The fate of the resident: what was the legendary scout Rudolph Abel. Biography of Rudolph Abel

(11 July 1903, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK - 15 November 1971). German. Born into a family of professional revolutionaries. Member of the Komsomol since August 1922, member of the CPSU (b) since 1931.

In 1919 he entered the University in London, but in May 1920, without completing his studies with his parents, he left for Moscow. From May 1921 he worked as a translator in the department of international relations of the ECCI, from September 1921 - as a draftsman in the committee of the Northern Sea Route under the NKVT, then again as an interpreter in the ECCI.

He entered VKHUTEMAS, in 1924 he transferred to the Indian department of the Moscow Institute of Oriental Studies. After completing the first year, he was drafted into the army.

In the Red Army: from October 1925 he served in the 1st radiotelegraph regiment of the Moscow Military District, Vladimir. Demobilized in November 1926, worked at the Research Institute of the Red Army Air Force.

In the state security bodies: from May 2, 1927, he began his service in the 8th department (scientific and technical intelligence) of the INO OGPU as an assistant commissioner. Then he moved to the 1st department (illegal intelligence). In the early 30s. sent on his first foreign business trip to Norway under his own English documents (operational pseudonym "Frank"). In January 1935 he returned to Moscow for a short time, after which he left for London. He was a radio operator of the illegal station "Swede" (A.M. Orlov, he is L. L. Nikolsky, he is L. L. Feldbin). In 1937 he was recalled to Moscow again. He worked in the central office of the 7th (foreign) department of the GUGB NKVD of the USSR, on December 31, 1938 he was dismissed from the NKVD.

In 1939, after a letter to the secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) A.A. Andreev, he got a job at the All-Union Chamber of Commerce, then as an engineer at an aircraft plant.

In September 1941 he returned to the service in the NKVD, a senior operative of the 2nd department of the NKVD of the USSR, then worked in the 4th Directorate of the NKVD-NKGB. From the summer of 1942 he was engaged in the technical support of the radio game "Monastyr". In 1944 he was in Belarus to participate in the radio game "Berezino", portrayed one of the officers of the unit of Lieutenant Colonel Sherhorn operating in the Soviet rear.

After the war, he transferred to the illegal intelligence service of the PGU MGB (since 1947 - the 4th Directorate of the CI under the Council of Ministers of the USSR). Until 1947 he worked in France. The leadership of the KI and the MGB considered various options for its use in illegal work abroad (in the United States, Western Europe or Norway), at the end of 1947 it was decided to withdraw it to the United States.

In 1948, VG Fisher was appointed an illegal resident of the KI (then MGB-MVD-KGB) in the United States, the operational pseudonym "Arach", since 1952 - "Mark". In October 1948, he left for Europe under the name Andrew Kayotis (according to legend, a Lithuanian, born in 1895, returns home to Detroit), on November 14, 1948, he arrived by steamer in Quebec, Canada, then reached New York by train. Once in the United States, he changed documents and legend and subsequently acted under the name of Emil Robert Goldfus, born in 1902, an American of German descent. As a cover, he opened a workshop where he was engaged in photography, painting and invention.

On May 30, 1949 "Arach" reported to the Center about its readiness to start work. Under his authority were transferred illegal immigrants Maurice and Leontine Coen ("Volunteers"), who were mainly engaged in intelligence on the atomic problem. Also, the illegal residency managed to organize the collection of information on the West Coast of the United States about American military supplies to China, using newly recruited American agents and illegal immigrants who were hiding under the guise of Czechoslovak emigrants in Latin America: "Firina" (MI Filonenko), "Claude" (V.V. Grinchenko) and "Patria" (M. de las Heras). A second spy network was deployed on the East Coast of the United States and consisted mainly of German immigrants.

In July 1950, due to the increased risk of failure, the Volunteers were recalled to Moscow. They were replaced in October 1952 in the United States by a new radio operator of the residency - Major GB, since 1957 - Lieutenant Colonel N.K. Ivanov, aka R. Heikhanen (operational pseudonym "Vic", according to legend, Eugene Maki, American of Finnish origin , lived in New Jersey).

In June - December 1955 "Mark" was on vacation in the USSR. By this time, "Vic" got drunk, embezzled $ 5,000 of operational funds. At the end of 1955, "Mark" demanded that the Center replace him. In the spring of 1957, he was summoned to Moscow, but stopping on the way in Paris, he appeared at the American embassy and asked for political asylum. During interrogations at the FBI, he announced that a Soviet illegal resident "Mark" was operating in New York (he did not know Fischer's real name), his rank and approximate address.

After Heihanen's departure, "Mark" left for Dayton Beach, Florida, preparing, in case of danger, to flee to Mexico. On May 6, having received a message that Heihanen had arrived in Paris, he returned to New York, where he rented a hotel room under the name Martin Collins. He returned to his old apartment several times to destroy incriminating materials and on one of his visits, on June 20, was spotted by FBI agents watching the apartment. The next morning, he was arrested by FBI agents in his hotel room on an arrest warrant issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

During interrogation, Fischer recognized himself as a citizen of the USSR, Rudolf Ivanovich Abel, about which he was reported to the Soviet embassy. The case "United States v. Abel" was tried in federal court in New York in August - October 1957. He was charged with conspiracy to collect and transfer information of defense importance to the USSR and stay in the United States as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Department of State. He was found guilty on all counts. On November 15, 1957, a sentence was passed - 30 years in prison and $ 3,000 in a fine. Contained in Atlanta, Illinois Prison.

