As the main intelligence and security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991, the KGB instilled fear across Russia and sought to sow discord abroad.
This network of government spies was notorious for the often brutal methods it used to keep enemies, loyalists and common people under the thumb of the state. And far from fading as the USSR old guard fell from power, the operatives, methods and networks of the KGB remain at the heart of the Russian state today. Putin himself was a KGB officer for 16 years, including six years as a foreign intelligence officer stationed in Dresden, East Germany.
On May 28, veteran security correspondent and Rest is Classified co-host Gordon Corera joins us to unveil the inner workings of the KGB and the hidden power struggles that shaped modern Russia. Corera will explore the real-life stories of those on the inside; from the spies who lived and died enforcing its rule, to those who were brave enough to resist it.
Join us live at Conway Hall to hear how the influence and evolution of the KGB continues to shape Russia, and have your questions answered in the audience Q&A.
The Spy in the Archive: How One Man Tried to Kill the KGB (Paperback)
by Gordon Corera
Speakers are subject to change.