chapter, we have reached the point of the story beyond which we do not have the same certainties regarding Vladimir Vetrov’s life. Up to now, we based our story mostly on his wife’s and son’s memories, sometimes confirmed by documents, and also on the memories of a few long-standing acquaintances of theirs. Vetrov’s parents, his childhood and youth, and the beginning of his life with Svetlana do not constitute evidence for his prosecution or his defense. From now on, along strips of solid ground, we will often journey through quicksand.
CHAPTER 5
The Mysteries of Paris
An active and spirited man with a talent for intelligence activities, Vetrov worked with enthusiasm. In those years, he was no exception. This entire group of officers came from a modest social background, and they were all of the same exemplary caliber. Often critical of Brezhnev’s regime, they were, nevertheless, convinced of the superiority of communist ideals. Although open to Western values, they remained good patriots. They would have loved to live well in a free and affluent society, but at home, in the Soviet Union. Well-trained professionally and driven by ambition, they were very motivated to succeed. Success meant doing good work for the Center, putting the GRU and the MID (Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in their place, and outperforming French and American intelligence services—not to mention the expected rewards of decorations, promotions, and career advancement. For most, intelligence was a sport fought against the adversary as a team. Within a team, there were always a few stars, but everybody played in a spirit of mutual aid and respect.
Such a team spirit depended heavily on the resident KGB station chief. In Vetrov’s time, the Paris residency chief was Alexei Alexeevich Krokhin. He had operated in France before, between 1950 and 1954. 1 He arrived in Paris for his second turn one year after Vetrov in 1966, and he went back to Moscow in 1974. He was the perfect guy for this generation of operatives.
Krokhin was between fifty-five and sixty years old, of medium height, and slightly overweight. He wore a thin mustache like movie heroes played by Mastroianni in those days. His wife was a former ballerina. He had the reputation for being susceptible to female beauty. He also enjoyed sports. Since he walked with a slight limp, he preferred table tennis, which was new and becoming very popular. He had tables installed in the facilities of the KGB residency at the embassy. He strongly encouraged his officers to play even during working hours, and he sometimes joined the game. He was held in high esteem and very much liked by his officers. It was most certainly under Krokhin’s command that the KGB residency in Paris performed the best.
Officially, Krokhin held the post of minister-adviser, but his real functions were an open secret, as illustrated by the following anecdote. On July 14, 1966, for the Bastille Day celebrations, the whole Diplomatic Corps, all in tuxedoes and bow ties, got in line at the garden party organized at the Elysée Palace. De Gaulle walked toward the Soviet Embassy representatives; he knew them all. He shook hands with Ambassador Zorin: “Your Excellency!” Then, turning to Krokhin: “General!”
Relations between the KGB resident and Vetrov were excellent. Krokhin encouraged the young officer, who was getting consistently better at his job. Svetlana, a pretty woman who knew how to be charming, helped him a lot in his work. Sergei Kostin was at first skeptical when he heard her say, “We were working together.” He would later learn that the rumor had it, in the corridors of the First Chief Directorate, that Svetlana was the main operative of the two. Therefore, regardless of possible exaggeration on everybody’s part, the role she played in her husband’s career at the time was probably significant.
The best-known agent recruited by Vetrov in Paris was Pierre Bourdiol. We can even reveal
CHAPTER 5
The Mysteries of Paris
An active and spirited man with a talent for intelligence activities, Vetrov worked with enthusiasm. In those years, he was no exception. This entire group of officers came from a modest social background, and they were all of the same exemplary caliber. Often critical of Brezhnev’s regime, they were, nevertheless, convinced of the superiority of communist ideals. Although open to Western values, they remained good patriots. They would have loved to live well in a free and affluent society, but at home, in the Soviet Union. Well-trained professionally and driven by ambition, they were very motivated to succeed. Success meant doing good work for the Center, putting the GRU and the MID (Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in their place, and outperforming French and American intelligence services—not to mention the expected rewards of decorations, promotions, and career advancement. For most, intelligence was a sport fought against the adversary as a team. Within a team, there were always a few stars, but everybody played in a spirit of mutual aid and respect.
Such a team spirit depended heavily on the resident KGB station chief. In Vetrov’s time, the Paris residency chief was Alexei Alexeevich Krokhin. He had operated in France before, between 1950 and 1954. 1 He arrived in Paris for his second turn one year after Vetrov in 1966, and he went back to Moscow in 1974. He was the perfect guy for this generation of operatives.
Krokhin was between fifty-five and sixty years old, of medium height, and slightly overweight. He wore a thin mustache like movie heroes played by Mastroianni in those days. His wife was a former ballerina. He had the reputation for being susceptible to female beauty. He also enjoyed sports. Since he walked with a slight limp, he preferred table tennis, which was new and becoming very popular. He had tables installed in the facilities of the KGB residency at the embassy. He strongly encouraged his officers to play even during working hours, and he sometimes joined the game. He was held in high esteem and very much liked by his officers. It was most certainly under Krokhin’s command that the KGB residency in Paris performed the best.
Officially, Krokhin held the post of minister-adviser, but his real functions were an open secret, as illustrated by the following anecdote. On July 14, 1966, for the Bastille Day celebrations, the whole Diplomatic Corps, all in tuxedoes and bow ties, got in line at the garden party organized at the Elysée Palace. De Gaulle walked toward the Soviet Embassy representatives; he knew them all. He shook hands with Ambassador Zorin: “Your Excellency!” Then, turning to Krokhin: “General!”
Relations between the KGB resident and Vetrov were excellent. Krokhin encouraged the young officer, who was getting consistently better at his job. Svetlana, a pretty woman who knew how to be charming, helped him a lot in his work. Sergei Kostin was at first skeptical when he heard her say, “We were working together.” He would later learn that the rumor had it, in the corridors of the First Chief Directorate, that Svetlana was the main operative of the two. Therefore, regardless of possible exaggeration on everybody’s part, the role she played in her husband’s career at the time was probably significant.
The best-known agent recruited by Vetrov in Paris was Pierre Bourdiol. We can even reveal
Similar Books