In June 1960, negotiations began on a possible exchange of Fischer for the pilot of the downed American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft F.G. Powers. On February 10, 1962, Powers was exchanged for Abel-Fischer on the Glienicker-Brucke bridge between West and East Berlin. At the same time, two more Americans were released, arrested on espionage charges: F. Prior and M. Makkinen.

After returning, he worked in the 5th department of the "C" Department of the PGU KGB under the Council of Ministers of the USSR. He retired in 1971 and soon died of cancer.

Ranks:

• Lieutenant of the GB (November 19, 1936);
• Major (for 1948)
• Colonel (1957)

Awards: Order of Lenin (40s), 3 Orders of the Red Banner (60s), Orders of the Red Banner of Labor, the I degree of the Patriotic War and the Red Star (1949), the badge "Honorary State Security Officer" (March 1 1962), medals.

Other photos:

(real name - William Genrikhovich Fisher)

(1903-1971) Soviet intelligence officer

For many decades, the true name of this legendary scout has been hidden behind an impenetrable veil of secrecy. Only after his death did it become known that the surname Abel, which he named when he was arrested in the United States, belonged to his deceased friend and colleague.

Rudolf Ivanovich Abel was born into a German family, several generations of which lived in Russia. William's father, Heinrich Fischer, was born on the Mologa estate of the Kurakin princes, located not far from Yaroslavl. The prince took his ancestors out of Germany, inviting them to work. Abel's grandfather was a cattle breeder and veterinarian, and his grandmother was a chicken breeding specialist. They have worked all their lives in Russia, which has become their second homeland.

but Heinrich Fischer did not follow in the footsteps of his parents. He became an engineer, joined the Bolshevik Party, and then left with his wife to England, where he was engaged in business and at the same time led party work. There, in Newcastle, his son William was born. He went to school and soon began to help his father: he ran to attendance, then became an activist of the "Hands off Russia!" Movement.

In 1921, the family returned to Russia, where William Fisher entered the institute and in 1927, while still studying, began working in Soviet intelligence. After graduating from the institute and passing special training, he was again sent to England, where he worked for almost ten years under his real name.

In 1938, when purges began in intelligence, Fischer, who had returned to the USSR by that time, was stripped of his military rank and fired. For several years he worked as an engineer at a Moscow plant. Already during the Finnish war, Fischer was remembered. He was returned to his rank and sent to a special radio battalion, where he served with the famous polar explorer E. Krenkel.

Shortly before the start of the war, Fischer was again returned to foreign intelligence and was soon transferred to Germany. There he spent the entire war, reporting information to Moscow. Fischer continued to work in intelligence after the war.

On the instructions of the Center, in 1947 he moved to Canada, and from there in 1948 he moved to the United States. Fischer crosses the border under the name of the Lithuanian-American Andrew Kayotis. In the United States, he legalized himself under a different name - Emil Goldfus.

Officially, he became a photographer-retoucher by profession, but in fact he was involved in organizing the receipt and transmission of intelligence information to the USSR. For many years, an unremarkable photographer lived in Brooklyn, becoming the organizer and head of an extensive agent network.

In 1955, Fischer came to Moscow for a short rest. This was his only visit, because 2 years after returning to the United States, he was arrested on June 21, 1957. The scout was betrayed by one of the employees of his group. None of Fischer's colleagues were exposed or harmed.

Unlike other scouts, Fischer was not silent, and at the very first interrogation he declared that he was a Soviet scout and his real name and rank was Colonel Rudolf Ivanovich Abel. He made this statement in order to check how complete information the American special services have. When they believed him, it became obvious that American counterintelligence officers did not have any other data, apart from operational information. A few months later, Fischer received letters from his daughter and wife that had come to his name. Now he knew that Moscow had understood his move and had entered the game. The trial of Rudolph Abel passed with great noise and was widely covered in the American press.

The court sentenced him to thirty years in prison. But he did not sit out until the end of the term. Five years later, in February 1962, in East Berlin, Rudolf Abel was exchanged for the American pilot F. Powers, who was shot down over the territory of the USSR, and for two other detained agents.

Returning to the USSR, Rudolf Abel continued his activities in intelligence. He was awarded the rank of general. He directed the work of the Anglo-American intelligence network, trained young employees, and went on business trips to socialist countries several times. For his merits, he was awarded the Order of the Battle Red Banner.

The famous scout led a rather closed and secluded lifestyle, did not speak anywhere with stories about his activities, as many generals liked to do in their years. But one day he nevertheless appeared on the silver screen, starring in the film by S. Kulish "Dead Season", where an episode of the exchange of intelligence officers was shown.

In 1971, Rudolf Ivanovich Abel retired and soon died of lung cancer. On his tombstone, for the first time, two names of the scout were put together - Fischer and Abel.

Rudolf Ivanovich Abel(real name William G. Fisher; July 11, Newcastle upon Tyne, Great Britain - November 15, Moscow, USSR) - Soviet illegal intelligence officer, colonel. From 1948 he worked in the United States, in 1957 he was arrested. On February 10, 1962, he was exchanged for the American reconnaissance aircraft pilot F.G. Powers and the American student-economist Frederick Pryor ( English) .

Biography

In 1920, the Fischer family returned to Russia and adopted Soviet citizenship, without abandoning English, and at one time lived in the Kremlin with the families of other prominent revolutionaries.

In 1921, William's older brother Harry is killed in an accident.

Upon his arrival in the USSR, Abel first worked as a translator at the Executive Committee of the Communist International (Comintern). Then he entered VKHUTEMAS. In 1925 he was drafted into the army in the 1st radiotelegraph regiment of the Moscow military district, where he received the specialty of a radio operator. Served together with E. T. Krenkel and the future artist M. I. Tsarev. Having an innate inclination to technology, he became a very good radio operator, whose primacy was recognized by everyone.

