk What made you think I was talking to you, you muppet? For sure, you're not the brightest crayon in the box, mr. mi6. 🙄
@@Emily-ou6lq you misspelled anti-Semitism. Ha Mossad sees all. Beware.
Had he been born 3-5 years earlier or later, he might've been a completely different person - not getting to go to university during Khrushchev Thaw, not being in Berlin when the wall went up and so on. If you read his autobiography, you can really appreciate how lucky he was to even get the chance to open his eyes, so to speak.
The book, Next Stop Execution, I really recommend.
Totally agree. He was the right man at the right time. I've read his book (and recommend it at the end of the video!) :)
Thank you for posting !
If grandma had wheels she'd be a bike
Also good book about this is The Spy and the Traitor
@@blakemcleroy4812It is a 13 hour audio book. Totally worth it with details not provided here. Pretty amazing what he and the others did !
I was in Leningrad in 1979 as a foreign exchange student & made contacts for Columbia University. In 1980 I was supposed to be a guide for the 1980 Olympics that were boycotted… I left UCBerkeley as a Ph D candidate in 1981 & let my memories go… until a call in 1985 from one of my contacts came to the US as a refugee & called me from Boston. It was scary & terrifying
OMG! How did you manage that?
What happened later? Just curious.
Well done who needs fiction when reality is 100 X better.
Respect to Oleg..
Gordievsky is the greatest hero of the 20th century that relatively few know about. He's still very much alive, too. Much respect and gratitude.
What an extraordinarily sweeping and therefore stupid statement, a hero to whom? You seem this man through such a microscopic lens that you succumb to the type of black/white rhetoric much beloved by one-dimensional propagandists.
Actually, there are 2 other heroes that are just as little known. One was the scientist who did experiments on wheat in Mexico in the late 60's, that developed a high yield and very hearty wheat that saved the world from starvation. The other is the Soviet sub commander during the Cuban Missile Crisis, who's permission, along with the nuclear sub's captain, was needed to launch a nuclear warhead at Washington. He refused. I can't remember their names. Which lends itself to their obscurity. It's very interesting that these guys, along with Oleg, are guys that have the most impact on the world, and yet they aren't widely celebrated for their incredible deeds.
@@algini12 Vasily Arkhipov, soviet naval officer. Similar is Stanislav Petrov, who correctly deduced that an apparent barrage of incoming US missiles was actually a radar malfunction.
@@pectenmaximus231 Arkhipov, yes! Thanks for the name, Pecten! And yes, I forgot about Petrov. All these guys should have the holidays named after them. Not some others who's names I will not mention.
The number of these Soviet defectors from kgb and gru is huge. Accustomed to life in the west and taught to lie all the time naturally leads to such defections.
This is really, really well done. Great work.
Thank you, that is very kind of you to say!
yes
this was a superb documentary, an absolute treat especially with the same old kgb and cold war espionage content that exists on yt. which ive watched easily 99% of all videos within this subject range, this was very enjoyable thank you! and keep them coming enticing long format content that keeps you intrigued the whole time is a feat in itself well done sir! would love to see your take on the gulag archipelago.
Thanks for your kind feedback!
A world class documentary, and what a joy hearing a South African accent. Well done!! From, RSA
Thank you, so glad to hear you enjoyed the video! I now live in the UK, but I know my SA accent will always live on.
Thank u Oleg.U saved the world from paranoid idiots.Yuri Andropov was a very dangerous leader.
Oleg truly is a hero, not just for the West but the whole world!
@@PhilipThompson agreed.We had a few spies.But the russian ones we must thank.But during the downing of that Korean 007 kaal 7 we almost went to war and Yuri andropov really wanted to do his 1st strike .Oleg was depressed when it happened.The man has a delicate heart too
I just found out Gennady Osipovich died Sept 22 2015 or 2017.that man lived tormented all his life after he shot those missles to that poor airplane.Yea I forgot to mention that.My father telling my whole family rhat we are all gona die.He thought Andropov will throw nuclear bombs at United Stated.And don't forget.Cuba always had nuclear missles.They never removed then completely during 1962 Cuban ceisis.The 80s was a awesome but SUPER DANGEROUS TIME.ANDROPOV sent some really bad assassin's to hijack k 129 aubmarine so he can start ww 3.
