SOVIET - SPONSORED SOCIETIES OF FRIENDSHIP AND CULTURAL RELATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-00915R000800190025-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 27
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 7, 1998
• Sequence Number: 25
• Content Type: REPORT

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Soviet-Sponsored Societies of Friendship and Cultural Relations
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Soviet-Sponsored Societies of Friendship and Cultural Relations
I. Foreword
1. QurNMA- Soviet Emphasis on the it Cultural Relations Program
2. Role of the Friendship/Cultural Relations Societies in the Soviet
Cultural Offensive
3. Origin and Brief Historical Outline of the Friendship Societies
Current Programs and Projects of Soviet-Sponsored Friendship/Cultural
R
l
ti
S
e
a
ons
ocieties
Administration of Friendship/Cultural Relations Societies,
?,~. Financing of the Friendship Societies
III. Covert Exploitation of Soviet Friendship Societies
7. RIS Use of Friendship Societies in the 1930ts'and During World War II
8. toxageMpt RIS and the Friendship Societies in the Post War Period
9. RIS Use of Friendship/Cultural Delegations
10. Current Indications of Possible RIS Use of Friendship Societies q-
IV. Societies of Friendship or Cultural Relations with East European Satellite
Countries
11. Adminiitration and Functions of the Satellite-Sponsored Societies
12. Covert Exploitation of the Societies of Friendship with East European
Satellite Countries- 1
Appendix
List of Soviet, East European, Chinese, North Korean and North Vietnamese
sponsored Friendship and Cultural Relations Societies
(This list includes all societies of this nature which have been reported
through 30 July 1957.)
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Foreword. This brief paperconcernAi~ societies of friendship and
societies of cultural rel tions with the Soviet Union omtzs their purposes,
and the overt and covert Soviet employment of these societies. Primarily they
are propaganda outlets which reflect Soviet ideas on any
"4 A
given political, economic or military matter. l~-Currently the societies gitat*4 -)
FF-- A
for cessation of nuclear weapons tests, for peace and friendship between nations
(on Communist terms) and for better understanding between the peoples of the Soviet
Union and those of other countries. Theq are found not only
in Free World countries but also in other Communist countries where they try to
bring about better relations with the Soviet Union.
here is an effortlto make the societies appear independent from
the communist parties in order that they may reach a larger propaganda audience.
Soviet and Communist control
over the societies, however, is never relinquished. The Soviet All-Union Society
for Cultural Relations Abroad, traditionally known by the abbreviation of its
Russian title, VOKS, is the unit which has been responsible for many years for the
support and guidance of these societies. In addition, there is ksually a local
Communist-Party fraction active within the friendship society and Communists
are in some leading positions to assure Soviet guidance and control.
In the second part of the study an outline * of the use Soviet
A
intelligence services have made of Soviet _ponsored friendship societies. The
w
revelations Vladimir Petrov, Committee for State Security (KGB) officer
who defected in Australia in 1954, concerningexploitation of the Australia-Soviet
to an understanding of Soviet use
of these groups for espionage. In most cases the SovietShave a witting agent or
collaborator within the leadership of the society; other members who contribute
Friendship Society are
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information or assistance usually n; unaware that they are aiding a foreign
intelligence service. Indications that the friendship societies are still
used for espionage are briefly outlined.
A short description of societies
f f
i
d
o
r
en
ship sponsored by the other
~~Communist countries of East Europe is included Th it propaganda functions as
well as the services they provide for the satellite intelligence services are of
the same nature as those carried out by the Soviet-sponsored societies4fort &
. /nalysis of propaganda and intelligence functions of the Chinese Communist-
sponsored friendship/cultural relations societies has not been included here.
W*-rhe Appendix lists % friendship and cultural relations societies sponsored
by the Soviet Union, the East European Communist countries, the Chinese Communist,
North Korean and North Vietnam governments which have been reported through 31 July
1957. From the continually increasing number of Chinese-sponsored friendship
and cultural relations societies, it appears that they will be used to a progress-
ively greater extent to promote Chinese political, economic and intelligence
interests abroad.
The friendship societies have sponsored hundreds of delegations of
sitors to and from the Soviet Union. Since 1954 VOKS has spent tremendously
large sums of money for travel expenses of these delegations. Persons traveling
to the Soviet Union as members of the delegations have been carefully chosen by
the local VOKS representative (attached to the Soviet diplomatic installation)
and by Communist leaders of the friendship society; they have been instructed
concerning what kmzxbxexzxv aspects of Soviet life they should observe and
report about upon their return. Full propaganda exploitation of these projects
in which the Soviets have heavily invested has thus been assured.
