SOVIET INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY COL V. I. KONOVALOV

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Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
0001510417
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RIFPUB
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U
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5
Document Creation Date: 
June 22, 2015
Document Release Date: 
December 15, 2008
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Case Number: 
F-2008-00388
Publication Date: 
July 15, 1958
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~4 _3 3'O i16 7~ Internal Ref No 0+ - 117 by A.R. Stirling. MA-4 dal ?-$$~lf~t"796~t"""""""" REMOVED Fh..d CRAB TILES J SOVIIsr INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY 1 1\ Col P.I. KONOVAWV l APPROVED FOR RELEASE^DATE: 04-Nov-2008 II. BACKGROUND 2. Name- Vladimir Ivanovich XONOVALOV Rank: Colonel Source: A clandestine source of established authenticity. Date of Information: August 1955 - 1956 1. INTRODUCTION 1. This report, based on information available from this source as of u J1t1 58, is one of a series on senior mi3itary.intelligence and KGB officers in East Germany. Date. of Birth: Estimated 1900-1905 Assignment: Chief of a technical military intelligence department, BEM IN (Details on the nature of KOIfOVALOV' a duties will be the subject of a separate report). 3. Family Details: No positive 3nforimtioi has been supplied by source on KONOVALOV's marital status. A possible reference to his wife was contained in a conversation ^n 7 Oct 55 with Maj Can N. I, Chief, Operations Department, Sixth Directorate, GRU, in which KONOVAT.OV stated that he "and Gal.ina Fedor^vna" had waited in vain for the general the previous day. The general, who was on an official visit to the DDR, explained that he had been "in your, area", - KARLSHORST, but not until late in.the evening and then had to rush'off. It was not clear, however., whether KONOVALOV was expecting a ~urely social visit from the General. rop t conhnr sew, Copy no. 1 3 Hcj 902d CI?C (i . { TSC . - 26883 -.~ 4-. in the exchange of greetings and congratulations for Red Any Day, Maj Gen G.K.TSINEV.(See Para 17) sent his greetiaags to all KONOVALOV's family. III.. MOVEMENTS AND GTH t ACPIVITIES 5. Throughout the period covered by this report reverences in source material to movements by KONOVALOV are limited to two trips to the KGB Third (CI) Directorate, POTSDAM, one visit to HQ, GSFGVo attend a party meeting convened by the C-in-C, Marshal and one period of leave. This short list should be qualified, however, y source's restricted coverage of KONOVALOV'a activities. 6. On 30 Sep 55 ONOVALOV was asked by Col LA SERGE V a Military Intelli- gence officer and/of the Soviet Liaison Office with Foreign Missions, whether- he ever came "to these districts" (i.e. POTSDAM). KONOVALOV replied that he had been to TSINEV's, place twice and that was all. , The grounds for one of- these visits was amplified by KONOVALOV during a conversation with TSINEV on 2 Aug 55. He said that he had just been to TSINEV'a place in connection with Lt Col D'YATLBV (fnu, pro bly KGB, LE PZIG) since Nikolai Ivnnovich (probably Col N.I VUSILOV rdinate to KONOVALOV) was leaving early the next day. T3~3 that the order had already been given "there", but Nikolai Ivanovich should apply not to D'YATLEV, who was on leave, but to his deputy Capt I.M. FOHN (KGB, LEIPZIG), to whom TSINEV had spoken. 7. On 12/13 Dec X9'an unidentified officer from KONOVALOV's unit remarked to Col V I.SMfRNOVV of Intelligence Directorate, HQ, GSFG, that KONOVALOV had. gone on rea , At' least some of his leave was spent in the DDR, since, while still on leave, he telephoned. Mai Gen TSINEV on 31 December from BE1 flI. There is evidence that at some previous date KONOVALOV had enjoyed the amen= ties of the "Fabritsius" (Sanatorium or Hotel) at SOCHI: he agreed with - Mai -Gen K.TH who had returned Pram a vacation there, that it was "a fine place 8, KONOVALOV was one of the officers informed by the duty officer, Intel ' genoe Directorate M. GSFO, that a party meeting convened by Marshal A.A. GRBCH Q, C-in-C, GBFG had been postponed for two days to 12 Mar 56.. The marshal was going to "give an account of his impressions," presumably of the 20th Party Congress. - 9, On 23 Nov 55 KONOVALOV said that he had received an invitation and intended to go to the Party "aktiv" at "Comrade PUSUKEN's place" (Soviet sssy, BHRE.IN). . 