He is the best payback for MI-6 for Kim Philby.
I highly, highly, highly, recommend the book "The Spy and the Traitor" by Ben Macintyre, which I read years ago. The border crossing was highly "engrossing".
Same , book is very good read !
Agreed - excellent book.
One of my favorite nonfiction books I’ve ever read
I’m binge-ing your videos so you probably have a million notifications from me but I want to give you some algorithm love AND say that your storytelling prowess is EXCELLENT and I am sure it’s only going to get better. Keep honing your craft and you will see some great success!
Thank you! That is really encouraging!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Magnificent, Philip Thompson. A good friend of mine was one of the Danish Intel Officers assigned to shadow Oleg Gordievsky. Gordievsky was extremely well versed in KGB Tradecraft. He never made any mistakes, and almost invariably knew when and where the Danish Officers would show themselves, and he smiled and waved to them, and after a while, they couldn't do much more than smile and wave back. The larger story behind Gordievsky is way more spicy, and at times almost unbelievable, than what the official and public records show. The review you have presented here, I would say is by far the most comprehensive review of Gordivsky's career on CZcams. Very well done, Sir! 👍
Thanks very much for your feedback! I hope you enjoy some of my more recent spy videos too.
I lived in Moscow and knew of the bread shop at Kutuzovsky Prospekt. There were diplomatic quarters across the road.
To live free or die. Truth will make us Free. The Reason and Beauty for our lives to be in this World: sharing Democratic Societies and to pass on Moral and Etic Values to next generations.
The Humanity constant struggle and fight against the evils of Darkness, in Order for the Light to prevail and triumph on Earth to have Peace, Order, Justice and Prosperity for all.
What were the tranquilizers for? Radioactive dust and car accidents? Only a crazy man would obeyed that summons, unless it was on account of his family. Spy babies and delicious crisps! All compliments of Ames. Great video. Crazy life.
The escape plan was organised by one of the few women in the Service at the time. It clearly worked brilliantly!
Fascinating and highly recommended by a fellow South African who fled the bush wars with the swart en rooi gevaar in the 80's ☝️❤️🌍🇿🇦
At the end you say his contribution cannot be understated. Surely you mean overstated! Excellent video
Oops, yes that's what I should have said! Thanks for watching!
@@PhilipThompson One more small mistake -picture on 12:29 is Zagreb Croatia wich have nothing to do with the story.
He and Bezmenov made such a huge difference in the way the west understood the USSR, and both of their escapes were great
The breakdown of chapters are interesting! Thank you for this beautiful documentary. The ideological motive is fascinating!
Amazing job! I've read this story in the past, but your documentary brought it to life in a great way.
Very well done indeed- n
ice flow. Pedant's corner- 'disinterested' is not synonymous with 'uninterested' just yet...
I agree with you, but increasingly believe that this is now a lost cause - perhaps especially when viewed, ahem, dispassionately.
@@villiamo3861 I ain't dissing you 😉
Fantastic! Learned something new today-many thanks.
Excellent. On the edge of my seat. Will read associated books on Cold War history. Subbed for sure. Keep up the great work.
Great job on the find/using of the 80s electro music for background. Really helps set the mood/time period of the video.
Thanks! I've had a few people comment on how terrible my choice of music was, so I'm pleased to hear that at least one person enjoyed it! 😊
Fascinating documentary about a very brave man. His mother would be proud of him
Superb video. The results of your (evidently hard) work are impressively displayed & very praiseworthy. Well done - and thanks!
The perfect channel! I've watched three just this am!
Instant fan and subscriber
An excellent upload,superbly researched, thank you very much.
Thank you! And I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Excellent documentary, Philip. Thank you
Thank you for watching Moreno!
Thank you for your sacrifice, Mr.G! I see democracy as much more precious and fragile than I used to. Thank you.
It takes very special kind of person to live such tripled life, but even by these standards, his return to Moscow in 1985 was downright reckless. I knew this story but thought he was exfiltrated immediately after realising that kgb suspected him of spying. Now I realize it took weeks. The whole plan was very slow by design. Strange as he could be in an immediate danger. In the end, he was lucky to.have escaped but paid with his marriage
As an old dane I have never heard the story before. Normaly we think PET is quite a cartoon.Very nice video. Thank you.
