A WORLD WAR II RUSSIAN SUPERSPY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00901R000500110039-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 24, 2003
• Sequence Number: 39
• Publication Date: December 9, 1973
• Content Type: NSPR

WASHINGTON POST
9 DEC 1973 STATINTLSTATINTL
-Approved For Release 2003/12/03 : CIA-RDP91-00901 ROO 500110039-2
A" world mar II. Russian Su.pefspy
By Robert G. Kaiser liberties it takes with history, some of decides that Himmler must be behind
them resulting in a had impression of, the plot. He worms his way into the
MOSCOW-All across Russia on these America's role at the end of the war. conspiracy, covering his tracks with
unusually cold December nights, Soviet Another is the way the movie depicts Hitler by confiding in his loyal aide
citizens are gathering around the family the Nazi leaders. In this film, for the Martin Borman that he is trying to ex-
television to watch one of the most first time since the war, Soviet citizens Pose high-level disloyalty to the Fuh-
popular movies of recent years. see the Nazis as thoughtful, Intelligent rer.
In the end, Stirlitz is able to betray
"17 " and competent men, not bloodthirsty the secret effort to reach a separate
The film, Flashes of Spring," is criminals. The sympathetic portrait of peace both to Hitler and, through Sta-
a fictionalized "documentary" about !Stalin also may have caused some lin, to President Roosevelt, who is de-
'events which supposedly occurred near debate. picted as a loyal ally unaware of the
the end of World War II. It is 14 Despite the controversy, the' film evil schemes his man Dulles is pur-
hours lone (divided into 12 see'mentsl ,was televised last August. It was a suing.
and sometimes moves at a painfully tantascic NOPUiaf success. For 12 day's, But before that happy ending, the
slow pace, but the acting is superb and "17 Flashes of Spring" was the leading superspy must survive some super-
the film makes excellent television. By ;topic of conversation on Moscow street scrapes. The touchiest comes when his rlin, Soviet standards, it is a splendid bit of corners, in shops and on buses. other trusted radio operat r in Bern alli d
Soviet newspapers published letters Russian spy, is lled
entertainment and a rare example of from readers after the 12-part series bombing raid. The bomb wounded his
successful exploitation of the powers of ended urgi1 g that it be repeated pregnant Russian wife, who ends up in
television. quickly. (That it was repeated so soon a Berlin hospital. In the pain of giving
It is also clever political propaganda, is remarkable.) Several papers printed birth, she cries out in Russian, thus
depicting heroic Soviet spies, double- enthusiastic reviews. The daily "Trud" alerting the Nazis to the existence of a
dealing Americans and a shrewd, able ("Labor") published a letter from a Soviet spy ring in Berlin.
Stir-
Joseph Stalin in the Kremlin. This last 'much-decorated war hero, Viktor N. In the ensuing investigation, Stir-
Leonov, who praised the film extrava- litz's fingerprints are found on the
touch is one of many recent signals that a woman's suitcase. For a moment, this
Stalin has been forgiven some of his gently for its authenticity, as though looks like the superspy's last hurrah,
the events it depicts actually occurred. but in the knick of time he invents an
sins by the present leadership, especially "The directors ... and scriptwriter explanation. Once, driving through
when it comes to his role as a wartime . . introduce us to one of the most Berlin in an air raid, he was forced to
C leader. daring and brave accomplishments of stop his car at a pile of rubble. While
the Soviet secret service," Leonov he waited, he saw a woman trying to
The movie's distortions of history pro- wrote: "neutralization of the talks cross the street with a baby carriage
vide a revealing lesson in the tricks of about a separate peace between the and suitcase and he'offered to help her
Soviet propaganda. History is still propa- leaders of Hitler's Germany and the with the bag. It must have been this,
ganda in this country. No objective western nations. The existence of spy, Stirlitz suggested hopefully. His
account of the history of the Soviet these talks, as is known, allowed the Nazi bosses bit, and swallowed.
JJnion itself can be published here. Soviet command to change the, distri- Stirlitz (actor Vyacheslav Tikhonov)
The style of "17 Flashes of Spring" is bution of its forces and concentrate executes each new trick with excep-
realistic. The director has inserted snip the basic offensive in the direction of tional skill and style. Tikhonov is su-
pets of actual wartime newsreels to Berlin ..:' perb in the role. One Russian intellect
heighten the sense of aThe Other reviewers wrote that the film ual describes his face and mannerisms
(and the novel on which it was based) as completely ur--Russian, very aristo-'
p.lOt, however, bears only a authenticity. c slight re- reflected historical facts. The most cratic and noble." A perpetual, far-
semblance to known history. serious review, in the weekly news- away look in his eyes evokes the lone-
The hero is called Stirlitz. a Soviet paper "Literary Gazette," acknowledg- liness of John Le Carre's spies, though
superspy who works (in the guise of a ed that the plot wasn't precisely accur- Stirlitz's unswerving dedication to
loyal Nazi officer) in the highest ranks ate and that some characters were duty and heroic self-denials put him a
of the political intelligence section of amalgamations of real figures, though cut above Le Carre's hardened cynics.
Hitler's SS. In fact, the Soviets had no "everything" in the story is 'bbased on Unfortunately for the Soviet Union,
such spy. facts.' . there was no Stirlitz in Berlin in 1945.
When the film was first shown in The Soviets had spies, including Polish
The story concerns Stirlitz's effective August, it was introduced with a dis- Jews and Germans, but none near the
maneuvering in February and March, cussion involving the author of the level of influence attributed to Stirlitz
1945, to sabotage efforts by Heinrich novel and screenplay, Yulian Semyo- in this film.
Himmler and Allen Dulles (then the sen- nov, the director and several actors. Nor did the events described as
for American intelligence officer in Eu- Semyonov told the TV audience that those of February and March, 1945,
rope) to negotiate a "separate peace" Stirlitz was not a real character and occur. Semyonov's story is loosely
excluding Stalin, to allow the Germans that the book took some liberties with based on events that did take place in
history. This discussion was omitted March, but in a very different way, ac-
to concentrate all their forces aIainst when the series began for the second cording to American diplomatic rec-
the Red Army on their eastern front. time on Saturday night. oFds published in 19G8.
There is no historical evidence that' The plot of the movie sends Stirlitz The movie depicts a conspiratorial
Dulles and Himulller were involved in through a literally death defying series effort by Dulles to arrange a peace
\ such a scheme, of deceptions before bringing his mis- with Hirnmler's envoys. '1 :ii; bar;a TAT
The film was completed more than sign to a successful conclusion. ing becomes intricate; the mur:c shows
18 months ago, but was kept off Soviet The action begins when Stirlitz re- Dulles arguing about which Germans
television while th0 authorities debated ceives word from Moscow by coded
its suitability. Several aspects of "17 radio message that there is a plot afoot
by some Nazi leaders to make a se pa-
Flashes are eontrovyri o d port lease 20G80,2/03 w 1AhRDM11009(Y1Rd00
" ter weighing each possibility, Stirlitz