After demobilization, he worked at the RKKA Air Force Research Institute as a radio engineer. On April 7, 1927, he married a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory, harpist Elena Lebedeva. She was appreciated by her teacher - the famous harpist Vera Dulova. Subsequently, Elena became a professional musician. In 1929, their daughter was born.

On December 31, 1938, he was dismissed from the NKVD (due to Beria's distrust of personnel who worked with "enemies of the people") with the rank of lieutenant of the GB (captain) and worked for some time in the All-Union Chamber of Commerce, and then at an aviation plant. Repeatedly applied with reports on his reinstatement in intelligence. I also turned to my father's friend, the then secretary of the Central Committee of the party, Andreev.

Since 1941, again in the NKVD, in a unit organizing a partisan war in the rear of the Germans. Fischer trained radio operators for partisan detachments and reconnaissance groups sent to the countries occupied by Germany. During this period, he met and worked with Rudolf Abel, whose name and biography he later used.

After the end of the war, it was decided to send him to work illegally in the United States, in particular, to obtain information from sources working at nuclear facilities. He moved to the United States in November 1948 with a passport in the name of a US citizen of Lithuanian origin, Andrew Kayotis (who died in the Lithuanian SSR in 1948). Then he settled in New York under the name of the artist Emil Robert Goldfuss, where he ran the Soviet spy network, and owned a photographic studio in Brooklyn as a cover. The Coen couple were selected as agents for "Mark" (V. Fisher's pseudonym).

By the end of May 1949, "Mark" had resolved all organizational issues and was actively involved in the work. It was so successful that in August 1949 he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for specific results.

In 1955 he returned to Moscow for several months of summer and autumn.

Failure

To relieve Mark from current affairs, in 1952 an illegal intelligence radio operator Häyhänen (Finn. Reino Häyhänen, pseudonym “Vik”) was sent to help him. “Vic” turned out to be morally and psychologically unstable, and four years later a decision was made to return him to Moscow. However, "Vic", suspecting something was wrong, surrendered to the American authorities, told them about his work in illegal intelligence and turned over "Mark".

In 1957, "Mark" was arrested at New York's Latham Hotel by FBI agents. In those days, the leadership of the USSR declared that it was not engaged in espionage. In order to let Moscow know about his arrest and that he is not a traitor, William Fischer, when arrested, named himself after his late friend Rudolph Abel. During the investigation, he categorically denied his affiliation with intelligence, refused to testify in court and rejected attempts by American intelligence officials to persuade him to cooperate.

In the same year he was sentenced to 32 years in prison. Following the announcement of the verdict, "Mark" was held in solitary confinement at the New York Detention Center, then transferred to the Federal Correctional Prison in Atlanta. In conclusion, he was engaged in solving mathematical problems, the theory of art, painting. He painted oil paintings. Vladimir Semichastny argued that the portrait of Kennedy, painted by Abel in the conclusion, was presented to him at the request of the latter and after that it hung in the Oval Office for a long time.

Liberation

After rest and treatment, Fischer returned to work in the central intelligence apparatus. He took part in the training of young illegal scouts, painted landscapes at his leisure. Fischer also participated in the creation of the feature film Dead Season (1968), the plot of which is connected with some facts from the scout's biography.

William Genrikhovich Fisher died of lung cancer at the age of 69 on November 15, 1971. He was buried at the New Donskoy cemetery in Moscow next to his father.

Awards

For outstanding services in ensuring the state security of the USSR, Colonel V. Fischer was awarded:

• three Orders of the Red Banner
• the Order of Lenin - for activities during the Great Patriotic War
• Order of the Red Banner of Labor
• Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree
• Order of the Red Star
• many medals.

Memory

• His fate inspired Vadim Kozhevnikov to write the famous adventure novel Shield and Sword. Although the name of the protagonist is Alexander Belov and is associated with the name of Abel, the plot of the book differs significantly from the real fate of William Genrikhovich Fisher.
• In 2008, the documentary "Unknown Abel" was shot (directed by Yuri Linkevich).
• In 2009, Channel One created a two-part biographical film "The US Government against Rudolf Abel" (starring Yuri Belyaev).
• For the first time, Abel showed himself to the general public in 1968, when he addressed his compatriots with an introductory speech to the film "Dead Season" (as the film's official consultant).
• In the American film Steven Spielberg's "Spy Bridge" (2015), he was portrayed by British theater and film actor Mark Rylance, for this role, Mark won numerous awards and prizes, including the Academy Awards.
• On December 18, 2015, on the eve of the Day of State Security Bodies, a solemn ceremony of unveiling a memorial plaque to William Genrikhovich Fisher took place in Samara. The plaque, designed by the Samara architect Dmitry Khramov, appeared on the house number 8 on the street. Molodogvardeyskaya. It is assumed that it was here that the scout's family lived during the Great Patriotic War. At that time, William Genrikhovich himself taught radio business at a secret intelligence school, and later from Kuibyshev conducted radio games with German intelligence.

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Notes (edit)

Literature

• Nikolay Dolgopolov... Abel-Fisher. ZhZL, issue 1513, Moscow, Young Guard, 2011 ISBN 978-5-235-03448-8
• Vladimir Karpov(compiler). Declassified by foreign intelligence // B. J. Nalivaiko. OPERATION "ALTGLINNIKE-BRUKKE". M.: OLMA-PRESS Education, 2003. ISBN 5-94849-084-X.

Links

• in the library of Maxim Moshkov
• . Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation(2000). Retrieved May 3, 2010.