Documents from the Soviet Embassy in Canberra provided by Vladimir Petrov
show that the Soviets have other uses for delegations visiting Moscow besides
acquiring new friends. Soviet intelligence services observe the delegations
closely during their stay in Moscow and send.* reports to their field represent it,
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tives about visitors who appear to be 1ssie~re~potential recruits for
intelligence work. The field representatives are instructed to check further
into the backgrounds and potentialities of these people in their home countries.
Thus %friendship and cultural relations societies have furthered the
propaganda and intelligence work of the Soviet government since the 1920's and
because of the natural overt contact Embassy personnel can have with such
groups in places where there are Soviet diplomatic missions, it is pbable that
the Soviets will continue to exploit them to the greatest extent possible.
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'-l. The Friendship and Cultural Relations Societies as Soviet Propaganda Instruments
business, industrial and other groups in Free World countries. are not usually
reached by Communist Party or front organization propaganda has led to a greatly"
expanded d~iNlMiiwk cultural AMINO" offensive. This is currently mani-
fested in Free World countries by the founding of new friendshiptural relations
societies,he reactivation of others? which had in become inactive;f by a greatly
increased number of kK friendship7cultural delegation exchanges between the Soviet
Union and other countries
klwt
are spon ored by the friendship cultural
relations societies aW are partly or wholly subsidized by
Soviet-sponsored Wt cultural delegations have? M^r~1~t increased in
number each year since 1954. In that year, for example, 84 deiogw6"mw exchanges
with West European countries were arranged under the categories of culture, peace
and friendship. In 1955 the number of Soviet cultural delegation exchanges with
West European countries wow increased to 114.E In 1956 a total of 475 delegations
wen `to the Soviet
Union from West European countries; this figure included groups
described as cultural, tourist, professional, technical, scientific, economic,
governmental, labor, sports, Communist Party and Communist front groups.,)
A total of 469 Soviet delegations
of all kinds traveled to West European
countries in 1956. Of a total number of 1327 delegations going to`zist
blee countries use-in 1956, 225 were "cultural" delegations. The exact
number of these which went to the Soviet Union is not available, but it is probable
that the 1955 fiiure of 114 was surpassed.
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esire to promote pro-Soviet attitudes and ideas among intellectual,
kAAk
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Welk _1_ establishment of a _VW Soviet State Committee for CulturTies wit
Foreign Countries Although its exact responsibilities have not yetx been 1.,.
I. en) -71--
- -4-
the cultural relations program and administer some/of the exchange program--
determined, the new agency SiM probably coordinate propaganda
parts
particularly that portion + which concerns foreign official personalities.
,,'~` `"' the improvement of
Much of its work will probably relate to/Soviet relations with the Eastx t
Ct,w? cI
European satellite countries. task of the new State Committee will probably
and intensify
be to reactivate/the exchange program to the as mmoiv& basis it achieved in
1955 and early 1956 prior to the wholesale cancellations of exchanges by Western
travellers following the Soviet intervention in Hungary. It may A&qNOW under-
take the preparation of Soviet "cultural" publications intended for foreign
=' Ve? In many Free World the societies of friendship and
cultural relations with the Soviet Union are conspicuously active elements in the
overall Soviet cultural offensive. This has been especially true in certain
4ncY
Latin American tzizx ftFar Eastern countries and i areas where
`groups have been 41W W- influeni~`~among non-Com-
munists bringl4bout more favorable attitudes towards the Soviet i Union and
distribution.
.2.Role of the Friendship/Cultural Relations Societies in the Soviet Cultur
establishment or re-establishment of diplomatic relations
with the Soviet Union, *6 adoption of a neutralist stand on certain international
issues, etc.
I'i The friendship societies have been responsible to a large
degree for effective support mustered in Western countries for the Soviet Union
to ctio desir 14 by the Soviets--such as, increased trade,
"Nowhish ,
in a moment of need. During World War III i . _ after the attack of
azi Germany on the Soviet Union the -~~ k societies in Great Britain
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utilize the friendship or cultural relations m'
JI '
e socie .es of friha%shi with the So r4 t U i
p
ll
dPVP1n-ninO atrmr +1?r o.,.a n;.i .P-- -t. n___ i ....
the United States were particularly successful in drawing to their folds
prominent British and American citizens, in achieving mass strength and in
UV U
E'
t.foreignn Communist parties or their front groups in a given area, the Soviets
a Soviet propaganda need cannot be met adequately ..through the work of the
.