How does this channel only have less than 300 subscribers!? What a video!
I am just starting out my CZcams journey. Thank you for your comment, it really encourages me to produce more!
@@PhilipThompson Please keep these videos coming because they are phenomenal and you've just earned yourself a loyal subscriber, please keep this video's coming!
Fascinating, sir! Well-researched and presented. You have my subscription. Best wishes, Cork Camden
Thanks so much!
The UK had Oleg Gordievsky, and the USSR had Kim Philby...
Interesting that the Soviets never really trusted Philby who got his wish and ended up living in Moscow, which he hated! Blunt, of course, whilst spying for the USSR had no intention of living there. I wonder what he told the Brits?
Hello , I enjoy watching this documentary. Now you have a new subscriber. Thank you.
That girl ate that barbed wire fence so hard. I wonder how that turned out?
Fantastic presentation!!! Bravo! Inspirational.
My sincere salute, Mr. Gordievsky.
Just excellent (again) The nerve of these people is astonishing.
Best podcast I have ever listened to. Absolute quality. Thank you very much.
Incredible story and amazing courage 😊
Genius! What a great upload! Thx!
A movie should be made about this man.
love this channel. found it today. great great!
Your doc is paced so well!
I didn't know anything about him until now, thank you!
Ironically enough around that time I was a teenager I just started college early there was a young man who had been removed from his post its NATO military posting who was attending the same college and couldn't understand why he's been considered a risk. After talking to him for a few minutes I not only knew what weapons NATO had where they were what they were location at cetera and bear in mind that was a kid who did this just for the fun of it I then told the gentleman in question everything he had told me unwittingly and explain to him why he had been reposted stateside and had been deemed a security risk but not court-martialed or booted out of the military because of it I said it's because you're so naive you don't even realize you're saying things.... You just handed me a sixteen-year-old girl who you just met more information that if I had been a spy would have told me everything I needed to know. But because you probably did this harmlessly to somebody who was sent to check you out, thanking you a risk but not a obviously traitorous one... You would be fine anywhere else but nothing to do with knowing too much, or with matters of security or whose nature requires security.
He looked at me dumbfound it and said why didn't they tell him this, and my reply was because they didn't want to hurt your feelings or didn't think it was necessary to tell you.
I remember skipping away if one can call it skipping away walking away really very rapidly with a smile on my face and thinking wow that was fun, and sad at the same time.
Because I was a teenager who was good at what I was good at because of having a dad who has been a part of the French ground who taught me how to ask questions and how to get people to talk... Because of this line of his information no matter where it come from is always useful. The same man my father that is who tore up my papers for the CIA I told me in no uncertain terms never to be agent for anyone, so I never was.
Please understand I am using voice to text and my hands are crippled so I can't fix anyting.
Liar
To live free or die. Truth will make us Free. The Reason and Beauty for our lives to be in this World: sharing Democratic Societies and to pass on Moral and Etic Values to next generations.
The Humanity constant struggle and fight against the evils of Darkness, in Order for the Light to prevail and triumph on Earth to have Peace, Order, Justice and Prosperity for all.
Awesome video. Already knew the story but this is a masterpiece.
Loved this documentary. Great presentation!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I appreciate this documentary.
It's crazy how two spies can be considered hero and traitor, depending on whether they are spying on your country or for your country. I am not Soviet, I'm just genuinely pointing out that Soviets could talk this high about Aldrich Ames and interpret his spydom as greatness.
What an exciting and gripping story.
Bravo! slick video.
What a man.
Thank you Oleg.
The film of the 'ideal KGB life' is taken no doubt from some American TV show of the 1960s. Funny.
This is a great video, well done
Absolutely Amazing story!!!!
Great for us. Can only imagine, though, what his wife and children went through as a consequence of his actions. Why can't we humans just get on with each other ?
Cause were human... if we all got along we wouldnt be human, youre welcome
Great upload! Intriguing story
Very well done 👍🏾 from 🇿🇦
i dont ever remember any spy movie being as exciting as this video!
Fascinating!
I was on the edge of my seat.
One of the best spy atory telling.. thanks
tks so much for sharing.
These videos are amazing!!
The way you say the word spies is interesting. Excellent video.