Excerpt from Rudolph Abel

The princess's face was covered with red spots at the sight of the letter. She hastily took it and bent down to it.
- From Eloise? - asked the prince, with a cold smile showing still strong and yellowish teeth.
“Yes, from Julie,” said the princess, looking timidly and smiling timidly.
“I’ll skip two more letters, and read the third,” said the prince sternly, “I’m afraid you’re writing a lot of nonsense.” I'll read the third.
- Read at least this, mon pere, [father,] - answered the princess, blushing even more and handing him the letter.
“Third, I said, third,” the prince shouted shortly, pushing away the letter, and, leaning his elbows on the table, pushed the notebook with geometry drawings.
- Well, madam, - the old man began, bending down close to his daughter over the notebook and putting one hand on the back of the chair on which the princess was sitting, so that the princess felt herself surrounded on all sides by that tobacco and senile pungent smell of her father, which she had known for so long ... - Well, madam, these triangles are alike; if you please see, angle abc ...
The princess gazed fearfully at her father's shining eyes close to her; red spots shimmered over her face, and it was evident that she did not understand anything and was so afraid that fear would prevent her from understanding all further interpretations of her father, no matter how clear they were. Whether the teacher was to blame or the student was to blame, but every day the same thing was repeated: the princess's eyes were dim, she saw nothing, did not hear, she only felt the dry face of her strict father close to her, felt his breath and smell, and only thought about how she could leave the office as soon as possible and understand the problem in her own open space.
The old man lost his temper: with a crash he pushed and pulled the chair in which he was sitting, made efforts to stay cool, and almost every time he got excited, scolded, and sometimes tossed the notebook.
The princess was mistaken in her answer.
- Well, how is not a fool! - shouted the prince, pushing away the notebook and quickly turning away, but immediately got up, walked, touched the princess's hair with his hands and sat down again.
He moved over and continued to interpret.
“You can't, princess, you can't,” he said, when the princess, having taken and closed the notebook with the assigned lessons, was already preparing to leave, “mathematics is a great thing, my madam. And I don’t want you to be like our stupid ladies. Will endure falling in love. He patted her cheek with his hand. - The crap will jump out of my head.
She wanted to leave, he stopped her with a gesture and took out a new uncut book from the high table.
- Here's another Key of the Sacrament your Eloise is sending you. Religious. And I do not interfere in anyone's faith ... I looked. Take it. Well, go, go!
He patted her on the shoulder and himself locked the door behind her.
Princess Marya returned to her room with a sad, frightened expression that rarely left her and made her ugly, sickly face even more ugly, sat down at her writing desk, laden with miniature portraits and littered with notebooks and books. The princess was as disorderly as her father was decent. She put down the geometry notebook and eagerly opened the letter. The letter was from the princess's closest friend since childhood; This friend was the same Julie Karagina, who was at the Rostovs' birthday:
Julie wrote:
"Chere et excellente amie, quelle chose terrible et effrayante que l" absence! J "ai beau me dire que la moitie de mon existence et de mon bonheur est en vous, que malgre la distance quinous separe, nos coeurs sont unis par des liens indissolubles; le mien se revolte contre la destinee, et je ne puis, malgre les plaisirs et les distractions qui m "entourent, vaincre une certaine tristesse cachee que je ressens au fond du coeur depuis notre separation. Pourquoi ne sommes nous pas reunies, comme cet ete dans votre grand cabinet sur le canape bleu, le canape a confidences? Pourquoi ne puis je, comme il ya trois mois, puiser de nouvelles forces morales dans votre regard si doux, si calme et si penetrant, regard que j "aimais tant et que je crois voir devant moi, quand je vous ecris. "
[Dear and invaluable friend, what a terrible and terrible thing is separation! No matter how much I repeat to myself that half of my existence and my happiness are in you, that, despite the distance that separates us, our hearts are united by inseparable bonds, my heart is indignant against fate, and, despite the pleasures and scatterings that surround me, I I cannot suppress some latent sadness that I have felt in the depths of my heart since the time of our separation. Why are we not together, like last summer, in your big office, on the blue sofa, on the sofa of "confessions"? Why can't I, as I did three months ago, gain new moral strength in your gaze, meek, calm and insightful, which I loved so much and which I see before me the minute I write to you?]
Having read this point, Princess Marya sighed and looked back into the pier, which stood to her right. The mirror reflected an ugly weak body and a thin face. The eyes, always sad, were now looking especially hopelessly at themselves in the mirror. "She flatters me," thought the princess, turned away and continued to read. Julie, however, did not flatter her friend: indeed, the eyes of the princess, large, deep and radiant (as if rays of warm light sometimes came out of them in sheaves), were so good that very often, despite the ugliness of the whole face, these eyes were made more attractive than beauty. But the princess never saw a good expression in her eyes, the expression that they took in those minutes when she was not thinking about herself. Like all people, her face took on a strained, unnatural, evil expression, as soon as she looked in the mirror. She continued to read: 211