UWII
&"M Pamkl= overt use of these socie les is that wherever
IN"
3 Or gin and Brief Historiaal Outline of the Friendship Societies
n on were or 6 La
y organized
as front groups of the Communist Parties.andheir propaganda, like that of the
founded. This functioned as an international front of the Comintern and its
Communist-Parties, was at first directed a -t labor groups. in 1927 under the
leadership of an organizing committee headed by British and Russian Communists,
an International Association of Friendship Societies with the Soviet Union was
, propaganda work anrrapparent
lyw ontrolled by the Agitprop Department of the
Executive Committee of the 2mw* Comintern.,,'.
government, v%r the struggle against, perialism and for the world labor movement,.
founding congress a,lengthy resolution was passed announcowithe purposely'''
~`550Gc~C~Gf"+7
of the In brief these were: support for the policies of the Soviet
sympathy and solidarity of the broad masses of the international proletariat with
the first proletarian state." # 1- Ell --im-ma
C.
ri International Association $as "an international organization expressing the
# Vaksov, V. "Druz' a Sovetsko o So
> Y g yuza" (Friends of the Soviet Union),
Bol'shaya Sovetskaya Entsiklopediya, vol. 23, p. 526,
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the Soviets
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From approximately 1933 when the
Fascist threat to the Soviet Union a/i~^i~ rogressively greater, = attempts
.ww+ made,.,.w*Wt varying degree s,,-ma:, depending upon the specific friendship
society involved, to dissociate these groups from the CommunistPPart,f National
sections of the International Association of Friends of the Soviet Union were
criticized for appealing only to Communists or Communist sympathizers. Failure
to appeal to non-Communist groups ~bkaxk~x (accompanied no doubt by lack of
Soviet support as a result of this failure) led to the disintegration of
national sections by 1941 and the .disappearance of the
Secretariat i~?'.~i.ti~~
After the Nazi attack on the Soviet Union the ZwobctP friendship societie
With the end of the war and the growth of fastest tensions, the
propaganda cork of the friendship?soc eyes w= changed tone and direction,
rang '2X- "r`Ricism was made of all
he societies exposed themselves as unrelenting mouthpieces of the
government, ~hich were in opposition to these of the Soviet Union.
Soviet Union fiercely cpunter-attacking all its-qad& U.r-
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began to organ
latt ize support for the,~Soviet war effort. Appeals were issued calling
AmWgp m strengthening) friendship with the Soviet Union and0
-Belie fight against Fascist aggression. Propaganda issued by the friendship societies
avoided controversial subjects and stressed the,need for close cooperation between
the Soviet Union and its Western Allies.
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Administratio of Friendship/Cultural Relations Soviet es.W _
1941, direct responsibility for the
administration of MmAlp the friendship societies as - assigned
to the Secretariat of the Intesational Association of Friendship Societies with
the Soviet Union. The Secretariat was first located in Germany, but with the
40
A 2 Nazi assumption of power an prohibition of its activity n 193 it was
?'1 moved to 2 The Netherlands. The Secretariat drew up work plans and projects
for the national societies (or sections) and prepared reports analyzing their
As in the case of some of the other Comintern
achievements and weaknesses.
international-fronts the Soviet affiliate of the international
organization guay amed direction over the foreign x sections (in this
case, societies), replacing the International Secretariat.
The All-Union Society for Cultural Relations with-Foreign Counteires
V~OKS) was created by a Ibn[
decree of the Soviet Council of People's Commissars on 8 August 1925 as a 'public
societyC Actually it functioned as a state organization with its work, like that
of all Soviet State institutions closely checked by a Communist Party kaaAekx unit
within its staff. Ostensibly VOKS appeared to be the Soviet equivalent
of the other national friendship societies which were affiliated with the Inter-
national Association of Friendship Societies with the Soviet Union. --
A stated reasono for its founding ka was to facilitate Soviet xx access to Western
cultural and scientific literature. A second t?en MR-was to
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 pagdada rork they carried out for the Soviet Union during World War II
indica es active VOKS direction during this period.
