(ESTIMATED PUB DATE) POPOV - THE CONFORMIST WHO FAILED

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00144075
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2022
• Case Number: F-2021-01586
• Publication Date: January 1, 1958

Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
e
NI, 4, 7, 10, /
1,r/ 2G/ en
BEST COPY
AVAILABLE
This documenthas been
Approved for release through
tfie HISTOR/CAL REVIEW PROGRAM of
the Central Intelligence Agency-
POPOV
The Conformist Who Failed
"My ether .piece of advice, Copperfield,"
said Mr. Micawber, "you know. Annual income
twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen
pounds, nineteen six, result happiness.
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure
twenty pounds ought and siX, result misery. *.
The blossowis blighted, the leaf is withered,
the God of day goes down upon the dreary scene,
and -- and in short you are for .ever floored.
As I am!"
To make his example the more impressive,
Mr. Micawber drank a glass of punch wi,th an air
of great enjoyment and satisfaction, and whistled
the College .Hornpipe.
*****
"Copperfield," said Mr. Micawber, "Farewell!
Every happiness and prosperity! ...In case of
anything turning up (of which I am rather confident)
I shall be-extremely happy if it should be in my
power to improve your prospects.."
So he put on his hat, and went out with his
cane under his arm, very upright, and humming
a tune when he was clear of the counting house.
__Charles Dickens' David Copperfield.
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
C.1:1
yr-
1. On January 1,-1953, an American. Vice Consul was enter_
ing his automobile with,alady friend in.the.International Sector
of Vienna when he was approached by a short, neatly dressed man
who asked in German for directions to the offices of the American
Commission for Austria. The'Vice Consul offered to drive him
there, but the stranger refused the offer and instead handed him
a letter, then walked. away.
2. The letter, which was dated December 28, 1952, was in
cyrillic. As translated later in the day, it read as follows:
"I am a Soviet officer. I wish to meet with an
American officer with the object of offering certain
services. Time: 1800 hours. Date: 1 January 1953
Place: P.lankengasse, Vienna I. Failing this meeting,
I will be at same place, same time, on succeeding
Saturdays."
3. *hen he finally revealed his identity, the stranger
was Major Pyotr Semyonovich Popov, who had been assigned to one
of the GRU residenturas in Vienna since November 1951. For
nearly six years, beginning on New Year's Day of 1953 and ending
in November 1958, he worked for CIA as an agent within the GRU,
first in Vienna and then in Berlin, thus establishing a record
for longevity and becoming one of our most productive Soviet
sOurees.
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
-
adult life, and at the same time he was given every support
that our Agency could afford him within the limits of security.
41. On many occasions, Popov commented on the difference
between our Agency's treatment of him, and that which he re-
ceived in his own organization. "The way they (the GRU) treat
one here in one's work causes much nervous strain. If one does
not complete his assignment, he is treated almost as if he were
a traitor to his country..." And on another occasion:' "From
the very beginning...you were never concerned about what I would
bring, but you always stressed that I should be careful out
my own security... For this I am very grateful. In the work
of our organization, they are 'never concerned about how dangerous
an assignment may be for a man. They are only interested in
squeezing all they can out of a person..." Finally, in August,
1955, at the last meeting before he left Vienna, as he and his
case officer had a farewell vodka, he said:' "This is what I like
about your organization. You can find time to drink and relax.
It is an entirely human approach. You have respect and regard
for an individual... With us, of course, the individual is nothing,
and the Government interest is everything."
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
. Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
50. The recontact, however, .did not go exactly accord_
ing to plan �because, although he was briefly sent to_Moscow,
by 1 October 1955 Popov had been transferred to Schwerin in the
northern reaches of Eas,Gprmany. We were therefore completely
out of contact with lim,fKom_.18 August, 1955, the date of the
last meeting in Vienna, until early January 1956.
51. Popov was obviously as anxious to reestablish his link
as were we. Details of how he did finally recontact us are con_
tamed in a torn and tattered memorandum in our files, which is
worth quoting at length. It is headed "Report by a British
Officer" and reads as follows:
"On 10th January, 1956, I was reading in bed in my
room in the BALTIC Hotel, STRALSUND, when, at 10.30 p.m.,
there was a knock at my door and a small, dark man in plain
clothes looked in. He apologised, asked if I was English
and if he might come in, to which I agreed. He then asked
if I would help him, to which I replied that I would be
delighted.
His description was as follows:
Age (apparent): 32
Very dark; sallow skin; slightly Jewish in
appearance despite fact that he claimed to be
pure Russian; hair thinning.