“Tout Moscou ne parle que guerre. L "un de mes deux freres est deja al" etranger, l "autre est avec la garde, qui se met en Marieche vers la frontiere. Notre cher empereur a quitte Petersbourg et, a ce qu" on pretend, compte lui meme exposer sa precieuse existence aux chances de la guerre. Du veuille que le monstre corsicain, qui detruit le repos de l "Europe, soit terrasse par l" ange que le Tout Ruissant, dans Sa misericorde, nous a donnee pour souverain. Sans parler de mes freres, cette guerre m "a privee d" une relation des plus cheres a mon coeur. Je parle du jeune Nicolas Rostoff, qui avec son enthousiasme n "a pu supporter l" inaction et a quitte l "universite pour aller s" enroler dans l "armee. Eh bien, chere Marieie, je vous avouerai, que, malgre son extreme jeunesse, son depart pour l "armee a ete un grand chagrin pour moi. Le jeune homme, dont je vous parlais cet ete, a tant de noblesse, de veritable jeunesse qu "on rencontre si rarement dans le siecle ou nous vivons parmi nos villards de vingt ans. Il a surtout tant de franchise et de coeur. Il est tellement pur et poetique, que mes relations avec lui, quelque passageres qu "elles fussent, ont ete l" une des plus douees jouissances de mon pauvre coeur, qui a deja tant souffert. Je vous raconterai un jour nos adieux et tout ce qui s "est dit en partant. Tout cela est encore trop frais. Ah! chere amie, vous etes heureuse de ne pas connaitre ces jouissances et ces peines si poignantes. Vous etes heureuse, puisque les derienieres sont ordinairement les plus fortes! Je sais fort bien, que le comte Nicolas est trop jeune pour pouvoir jamais devenir pour moi quelque chose de plus qu "un ami, mais cette douee amitie, ces relations si poetiques et si pures ont ete un besoin pour mon coeur. Mais n" en parlons plus. La grande nouvelle du jour qui occupe tout Moscou est la mort du vieux comte Bezukhoi et son heritage. Figurez vous que les trois princesses n "ont recu que tres peu de chose, le prince Basile rien, est que c" est M. Pierre qui a tout herite, et qui par dessus le Marieche a ete reconnu pour fils legitime, par consequent comte Earless est possesseur de la plus belle fortune de la Russie. On pretend que le prince Basile a joue un tres vilain role dans toute cette histoire et qu "il est reparti tout penaud pour Petersbourg.
“Je vous avoue, que je comprends tres peu toutes ces affaires de legs et de testament; ce que je sais, c "est que depuis que le jeune homme que nous connaissions tous sous le nom de M. Pierre les tout court est devenu comte Bezukhoi et possesseur de l" une des plus grandes fortunes de la Russie, je m "amuse fort a observer les changements de ton et des manieres des mamans accablees de filles a Marieier et des demoiselles elles memes al "egard de cet individu, qui, par parenthese, m" a paru toujours etre un pauvre, sire. Comme on s "amuse depuis deux ans a me donner des promis que je ne connais pas le plus souvent, la chronique matrimoniale de Moscou me fait comtesse Bezukhoi. Mais vous sentez bien que je ne me souc nullement de le devenir. A propos de Marieiage, savez vous que tout derienierement la tante en general Anna Mikhailovna, m "a confie sous le sceau du plus grand secret un projet de Marieiage pour vous. Ce n" est ni plus, ni moins, que le fils du prince Basile, Anatole, qu "on voudrait ranger en le Marieiant a une personne riche et distinguee, et c" est sur vous qu "est tombe le choix des parents. Je ne sais comment vous envisagerez la chose, mais j" ai cru de mon devoir de vous en avertir. On le dit tres beau et tres mauvais sujet; c "est tout ce que j" ai pu savoir sur son compte.
“Mais assez de bavardage comme cela. Je finis mon second feuillet, et maman me fait chercher pour aller diner chez les Apraksines. Lisez le livre mystique que je vous envoie et qui fait fureur chez nous. Quoiqu "il y ait des choses dans ce livre difficiles a atteindre avec la faible conception humaine, c" est un livre admirable dont la lecture calme et eleve l "ame. Adieu. Mes respects a monsieur votre pere et mes compliments am elle Bourienne. Je vous embrasse comme je vous aime. Julie. "
P.S. Donnez moi des nouvelles de votre frere et de sa charmante petite femme.
[All Moscow only says about the war. One of my two brothers is already abroad, the other is with the guards who are marching to the border. Our dear sovereign leaves Petersburg and, it is assumed, intends to expose his precious existence to the accidents of war himself. May God grant that the Corsican monster, which is disturbing the tranquility of Europe, was overthrown by an angel, whom the Almighty in His goodness put over us as a ruler. Not to mention my brothers, this war has robbed me of one of the relationships closest to my heart. I'm talking about young Nikolai Rostov; who, with his enthusiasm, could not bear inaction and left the university to enlist in the army. I confess to you, dear Marie, that, despite his extraordinary youth, his departure for the army was a great grief for me. The young man, about whom I spoke to you last summer, has so much nobility, true youth, which you meet so rarely in our age between twenty-year-olds! He especially has so much frankness and heart. He is so pure and full of poetry that my relationship to him, for all its fleetingness, was one of the sweetest delights of my poor heart, which had already suffered so much. I'll tell you someday our parting and everything that was said at parting. All this is still too fresh ... Ah! dear friend, you are happy that you do not know these burning pleasures, these burning sorrows. You are happy because the latter are usually stronger than the former. I know very well that Count Nikolai is too young to be anything but friend to me. But this sweet friendship, this so poetic and so pure relationship, was the need of my heart. But enough about that.
“The main news that occupies all of Moscow is the death of the old Count Bezukhoi and his legacy. Imagine, three princesses got some little, Prince Vasily nothing, and Pierre is the heir of everything and, moreover, is recognized as the legitimate son and therefore Count Bezukhim and the owner of the largest fortune in Russia. They say that Prince Vasily played a very disgusting role in this whole story, and that he left for Petersburg very embarrassed. I confess to you, I very poorly understand all these matters of spiritual will; I only know that since the young man, whom we all knew under the name of just Pierre, became Count Bezukhim and the owner of one of the best fortunes in Russia, I am attitude towards this gentleman, who (in parentheses, be it said) has always seemed to me very insignificant. Since for two years now everyone has been amusing themselves with looking for suitors for me, whom I for the most part do not know, the marriage chronicle of Moscow makes me Countess Bezukhova. But you understand that I do not want this at all. Speaking of marriages. Do you know that not long ago the general aunt Anna Mikhailovna entrusted me, under the greatest secrecy, with the idea of ​​arranging your marriage. This is nothing more or less like the son of Prince Vasily, Anatole, whom they want to add by marrying a rich and noble girl, and the choice of your parents fell on you. I do not know how you look at this matter, but I considered it my duty to inform you. He is said to be very good and a great rake. Here's everything I could find out about him.
But she will chat. I am finishing my second sheet, and my mother sent for me to go to dinner at the Apraksins'.
Read the mystical book that I am sending you; it is a huge success with us. Although there are things in it that are difficult for the weak human mind to understand, it is an excellent book; reading it soothes and elevates the soul. Farewell. My respect to your father and my greetings to m lle Burienne. I embrace you from the bottom of my heart. Yuliya.
PS. Let me know about your brother and his lovely wife.]