wherever they hay diplomatic mission
Abroad,/the Soviets have maintained K dual systems
One of these executed by
AP" v?14 .f aF4l eiA99f4QN7 a Z ""~ ~vQ i P 22 eminated
' As early as 1927
abroad. 4VOKS was assigned specifically a zk zkmex01zi?$zfex x to assist the
societies of friendship with the Soviet Union located in Ge many and the United
States because these societies favorable informa-
tion about the Soviet Union. It is probable that VOKS assumed direct leadership
all
over/the fr! ~? societies of friendship with the Soviet Union wh the n _e
national Association of Friendship Societies with the Soviet Union was dissolved;
mucamk details of this transfer of responsibility and the dissolution of the Inter-
national Association are not known
several
The reactivation of/n=c of the friendship societies in 1942 and the
the VOKS officeir or Cultural kktmahx relations officers who are attached to
-lam-Soviet diplomatic establishments, The other is maintained by the local
Communist Party. Communists In NOftc hold key offices in a friendship society
itions
s
di
pos
ng
j,rf-even though prominent non-Communists may be inyother lea
Also, there is~I n the friendship society, as in most Communist
ront organizations a Communist fractThis unit, during closed meetings
held without the knowledge of other fr&andship society members, det rmines action
to be taken at general membership meetings. 'The fraction
close contact with a VOKS officer.
Communist, fraction working in a friendship/cultural relations society is in
-
friendship societies may be under the/direction of the Foreign Section of the
Central Committee of the local Communist Party. Presumably the leader of a
direction of a Mass Organization Section of the Comm unist''F'artjr's national
headquarters. There is-.evidence that Ow fractions operating in) the
immediate
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With the easing of tra )controls after 1953 and the
stepping up of/cultural exchange program, VOKS seems to have had an increasingly
CThe exact role to be pla~ VOKS now that a Soviet State Committee for
Cultural Ties with IMF `has been established.-remains to be seen. It
possible. that VOKS may revert to its earlier status as
simply tre Soviet equivalent ads of the foreign friendship and
cultural relations societies. As such, its functions would be to receive and to
entertain any unofficial (non-governmental) friendship'ultural delegations
by the $ societies of friendship with the Soviet Union; to arrange for
Soviet entertainers, lecturers, artists, etc., for kbm programs the foreign
from which they can
friendship societies present and/x=E benefit 5L. from admission fees
Ron_
COIt/seems possible that periodicals
-' -~ `
WTMM~
formerly i prepared by VOKS may now be written and printed by the new State
the name of
Committee. It is of interest to note in this regard that/the VOKS publication
traditionally entitled, "The VOKS Bulletin" im was changed to "Culture and Life"
in February 1957. The Chief of the new State Committee has a background of
experience~riti g and edit in the International -Section of Pravda.
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6, Fin ancingK A society of friendship with the Soviet Union tries to idbm
= assess ..membership dues, sell literature produced by the I^IIi society
ikzxz be self-supporting to the greatest degree possible,
especially those which are particularly successful/pxo3d
itself or supplied from Moscow. Entertainment iac it sponsors also brings some
income, especially that presented by artists, musicians, smam& sport teams,
ikrly large amounts of
etc.,, 1,
are derived from the showing of Soviet films. In most cases;bi, society
of friendship with the Soviet Union,-... w- -- be heavily financed b
ay by the .Soviets--
friendship societies in most areas
are received through
#kK Soviet diplomatic channels. In some places funds
apparently are passed directly by the VOKS officer or Cultural Relations officer
to a Communist functionary of the friWdship society. There is some evidence--
supplied by Communist defectors of both East European satellite and Free World
areas--that funds from the Soviet Union (probably from VOKS, though possibly
originating with the Foreign Section of the Central Committee of the Communist
Party of the Soviet Union) are sent first to the Foreign Section of the Communist
.00
Party in the/aeasr Where the fx ? friendship society is located and then trans-
ferred to a Communist functionary of the friendship society.
LL located in a Free World country
At least oneesociety /was requited
by VOKS to submit a monthly report.which:included an accounting of all proceeds kx
Th
t
l
a
so
e repor
wrmomp-from entertainmen he society sponsore .
.a.~ ( t?.
included statistics A conce ing the number of is ga ier ngs '?`"
held by the friendship sexier-and-detat~ about-hek~reatrtie3ns.
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 1 ~
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society and details about their reactions.
6. Current Programs and Projects of Soviet-Sponsored Friendship/
Cultural Relations Societies. Phopaganda objectives of the friendship societies
now are (1) furtherance of Soviet political, economic, technical and military
interests and (2) promotion of friendly' attitudes towards the Soviet Union.