Excellent
The music at 3:07, what is that called? Excellent clip by the way. The most information I've seen on this subject, and he has had more than one documentaries on him
"Mr Dalliard we've been activated!!" -😅🤣
Quick! Let us detonate our relatives and fly to Dover. 🤣 Only a devotee of Fry & Laurie will understand what almost amounts to a secret language. Soupy Twist 👍
@@colinstewart1432 Balancing between the absurd comedy and the absurd reality of the spy world, may I suggest reading: The Madness of Spies. by John Le Carre in the New Yorker 2008.
He tells of a strange, psychotic episode of one of his cohorts, and Le Carre gets sucked in with just about as much inanity as ''Mr Dalliard, we've been activated!" -It's almost that Monty Python-esque. 😆
@@blackbird5634 I'll check it out. I'm a massive Le Carré fan, massive Cold War student. Sad we lost JLC who was the ultimate Cold War writer. Thanks for that. 👍
I've read the book, all very good. Now though we are in need of new Oleg to help us deal with the current paranoid leadership of Russia, including its oligarchs.
Left his wife and children behind - what a coward .
Well done
Nice oratory skills 👌🏾 bravo from 🇰🇪
Ordering books recommended. Thank you
Freeing the world was more important to him than freeing himself and his family.
Great guy.
Great video
Thank you, appreciate the comment!
Crazy how he and ames were like the complete polar opposite of each other.
Finlandia never sounded so good. It was and remains Oleg's joy. 😎
My new favourite channel ❤
Good night everyone
In my own opinion, Britain's greatest spy was Sidney Reilly.
I want to add this is a great video! I'll add that for some reason at times it feels like it was made as a report for a college class (I add this as constructive criticism only because I see so much potential that by pointing out the minor criticism will help you reach the next level) it's full of information I did not know and I'd like to think I know a lot about this subject. Loved the music and 80's excess decade feel during the London part of the video. Great content and looking forward to more spy filled videos from you!
Thank you, I appreciate the constructive feedback!
@@PhilipThompson just finished watching your newer ones and seems like you didnt need it as it's even better! Binging your content now! Really really well done!!!
I still don't understand why he returned to Moscow when he and his family would have been safe. I really ridiculous decision which ended up costing himself and his family dearly. Was it ego. I respect the work he did and the chances he took to provide info to the British but the decision was quite shocking to me
The small possibility that the recall was innocent and he would be promoted to kgb head of London was worth the risk. Being London head would've been another level up of treasure mine.
the fact he did this for free is absolutely insane.
Really enjoying this channel. The sound balance seemed a bit off on this one though so struggling a bit as the music is a little much..
Sorry about that! This was my first video and I've come a way on the mixing and editing front. I am considering 'remastering' this one at some point.
He is a true hero.
What's the song at 3:07 called?
Wow, a true unsung hero.
And today he lives in the north and recently complained how mi5 dropped him it was in BBC look north in 2018
I will look this up, thanks!
Wow..The RUSSIANS let him live??? Not like them..
Mind posting a link, please?
@@kathycaldwell7126 A link for what??
Apparently, Oleg Gordievskiy suffers from poor health condition. In private exchange he complained about severe tremors. Most likely he is lonely and feels isolated if not abandoned.
Didn`t Oleg Gordievsky play a part in helping defuse things during the Able Archer episode?
Great to hear a South African accent 👍
I love Espionage (non-fiction )Documentaries. Thank you for Posting. May I suggest if you provide the Documentary of the War Story of "The Key to Rebecca".My father has that Book when I was Young.
I haven't heard of that one but I'll be sure to check it out!
@@PhilipThompson Please!I really aporeciate it.Goodluck.I’m waiting for more from you.God Bless.
A fascinating video that is well researched and was well worth watching. Thank you. I think you might want to give your automatic subtitle gizmo a good telling off though. It doesn't know punctuation and some of the words were hilarious and had me giggling. Eg famine in russia was feminine russia, and it spelt Gordievsky's name in about every way possible. but again a great video and well done!
Haha sorry about that! CZcams's automatic subtitles can be a bit hit or miss... I have added manual subtitles to some of my more recent videos, but I need to go back and sort this one out! Thanks for watching!
How can someone buy the books
The one thing i found a bit strange is that the dog would back away from the diaper. Dogs love poo ;) the nastier the better!
Haha true... this was obviously a very sophisticated dog!