Rudolph Abel - short biography

The real name of the man who is considered the most outstanding intelligence officer of the twentieth century is Fisher William Genrikhovich. He was born on July 11, 1903 in the English city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. His father, Heinrich Fischer, a Russified German from the Yaroslavl province, was a staunch Marxist who personally knew Lenin. Mother - Lyubov Vasilievna, a native of Saratov, was his comrade-in-arms in wrestling. In 1901, the tsarist government arrested them for revolutionary activities and sent them abroad. After leaving school, William passed the entrance exams to the University of London, but did not have time to start studying there. After the Bolsheviks came to power in Russia, his family returned to their homeland. As old party members, his family even lived for some time on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin. Before becoming a scout, William Fisher changed many professions.

Immediately upon his arrival in Soviet Russia, he worked for some time as a translator in the executive committee of the Communist International, which was the governing body of the Comintern. Later, being very gifted artistically, he entered the Higher Artistic and Technical Workshops, which were the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture before the revolution. However, he did not study there for long and in 1924 he became a student at the Institute of Oriental Studies. Here he studied for only one year and in 1925 he was drafted into the army. He served in the first radiotelegraph regiment of the Moscow Military District, where he mastered the profession of a radio operator, knew how to assemble radio receivers in a short time from improvised means and was considered the best radio operator in the regiment. After demobilization, not finding employment for himself, he enters on the recommendation of the Foreign Department of the OGPU. With a good background, technically literate and fluent in foreign languages, Fischer was an ideal candidate for a job as an intelligence officer. At first, he performs the duties of an interpreter, which is well known to him, and then a radio operator. Since his homeland was England, the OGPU leadership decided to send Fischer to the British Isles to work.

Scout Rudolph Abel (William Fischer)

Beginning in 1930, he lived in England for several years as a resident of Soviet intelligence, periodically traveling to other countries of Western Europe. He acted as a radio operator of the residency, organized a secret radio network, transmitting radio messages to the center from other residents. On instructions from Stalin himself, he managed to persuade the famous physicist Pyotr Kapitsa, who at that time taught at Oxford, to return to the USSR from England. There is also some information that at this time Fischer was several times in China, where he met and became friends with his colleague from the foreign department of the OGPU, Rudolf Abel, under whose name he went down in history. After Alexander Orlov, the curator of residents in Western Europe, fled to the United States at the beginning of 1938, taking the NKVD cash with him, William Fisher was recalled to the USSR because he was threatened with exposure. After briefly working in the foreign intelligence apparatus in Moscow, on December 31, 1938, he was dismissed from the authorities without explanation and sent to retire. After his dismissal, Fischer got a job first at the All-Union Chamber of Commerce, and six months later at an aircraft industrial plant, while constantly writing reports to the Central Committee with a request to reinstate him in intelligence.

When World War II began, William Fisher was remembered as a highly qualified specialist, and in September 1941 he was appointed head of the communications department in the central intelligence apparatus at Lubyanka. There is evidence that he was involved in supporting the parade on November 7, 1941 on Red Square in Moscow. Until the end of the war, Fischer was engaged in the technical training of radio operators of sabotage groups that were sent to the German rear, including the countries occupied by Hitler. He taught radio business at the Kuibyshev intelligence school, participated in radio games with German radio operators, including the "Monastery" and "Berezino". In the last of them, Fischer was able to fool such a German master of sabotage as Otto Skorzeny, who sent his best people to help the nonexistent German underground on the territory of the USSR, where the Soviet special services were already waiting for them. Until the end of the war, the Germans never found out that they were being deftly led by the nose. For his activities during the Patriotic War, he was awarded the Orders of Lenin and the Patriotic War, 1st degree.

Rudolph Abel's activities in the USA

In the post-war years, when the "cold" confrontation with Western countries began, it was decided to use Fischer's multifaceted talent to obtain information on the American nuclear project. In 1948, under the service pseudonym "Mark", he was sent to illegal work in the United States, having with him an American passport in the name of the Lithuanian Andrew Kayotis. Already in America, he changed the legend and began to impersonate the German artist Emil Robert Goldfuss. He lived in New York, where he led the Soviet spy network in the United States, having a photo studio in Brooklyn to cover. His subordinates acted independently of the Soviet residency with legal cover - diplomats, consular staff. Fischer had a separate radio communications system for communication with Moscow. As liaison agents, he had the later famous married couple Maurice and Leontine Coen. He managed to create a Soviet spy network not only in the United States, but also in Latin America - Mexico, Brazil, Argentina. In 1949, for obtaining important data concerning the American atomic experiment "Manhattan", William Fisher was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. He obtained information about the creation in the United States of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, with a detailed list of tasks assigned to them.