Priority targets are intellectual, political and industrial circles, although
in some areas labor groups are still propaganda objectives. For example, the
VOKS-supported organization in France, the France-USSR Association, sent two
delegations to Moscow for May Day celebrations in 1957--one composed of persons
from the professions and the other made up of factory workers.
cultuPal PrqWganda themes now stressed byq Soviet friendship/
(l)Trr
ark araate military. , e~oonaaic
lit ~ t the O oa~aun3.et bloc oauntriee s
(2)4$romote the establishment or re*uaspticn of diplomatic and
tr e relations with the Soviet Unions 3)1a to underatanding
en appreciation of Soviet cultural (4)r port arm auction which
..?,
limit Or curtail the m 13tary or progress of the
and extol as penes saaeuree any minor Soviet s tarn re..
duotion or even Soviet troop transfers. The roent appointment
to the aha# rnanahip of VOKS of Nina P DA, a Soviet functionary
who has had ranch experience in the field of ",peace" propaganda,
may foreshadow a focusing an this theme by the Erie ship societies.
In some countries branches of the friendship societies are found in
nearly every town of any size. Most 2mck societies maintain information
centers, libraries or reading rooms in which are Placed Soviet books and
publications to promote better understanding of the Soviet people. In some
areas mobile libraries have been particularly successful in this work.
Lectures are presented and studies are made of various aspects of Soviet
culture. The societies also hold social gatherings, sponsor exhibits and
undertake other activities of similar nature which promote good will.
Programs in which Soviet artists, musicians, authors and athletes frequently
participate are featured. (The Soviet definition of culture includes almost
everything, including athletics.)
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p societies include functional or activity
. These are extended as desired in order to reach wider
segments of the population. Activity snub-sections noted to
date include the folleawse categoriess art, ohes s, education,
films, history, law, music, science, medicine, the social sciences
the theatre, and youth. Souse of the stub-sescxtions attain large
and deavc op sufficient interest and awPort
by their central executive oo-
At least one society is currently sponsoring a "twin city
prow" designed to establish relations between Soviet towns
and those of the country in which the friendship society is
located,on the basis of exchanges between the interested lo-
cal.itios. The friendship societies try to assist the work of
universities and other cultural institutions of both the Soviet
Union and the other country concerned. A publication may be
prepared t v oaab friendship society or it may only distribute
copies of Soviet publications.
he work of the friendship societies
groups,.. an effort has been madea particu-
durin 1956 and 1957--to di oc ate them frca the
ornrnmisst parties. 'Reorganizations of the societies have occurred
in some areas and non-Cona unists have been p ced in the most
prominent offices, but the Sovieste- -through the VOKS officers
and local Coamxnists in the society--maintain control*
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III. Covert Exploitation of Soviet Friendship Societies
The friendship and cultural relations societies offer many
possibilities and assets for exploitation by the Soviet intelligence agencies.
Within the leadership of the societies there is frequently a highly-trusted
Communist who has access to the facilities and personnel of the society and
who collaborates with Soviet intelligence (referred to hereafter as RIS) by
performing any support work he is requested to do. Although he~acts as a witting
agent and usually has direct contact with an RIS officer under diplomatic cover,
other members of the friendship society frequently collaborate unaware of the
fact that they assist a foreign intelligence service.
In some areas friendship society information centers, reading rooms,
libraries, club rooms, etc., have been used by RIS officers for meetings with
informants. RIS officers have been able to acquire information at friendship
society gatherings or have been directed to persons who could supply information.
1. RIS Use of Friendship Societies in the 1930's and During World War II.
As previously stated, one of the principal reasons for establishing VOKS was to
assist the Soviet acquisition of foreign cultural and scientific literature.
Also, as explained, the two friendship societies which received earliest support
from VOKS were those in Germany and in the United States. The Soviets explained
this aid as attributable to the fact that these societies did most to inspire
good will kt toward the USSR. It is to be noted, however, that they were located
in countries well advanced scientifically and technologically and were probably
most productive in acquiring information for the relatively new Soviet industries
and research centers. It is likely that some of the information acquired was
of confidential nature.
In one of these societies there was a special department for forwarding
technical, industrial and military information to the Soviet Union. The person
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25X1A9a
in charge of the department appears to have been an agent of Soviet State
Security (the service now known as the Committee for State Security). In
the Soviet Union the VOKS organization was itself under close Soviet State
Security supervision during this period. A careful study was made by this
intelligence service of foreign scientists who supplied information through
VOKS facilities. S=zx+zt:z adsecz5teaaxIkyx zx
the
'3w-Communistwho served/RIS as witting agentiwithin the leadership
of the friendship societ1ydid "talent spotting", looking for persons employed
in sensitive positions or in some other way well qualified to pro-fide informa-
tion of interest and performed other support services for the RIS. According
to ft=x persons formerly affiliated with a Communist Party or a Soviet
intelligence agency, other Communists in the fix= friendship society sometimes
wittingly performed similar services.