Height: approximately 5 ft. 5 ins.
He spoke fluent Russian and German.
"He then explained that he was a Soviet Lt. Col. and
stated that he worked at the Intelligence H.Q. in SCHWERIN
and that his office was in a building next to the KOMMAN-
DATURA in the Werder Strasse, i.e., on the left of the
KOMMANDATURA as you look towards the lake. He said that
since he had been in SCHWERIN he had seen a number of 'I
American Mission cars and that he had been anxious to make
contact with American officers, but had not had the �
opportunity.
"He had come to STRALSUND informally with his chief,
a full Colonel of the Soviet Army. He had later told his
chief that he�was going out for a walk and a drink in the
town and, on coming back to the hotel, had noticed a
British Mission car. He had asked which rooms the British
officer had occupied and had come to see him without the
knowledge of his chief.
Approved for for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
-29-
ralp s44.
�
52.. Popov's' aliptoaCh to the British officer was promptly
reported 111111111111111111111111111111111111., and an effort got under way
immediately to set up a secure communications system. With ap-
proval of the U. S. Army Command, two members of the U.S. Military
Liaison Mission, and
who normally visited points in East Germany, were coopted for
the purpose of acknowledging Popov's message and setting up
regular contact with him. .They were to meet Popov in a hotel
cafe in accordance with arrangements which the British officer,
with considerable presence of mind, had set up during his unex_
pected conversation with Popov in Stralsund. 1111111111111.1111111t�,�
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
:I
477"
The next step involved an elderly Gelman
from West Berlin who for the next six months, wearing the Dulles
cuff-links, served as a courier to Pyotr in East Germany. A
letter which he carried in late March '56 gave Popov advice on
how to get to West Berlin: "Soviets travel to East Berlin from
the DDR freely and frequently for various reasons... Some go
in civilian clothes from East Berlin to West Berlin and their
normal documents are valid. All normal Soviet documents are
simply glanced at, in case of a check, and one proceeds with
no questions asked." He was also given a letter drop to which
he could write "to Uncle Ossip in Russian from any country out
side the bloc pf Peoples' Democracies and the USSR." But we
would not use Mili as a channel, the worried case officer wrote,
because "the situation seems too risky and obscure. ..Tell
me how often you wrote to your girl and exactly what you told
her." The courier runs were carefully planned, and Popov soon
lost any nervousness he may originally had concerning them.
During a.late April contact, the courier noticed that Pyotr
hummed throughout the meeting; when the courier commented ori-his
good cheer, Popov replied that "on some days he felt cheerful, and
other days not so much so; but that this was one of his good days."
ZT:' � -T
Wd1 it/ �
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
C.
:��� V
Vr�
.64. Almost comical, had it not been, so serious, was his
propensity for forgetting the details of meeting plans in Berlin.
He arrived in West Berlin, for the spcond meeting there, having
forgotten the location of the safehouse as well as having left
behind in Schwerin his notebook containing emergency telephone.
numbers which the Base had given him; he had to return to the �
Soviet headquarters in East Berlin and call his wife in Schwerin
hv
leInm diqtnnce phone to get them.--The,efficiency of meeting
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
� Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
:*
Sr-
arrangements was slow to improve, even though the Base installed
a red-lettered name plate on the door of the safe apartment,
to ensure that he did not enter the wrong dwelling. By the
fifth meeting, he had still not mastered the Berlin public trans-
portation (S-Bahn) system. '"He had taken the rush-hour S-Bahn
express at Friedrichstrasse by mistake, and ridden non-stop
through West Berlin to Potsdam. There he was accosted by a
Soviet soldier who was on duty and Subject showed him his offi-
cial udostovereniye. The soldier stated that he had better call
the senior sergeant on duty, which he .did." The sergean4 per-
mitted Popov ,to board the S-Bahn back through West Berlin, but
reported the incident through military channels. Popov was
later reprimanded by his Soviet superior for having transtted
West Berlin without authorization.
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
67: With all hApprovedforRelease: 2022/08/25 C001446i5e- less an in
agent, and we naturally did everything we could to
further his caireov.. in the GRU hierarchy. Even before Popov's
transfer from Schwerin to East Berlin, we had 'become involved,
at his request, in providing him with some intelligence on his
'targets,, and then in providing him with an agent to whom such
intelligence could be sourced. "If you found a man, you could
control the information he passes to me... I don't need any
extensive information; just a little bit will do... It isn't
the information that is important. It is just to record having
accomplished my mission -- as we call it, to Oalk up a point."
