The Spy and the Traitor - 16

Summary num. 16.
This is a real story.

In January 1970, Oleg finally returned to the Soviet Union from his two-year posting* in Copenhagen. The thought of coming back to the USSR had been nagging Oleg since the last few months. He found a Moscow that barely resembled the city he had left two years ago. A colourless, ghost-like atmosphere hung heavy in the air. This affected Oleg greatly. He grew profoundly uneasy, feeling stuck in this grim city. Though, he managed to keep it all from his demeanour.

In the spring of 1970 a thick, insightful file landed on the desk of MI6 officer Geoffrey Guscott. The file concerned the intelligence that Standa Kaplan, a Czech defector, had passed on to the Canadian Secret Service. Amidst the vast amount of information one name stoot out more than the others: Oleg Gordievsky. The Canadian report revealed some valuable insights on this outwardly Soviet diplomat. Described as a freethinker, Oleg seemed to harbour anti-communist leanings. Keen to broaden his knowledge, Guscott searched Oleg’s name in various databases. He learnt that in 1966, an Oleg Gordievsky had been posted to Copenhagen as a Soviet consular officer. Along with the Canadian file was also the Danish one. The Danes had long suspected Oleg was a KGB officer under diplomatic cover. In their view, his demeanour was amiss. Realising the implications of such valuable information, Guscott flagged Oleg as a “person of interest” for MI6.