Assistance in setting up cover firms for RIS operations reportedly was
provided by people in Communist controlled groups, including the friendship
societies. Walter Krivitsky, writing of his experiences as a Soviet State
Security officer assigned to procure arms and ammunition covertly for the
Loyalist forces in the Spanish Civil War, described how business firms were
set up in several European cities to purchase military supplies:
"Our first problem, therefore, was to create a new European
chain of ostensibly independent concerns, in addition to
our existing 'business' outposts, for the purpose of import-
ing and exporting war materials.... Success depended upon
our selecting the right men. We had such men at our dis-
posal. Numbers of them were in the societies allied with
the various Communist Party centers abroad, such as the
Friends of the Soviet Union and the many "Leagues for Peace
and Democracy"....
"Many were discreet, reliable, having the right contacts and
capable of playing a role without betraying themselves. We
supplied the capital. We furnished the offices. We guaran-
teed the profits. The men were not hard to find."*
%c Walter Krivitsky, In Stalin's Secret Service, page 85.
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10 at, f~o If TO
l
25X1A9a
During World :far II a Communistfwho served simultaneously as a high
ranking Party officer and as an RIS collaborator requested a regional func-
tionary of the Soviet friendship society to help him contact secret Communist
Party members employed in certain government offices where sensitive work was
being carried out in connection with the war effort. The regional functionary
complied with the request, apparently unaware of the fact that this service was
performed for the benefit of the RIS.
In another case procurement of political and economic intelligence
mostly of an overt character was carried out by an active VOKS-sponsored
society for cultural relations in a western country. Information about politi-
cal parties in the country was procured, collated and furnished to intelligence
officers attached to the local Soviet Enbassy. This included reporting about
the parties' objectives, strength, sources of financial support and detailed
biographic information about their leaders. Economic intelligence provided
by the same cultural relations society included such data as kinds of industries,
capacities of each and percentages of capital which were domestic or foreign.
Agricultural production statistics were also provided to the Soviets by the
society.
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o? RIS and the Friendship Societies in the Post ar Period. The most solid
evidence, of the support theriendship--cultural relati ns societies
provided ft RIS since World .oar II rear ;Ufby Vladimir Petrov,
Soviet State Security officer who defected in Australia in April 1954. RIS
J ( ) utilization of the friendship society in Australia
a
-red./the use of the society's secretary, an ardent Communist Party member,
as a witting agent ith6''Wt supply all possible assistance and (b)
ar tZfrom RIS1headquarters in Meecow to its representative in Canberra.'
information and support.
rank and file members of the friendship society as unwitting sources of
icssisiaxexzRsshoc The unpaid secretary of the Austrailia-Soviet Friendship
Society, Jean Ferguson, assisteI RIS in a variety of ways?-arranging meetings
A
between RIS officers and local Communist Party leaders, albrting RIS when
projected meetings with Communists would have JxrsJxmA been in jeopardy, etc.
A co of a Moscow letter which Petrov
copy the Soviet Embassy showed
ikk RIS plans for Jean Ferguson to obtain information about an Egyptian national
who was believed to be residing in Melbourne, Australia.
The Australia-Soviet Friendship Society's members were to assist unwittingly
in the establishment of illegal RIS networks in Australia, according to
[~Pairte.~
01-
"The M.P.D. section muCt therefore instantly begin collecting the
necessary data and compiling reports, without observing any fixed
time limits,and send them in installaents to M.V.D. Headquarters.
For this work you may at your discretion use any cadre worker,
recruited collaborator, and also the most reliable agents. For
the collection sm of some of the data you may also exploit official
possibilities open to you (lawyers of your acquaintance, members
of the Australia-Russia Society, etc., without disclos_ng our
intentions to them).."
# Report of the Royal Commission on Espionage, 22 August 1955, Sydney,
Australia, page 254.
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 3. RIS Use of Friendship/Cultural Delegations. The current program of
ny oy
e
Delegations visiting in the soviet union are unaer close sc1-ut
cording to Vladimir Petrov, who stated that this observation served.t o ses:
(1) to discover in these presumably sympathetic groups person i b,4
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cultural delegation exchanges serves Hoot"3i to further understanding of the
culture and people of the USSR but also to assist the RIS recruitment effort.