In 1955, Fischer returned to the Soviet Union for several months when his close friend Rudolf Abel died. His intelligence career ended on June 25, 1957, when he was arrested by FBI agents at the Latham Hotel in New York. Fischer was handed over by his partner - radio operator Reino Heihanen under the pseudonym "Vik". Since he was recalled to the USSR, where he could fall under repression, Reino decided not to return and told everything he knew about the Soviet spy network to the American special services. Reino only knew Fischer's pseudonym, so Fischer, when arrested, pretended to be his late friend Rudolf Abel. By this he insured himself that the Americans would not play a radio game on his behalf and made it clear to Moscow that he was not a traitor. In October 1957, an open trial against Fischer-Abel began in federal court in New York, in which he was accused of espionage, his name became known not only in the United States, but throughout the world. He categorically refused to admit guilt on all charges, refused to testify in court and rejected all offers of the American side for cooperation. In November 1957, Fisher was sentenced to 32 years in prison, serving his sentence in solitary confinement in Atlanta. From March 1958, he was allowed to correspond with his family, which remained in the Soviet Union.

On May 1, 1960, an American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft was shot down over Sverdlovsk. Its pilot, Francis Harry Powers, was captured. Lengthy Soviet-American negotiations on the exchange of spies began. On February 10, 1962, an exchange procedure took place on the Glinik Bridge, between East and West Berlin. Since the Americans had a good idea of ​​the level of Agent Fischer, in addition to Harry Powers, the Soviet side had to transfer also Frederick Prier and Marvin McEnen, students convicted in the USSR for espionage. Upon his return, Fischer continued to work in the central intelligence apparatus. He acted as a consultant in the creation of a Soviet film about scouts "Dead Season", where the facts of his own biography were filmed. He died on November 15, 1971. In 2015, in Samara, a memorial plaque was installed on the house where he lived during the war. In the same year, the movie "Spy Bridge" directed by Steven Spielberg was released in Hollywood, which tells the story of William Fisher's life from the moment of his arrest to the exchange.

Exactly 55 years ago, on February 10, 1962, on the bridge separating the FRG and the GDR, the exchange of the Soviet illegal intelligence agent Rudolf Abel (real name - William Genrikhovich Fischer) for the American pilot Francis Powers shot down over the USSR took place. Abel behaved courageously in confinement: he did not reveal to the enemy a single, even the smallest episode of his work, and he is still remembered and respected not only in our country, but also in the United States.

Legendary Scout's Shield and Sword

The film by Steven Spielberg, released in 2015, "The Spy Bridge", which told about the fate of the Soviet intelligence officer and his exchange, was recognized by film critics as one of the best in the work of the famous American director. The tape is made in the spirit of deep respect for the Soviet intelligence officer. Abel, played by British actor Mark Rylance, is a strong-willed person in the film, while Powers is a coward.

In Russia, the intelligence colonel was also immortalized on film. He was played by Yuri Belyaev in the 2010 film "Fights: the US government against Rudolf Abel", the cult picture of the 60s "Dead season" by Savva Kulish tells partly about his fate, at the beginning of which the legendary intelligence agent himself addressed the audience with a small commentary ...

He also worked as a consultant on another famous Soviet spy film - "Shield and Sword" by Vladimir Basov, where the main character, played by Stanislav Lyubshin, was named Alexander Belov (A. Belov - in honor of Abel). Who is he, a man who is known and respected on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean?

The American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, piloted by Francis Powers, was shot down near the city of Sverdlovsk 55 years ago, on May 1, 1960. Take a look at the archive footage to see the consequences of this incident.

Artist, engineer or scientist

William Genrikhovich Fisher was a very talented and versatile person with a phenomenal memory and a very developed instinct that helped to find the right solution in the most unexpected situations.

Since childhood, he, who was born in the small English town of Newcastle upon Tyne, spoke several languages, played various musical instruments, drew beautifully, drew, understood technology and was interested in natural sciences. A wonderful musician, engineer, scientist or artist could have emerged from him, but fate itself predetermined his future path even before birth.

More precisely, his father, Heinrich Matthäus Fischer, was a German citizen who was born on April 9, 1871 on the estate of Prince Kurakin in the Yaroslavl province, where his parent worked as a manager. In his youth, after meeting the revolutionary Gleb Krzhizhanovsky, Henry became seriously interested in Marxism and became an active participant in the Union of Struggle for the Liberation of the Working Class created by Vladimir Ulyanov.

Named after Shakespeare

The secret police soon drew attention to Fischer, which was followed by an arrest and long-term exile - first to the north of the Arkhangelsk province, then transfer to the Saratov province. Under these conditions, the young revolutionary proved to be an outstanding conspirator. Constantly changing names and addresses, he continued to wage an illegal struggle.

In Saratov, Henry met a young like-minded woman, a native of this province, Lyubov Vasilievna Korneeva, who received three years for her revolutionary activities. They soon married and left Russia together in August 1901, when Fischer was faced with a choice: immediate arrest and deportation in chains to Germany, or voluntary departure from the country.

The young couple settled in Great Britain, where on July 11, 1903, their youngest son was born, who received his name in honor of Shakespeare. Young William passed the exams at the University of London, but he did not have to study there - his father decided to return to Russia, where the revolution took place. In 1920, the family moved to the RSFSR, receiving Soviet citizenship and retaining British citizenship.