10.' KONOVALOV received invitations to both the 1955 reception in connection with the October Revolution, held at the Soviet Embassy, and the reception on iced Army Day, 1956, organised by the Soviet garrison, BEfIII. IV, OTHER PERSONAL PARTICULARS 11. Career: KONOVALOV joined the Red?Arny in November 1930. On 6 Nov 55. he gave. a party in BERLIN to celebrate. his 25 years' service. This event bad.ovi- dently made little impact on Main Intelligence Directorate, NW-,0W, however, since it required the unsolicited efforts of Mai Gen N A7)V, chief of another military intelligence unit in BERLIN, to get KONOVALOV's name sub- witted to Cadres Directorate, Main Intelligence Directorate, for a decoration. 3/....... 1523 f9:. Col EA&YULUBOV, Deputy Chief of the Intelligence Directorate, HQ, GSFG said that XONOMAZOV could not expect to receive his decoration until May 1959 because it took six months to formalise the papers. 12. There was evidence that KONOVALOV had been an instructor at a school or establishment at one time. This'was borne out by a conversation between KONOVALOV and Lt Col I K. GON , another military intelligence officer in the Soviet Liaison Office, POTSDAM, in which a former instructor-pupil relationship clearly emerged. This former role may have a bearing on KONOVALOV's interest in the well-being of Lt Gen M.A. KOOHBTKOV, Chief of the Training Department, Main Intelligence Directorate, which was expressed during a discussion with Mai Gen SIfRSTNEV. 13. Education and Accent; No information is available from source on KONOVALOV's educational background other than that he is a well,educated tan apparently belonging to the better class of Soviet Society. He speaks in a very polished manner, with a Great-Russian (MOSCOW) accent and never indulges in vulgarity or swearing. V. CHARACTER AND BFFICI iCY 14. An assessment of KONOVALOV's'character, based on source material," establishes considerable independence and self-assurance in his make-up which is probably coupled with modesty where it concerns personal achievement.. This latter charaoteristia was attributed to KONOVALOV on one occasion by Mai Gen CHEKMAZOV (See Para 1i) who, when suggesting that a decoration might be awarded. to his, explained that KOHOVALOV "feels shy about saying anything himself". Although this is only a single piece of rather tenuous evidence it is perhaps supported by KONOVALOV's consistency in the role of an attentive and good listener. That his politeness does not descend to servility when. conversing with his superiors, however, is clear from his discussions with Mai Gen A. B,CHBOHBNTSEV, Chief, Intelligence Directorate, HQ, GSF'G,?with. whom he spoke on eq> terms, and Maj Can SHERSTNEV. 15. KONOVALOV proved to be qu and efficient in answering verbal questions put to him by Col. ~~~SMIRNLIV Chief, Operations Department, Intelligence Directorate, ~HQ, GSFG,? with'whom he was in frequent contact.' No material is available from source, however, which permits an accurate assessment of his abil.ities,in general. VI. FRIMS AND CONTACTS 16. Source material provides no information on KONOVALOVts more intimate' friendships; those who do not appear as friends or contacts of a sort were with one exception, confined to his own service, 17. The exception concerns Mai Gen TSINEV, Chief, KGB Third (I) Directorate, POTSDAM, who was. obviously a good friend and highly regarded by KONOVALOV: This can be concluded from the fact that on the eve of each of the three celebration days, October Revolution, New Year, and Red Army Day, KONOVALOV telephoned TSINEV and warm greetings were exchanged. In addition, TSINF;V was invited to KONOVALOV's party to celebrate his completion of 25 years' . 1523x9 ? army service. TSINEV on his part offered to raise. a question (unidentified by source) inMSCOW on behalf of KONOVATAV who had not had a reply from there. Although both used first names and patronymics only TSD W used the familiar style of speebh. . 18. On I Apr 56 Col MM_SMTRNOV, Chief, Cipher Department, Sixth Directorate, Main Intelligence Dire- o`'earrived from MOSCOW with a visiting commission. The next day he had a most friendly conversation with KONOVALOV in which he told him that the following sent their greetings and wished to be remembered to him: Lt Gen A.A.XONOVALOV, Chief, Sixth (Opefatione) Directorate, Engr Col MEEMSHEV (fnu), KCQ,o$OL'NTKOV (fnu - y/i), and VDCN'.IN (fnu - uji). ? VDOVIN had. already been. mentioned by?KONOVALOV when speaking to?Co1 V~, S6{M in October 1955. SMMOV, Soho was proceeding on leave, a ed w e r he could take anything'to MOSCOW. KONOVMOV said he wanted to send the spectacles for Col Can 1d'V_ SHI,LIN . Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate, adding- "you'wi11 be able 'to see him there , or you can. give them to VDOVIN". 19. Maj Can SHERSTNEV (See pars 3) was subjected, to some good-natured chiding by KONOVALOV for failing to visit him during a trip to HMIN,' and their subsequent conversation on business natters was informal and suggested a friendly service relationship. 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