I
h
i
active espionage or for use as unwitting informants; (2) to determine whether
or not any of the visitors were counterintelligence agents.
return to their own countries would be worth "study" for recruitment int
attendanc& of an "International Conference for the Protection of Children" held
in Vienna in April 1952 was invited to visit the Soviet Union at Soviet expense
for May Day celebrations. In this delegation were a Miss Mary Ellen C. Lewis,
a member of the Australian Soviet Friendship Society and a Mr. and Mrs. Les Floods
One Australian delegation following
purpose of studying them and using them along our lz.nes.
"Inform us concerning the results." *
t'
,,all on-were members of the Australian Communist Party. Concerning the
three-Australfans, Soviet State Security headquarters sent the following message
to its legal resident in Canberra:
"As Enclosure No. 1 we send you particulars concerning two members
of the Australian delegation which was in Russia for the First of
May festivities--Flood and Lewis. Both of them, in our opinion,
could be used for the fulfilment of tasks which are provided for
in the plan of work of the Australian M.V.D. section.
"Instruct Antonov to make the acquaintance of Flood and Lewis for the
All data supplied by Soviet State Security headquarters to the Canberra
Resident Agent concerning these Australian Communists were correct. The intent
to use these Australians if possible for intelligence purposes is clear
# Report of the Royal Commission on Espionage, 22 August 1955, Sydney,
Australia, page k 80.
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There are indications th;tt, at Soviet bidding, a friendship society may
invite a Soviet "cultural" delegation to visit in its area at aMftiZgwp when
the presence of a specific RIS officer is desired in the ( r a
brief period of time. In such a circumstance the RIS operative can reach the
target area inconspicuously sxzxzmox and conveniently as a member of a
visiting Soviet delegation, and can then carry out any. empo ntelligence
mission--procure...i^?..:,f secret information, recruiter-a highly-qualified agent, Q%f
provid I& direction m for subversive political action-,
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 Approved For Release 2000/08/27 t AA-RDP78-00915R000800190025-6
a1,40f Current Indications of.RIS Use of Friendship Societies. Besides the
several cases Mmone!t which have been exposed
either through the work of a national security agency or through the defections
of Soviet intelligence officers or Communist Party members., there are many
indications that friendship/oultural relations societies are now being used for
25X1A2g
RIS purposes. Among the ip(-Ve the following:
obtain certain statistics for the Soviet Union. These were t include produc-
tion figures of industries and businesses in the country A records and financial
balances of all public utilities and banks. Members of this Department were
told that the information was to be sent to the (A Soviet Union "in exchange for
information from there". They were told to develop contacts in banks, public
entities (sic), employers' associations, economic magazines, education and
student centers.
relations with the Soviet Union in a country were requeste6to
J
t
(1) the members of an Economic Department of a society f cultural ~~q 5
(2) certain Communists holding leading positions in a Soviet friendship
6o1 "sc e-et-
society in a Free World capital city h&1d seems midmight meetings on
the premises of the society with RIS officers who are under diplomatic cover.
(3)
On the directing board.sof+mm society of friendship with the Soviet
there
wd'rk
covert intelligence procurement
to -
n-
(4) a prominent physicist who .close working relations with
the Soviets in the field of nuclear research is active in a Soviet friendship
society of West Europe.
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25X1A9a
25X1A9a
o report. Instances where members of youth delegations visiting the
as possibly an RIS intention to attempt to assess ability to observe and
e
sides the exploitation of this reporting for propaganda purposeSthere
1 t4 V,S,h(S'
in these instruction sessions was believed to be the local RIS representative.
(5) On May Day, 1957, there were delegations from five West European
societies of friendship with the Soviet Union visiting Moscow. Two of these
delegations were headed by persons suspected of RIS connections.
(6) Members of a society of friendship with the Soviet Union who
visited Moscow in 1955 were carefully instructed byielship society and
Soviet Embassy officials concerning what theye:should observe in the Soviet
Union. Each person was assigned specific subjects on which to concentrate
and to report upon his return. One of the Soviet Embassy officers included
Soviet Union were instructed to do similar work have also been reported.
(7) In one Free World country there appears to be a concentration
of members drawn from a government agency in which work of a confidential
nature would normally be carried on. Although this perhaps is simply a
case where one employee invites a co-worker to go along with him to a
meeting or social affair sponsoredd by the friendship)ural relations
society, there is also the possibility that Soviet officers
Dim guid the society 9V intentionally have encouraged the recruit-
ment of members from-~ government agency.
(8) In several Free World countries, VOKS or Cultural Attaches who
are in close contact with local friendship/ultural relations societies
have been identified as RIS officers.