The best of the best radio operators

William Fisher entered VKHUTEMAS (Higher Artistic and Technical Workshops), one of the leading art universities of the country at that time, but in 1925 he was drafted into the army and became one of the best radio operators in the Moscow Military District. His superiority was also recognized by his colleagues, among whom were the future participant of the first Soviet drifting station "North Pole-1", the famous polar radio operator Ernst Krenkel and the future People's Artist of the USSR, artistic director of the Maly Theater Mikhail Tsarev.

© AP Photo

After demobilization, Fischer seems to have found his calling - he worked as a radio engineer at the Research Institute of the Red Army Air Force (now the Valery Chkalov State Flight Test Center of the RF Ministry of Defense). In 1927 he married the harpist Elena Lebedeva, and two years later they had a daughter, Evelina.

It was at this time that political intelligence, the OGPU, drew attention to a promising young man with excellent knowledge of several foreign languages. Since 1927, William has been an employee of the Foreign Intelligence Department, where he worked first as a translator and then as a radio operator.

Dismissal due to suspicion

In the early 30s, he asked the British authorities to issue him a passport, since he had a quarrel with his revolutionary father and wants to return to England with his family. The British willingly gave Fischer documents, after which the intelligence officer worked illegally for several years in Norway, Denmark, Belgium and France, where he created a secret radio network, transmitting messages from local residencies to Moscow.

How the American U-2 plane piloted by Francis Powers was shot downOn May 1, 1960, an American U-2 aircraft, piloted by pilot Francis Powers, violated Soviet airspace and was shot down near the city of Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).

In 1938, fleeing large-scale repressions in the Soviet intelligence apparatus, Alexander Orlov, a resident of the NKVD in Republican Spain, fled to the West.

After this incident, William Fisher was recalled to the USSR and at the end of the same year was dismissed from the authorities with the rank of lieutenant of state security (corresponding to the rank of army captain).

Such a change in attitude towards a completely successful intelligence officer was dictated only by the fact that the new head of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs, Lavrenty Beria, openly did not trust the employees who had worked with the previously repressed "enemies of the people" in the NKVD. Fischer was still very lucky: many of his colleagues were shot or sent to prison.

Friendship with Rudolph Abel

The war with Germany returned to Fischer's ranks. From September 1941 he worked in the central intelligence apparatus in Lubyanka. As the head of the communications department, he took part in ensuring the security of the parade that took place on November 7, 1941 on Red Square. He was engaged in the preparation and transfer of Soviet agents to the Nazi rear, led the work of partisan detachments and participated in several successful radio games against German intelligence.

It was during this period that he became friends with Rudolf Ivanovich (Johannovich) Abel. Unlike Fischer, this active and cheerful Latvian came to reconnaissance from the fleet, in which he fought back in the civil war. During the war, they lived with their families in the same apartment in the center of Moscow.

They were brought together not only by their common service, but also by the common features of their biography. For example, like Fischer, Abel was fired from service in 1938. His older brother Voldemar was accused of participation in a Latvian nationalist organization and was shot. Rudolph, like William, was in demand with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, carrying out important tasks in organizing sabotage in the rear of the German troops.

And in 1955, Abel died suddenly, never knowing that his best friend was sent to work illegally in the United States. The Cold War was in full swing.

The enemy's nuclear secrets were required. Under these conditions, William Fisher, who managed to organize two large intelligence networks in the United States under the guise of a Lithuanian refugee, turned out to be an invaluable person for Soviet scientists. For which he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

Failure and paint

The volume of interesting information was so great that over time, Fischer needed another radio operator. Moscow sent Major Nikolai Ivanov to him as an assistant. It was a personnel error. Ivanov, who worked under the agent name Reino Heihanen, turned out to be a drunkard and a lover of women. When, in 1957, they decided to recall him back, he turned to the US special services.

They managed to warn Fischer of the betrayal and began to prepare to flee the country through Mexico, but he himself recklessly decided to return to his apartment and destroy all evidence of his work. FBI agents arrested him. But even in such a stressful moment, William Genrikhovich was able to maintain an amazing composure.

He, who continued to paint in the United States, asked the American counterintelligence officers to wipe the paint off the palette. Then he discreetly threw a crumpled piece of paper with a cipher telegram into the toilet and flushed the water. When detained, he identified himself as Rudolph Abel, thereby making it clear to the Center that he was not a traitor.

Under a false name

During the investigation, Fischer firmly denied his involvement in Soviet intelligence, refused to testify at the trial, and thwarted all attempts by American intelligence officers to work for them. They didn't get anything from him, not even his real name.

But Ivanov's testimony and letters from his beloved wife and daughter became the basis for a harsh sentence - more than 30 years in prison. In conclusion, Fischer-Abel painted oil paintings and was engaged in solving mathematical problems. A few years later, the traitor was punished - a huge truck crashed on a night highway into a car driven by Ivanov.

The five most famous prisoner exchangesSavchenko's hope was officially handed over to Ukraine today, Kiev, in turn, handed over to Moscow the Russians Alexander Alexandrov and Yevgeny Erofeev. Formally, this is not an exchange, but it is an occasion to recall the most famous cases of the transfer of prisoners between countries.

The scout's fate began to change on May 1, 1960, when Francis Powers, a U-2 spy plane pilot, was shot down in the USSR. In addition, newly elected President John F. Kennedy sought to ease tensions between the United States and the USSR.

As a result, it was decided to exchange the mysterious Soviet intelligence officer for three people at once. On February 10, 1962, at the Gliniki Bridge, Fischer was handed over to the Soviet special services in exchange for Powers. Also released were two American students previously arrested on espionage charges, Frederick Pryor and Marvin McEnen.