68. Such discussions eventually led to the idea of an
American agent asset for Popov. "If you can get me a good
American student," he said, "this would be far better than even
several West German officials." The upshot was that the Base .
undertook to look fel. an American student with a technical back-
ground, who would be willing to.serve as a double agent. The
operation was immensely complicated in conception, since both
.the student and his Agency case officer were to be kept totally
ignorant of our connection with Popov, but we did succeed in
finding the proper person within a short time. Putting the
young man, a highly-qualified chemist with bright prospects- in
a field certain to be of interest to GRU Headquarters, in efttact
with Popov was more complicated, however. Pyotr was unsure of
himself, and had to be guided at every step. "Mike", as the
agent was known, was the first American he had known other than
his operational handlers in Vienna and Berlin, and to Pyotr every-
thing about him was a mystery. For example, Mike had a French name,
and the Deputy Base Chief had to explain that this was due to
his French extraction. Nor did Pyotr know just what requirements
he could levy on Mike. His superior could not give him
_
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
%...1�Z � 4�1
_707t
-41-
� �
'much assistance, perhaps because PyOtr bad been able to provide
little information on his prospective agent. "I would like
to ask you this question about Mike," said Popov. "We were
considering this morning what typo of work or what type of in-
formation we could logically request Mike Co get for us, some-
thing entirely innocent. He is studying in a higher technical
university. Could he be asked to write a brief report about
this university merely to inform us about it -- what type of
teaching program they have, and what courses they offer?"
Later in the same conversation, Popov learned for the fit
time about the existence of the military newspaper, Stars and
Stripes. "Let me ask.you this,.!' he said. "Would you object if
I asked Mike to bring me this paper? I could tell him that I
have a friend who reads English... This wouleshow my' superiors
that my American contact is bringing me material."
69. As the operation involving Mike began to show promise
from the Soviet standpoint, Popov's superior decided to add
another case officer. "Leonid Ivanovitch desires to inject
Nikolai Grigoriyevitch into this operation...because he speaks
English and has previously been in the USA." Would the injec-
tion of a second officer not undercut Popov's position? the
case officer asked. "Maybe to a slight degree..." Pyotr replied.
"But on the other hand it seems to me that this may be good.
...In case of a flap or a break-off it can be said that after
all I am not working alone on this. There are two of us...
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
7 5 . The f inApproved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075vember, , Popov re.-
quested an urgent -meeting that night. When he arrived at the
safe apartmtiAt7lhe was weeping and muttering incoherently.
"Probably it's all over... I'll probably be sent back:� It's
all because of Mill." After being seated, he dried his eyes.
"Excuse me for behaving this way... Let me get hold of myself..."
76. In late October, an incident had taken place which
brought Popov's continued relations with Milica to the attention
of GRU Headquarters. A GRU officer assigned to the Soviet Em-
bassy in Vienna, Maksimenko by name, had while, drunk tried to
enter Mill's apartment and, when denied entry, created a dis-
turbance. When he then tried to drive away in his own car, the
Austrian police arrested him anl turned him over to the GRU
deputy rezident, who came from the Embassy to get him. Maksi_
menko was promptly sent home, and an investigation was initiated.
File traces were performed, and it was determined that Mili had
formerly been employed operationally by Popov.
77. At this time according to one of Popov's superiors
the GRU illegals Directorate in Moscow, to which they were both
ultimately responsible, was under fire from the CPSU Central
Committee for lack of accomplishment. Perhaps because of this
pressure, there may have been a tendency to exaggerate the role
of Milica and, by extension, Popovin the GRU's current diffi-
culties. On orders from Moscow, Popov was questioned regarding
his relations with Mill. "I wa8 asked if I was acquainted with
her and I had no choice but to say yes. Then they asked about
any correspondence with her, how many letters were sent, what
the contents were... Worst of all, a hint was made to me this
t
, .t.1
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075
-46-
way, 'Do you not think that possibly all these unpleasantnesses
which we have had in our work could have been caused by her?"
Here though they were wrong in trying to
affair of the illegals in Brooklyn, they
in believing that Mili might be "working
connect Mili with the
were on sound ground
for someone," since
there was evidence that in 1957 she had become an informant for
the Austrian police. This, together with the fact that she had
broken with the Austrian Communist Party after having publicly
exposed its involvement in an election fraud, made her continued
relations with Popov a security problem of the first magnitude.
Approved for Release: 2022/08/25 C00144075