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(9) Some socities of friendship with the Soviet Union have established
e ,ixchange of 4cientjic and technical information'. One of these 1reaus
lanned to send, circulars to all laboratories and libraries in s country
ffering to perform mediation services in the exchange of scientific information
rom the Soviet Union, assists in translating Russian publications into the
local language, etc. The ~ureau was to deal with the Soviet Union through the
local VOKS representative x exclusively. VOKS was to check the "reliability"
of persons contributing to the exchange of cultural and scientific information
to determine whether or not Soviet data would fall into the wrong
hands. As of 1955 the only scientif organization:-t~"4r1t3?area invvd"
which was reported to have benefited from this exchange of information program
was one staffed entirely by Communists.,
(10) As late as 1954, Soviet State Security (actually, the Committee for
State Security, KGB) still maintained a unit of its personnel within the VOKS
headquarters, according to Yuri Rastvorov, forme ieutenant Colonel.
/8
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 Aplbrc~i&f Rif =__ IS-MOOMMUS 6
Satellite Couhtries.l In_ oss of the East European satellite countries there 1
In Poland, for example,
it-was the Committee for Foreign Cultural Cooperation (Komitet Wspolpracy
Kulturalnej z Zagranica, KWKZ), Like the Soviet All-Union Society for Cultural
Relations-with Abroad (VOKS) the principal reason for the existepce of kbdx th
Oz KWKZ was to arrange- 00NO -- contacts with/ agencies and societies of
Free World countries. ~}.
,,, v,;sf at,'D1i dt. cL F~~~L c- I , O11 5
25X fA_2g ry ol The Polish KWKZ and the East German counterpart organization, the Society
for Cultural Relations Abroad (Gesellschaft fuer Kulturelle Verbindungen mit
em Ausl,and) appear to have been
controlled by the%4respective
inistrJof Foreign Affairs, but received policy direction Sac from the Central
5X1A2g Committee of the spentive Connunist Party. In the case of the KWKZ
direction
'
from the Polish( Workers' Party came specifically from the latter's
Department of Foreign Affairs of kbmc its Central Committee.
25X1A2g According to information
f N
b
6
o
ovem
er 195
the KWKZ was to be liquidated on?
1 January 1957. To date no information regarding'a successor talc organization
has been received. Little or no information ie wna about equivalent friendship-
cultural sponsoring organizations in other East European states, in spite of the
fact that new societies of friendship and cultural relations with these states
have appeared in several f Free World areas. """
Exceptions are new societies with Hungary
and Poland: no new Hungarian-sponsored friendship or cultural relations societies
have been reported since the uprisings of the fall of 1956, and only one new Polish
sponsored society has been reported thus far in 1957--the Egyptian-Polish Friendship
Society which appears to have been organised in Cairo in April 1957.
In general the purposes and functions of the East European sponsored
friendship and cultural relations societies have been similar
organig~
_hich sponsored, supported and guided societies
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to those of the societies of friendship or cultural relations with the
Soviet Union. Primarily they are propaganda instruments for the sponsoring
East European government xp reflecting and disseminating its ideas on any
question needing support in the area where the 3xaidm friendship/cultural
relations socie located. Theaw societies have been particularly active
some Latin American
in demanding more trade with the sponsoring ncountry. In/fix, xe
kx countries, for example, ~cieties of.frjendship or cultural relations
have ylr trade, with Czechoslovakia.
Satellite Countries. To a possibly greater extent than the societies of
ns%e D
friendship with the Soviet Union, those with East European satellite countries
have been exploited by intelligence services of the sponsoring satellite country.
Cases are known where x zU czm? friendship society reading room' or informa-
Covert Exploitation of the Societies of Friendship with East European
and investigated potential agent recruits, have received information from
intelligence agents and #i have served as links between these agents and
intelligence officials of the East European satellite government concerned.
These officials were ostensibly serving as diplomatic represenbtives in Ek
x Free World countries.
tion center attendants have served as intelligence agents who have
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As a general observation concerning intelligence work performed by 83&
5btxta:kzxxabc friendship societies I sponsored either by the Soviet Union or by
,V East European Communist countrfe,yJ it may be noted that a large part of their
edfort apposONNOW is directed toward the procurement of information which, in
Free World areas, is generally considered overt: statistics pertaining to
25X1A9a industrial pYxdKxkj=x and agricultural production, objectives and colorings
information obtained by these societies of unc d nature there
certain individual membersc~ ~
is sound evidence that/ smm MMMMw are being used KsxKxmmxmmxxf to assist in
the procurement of military and technical data.
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