Espionage History Archive is an online project for the translation and analysis of historical materials from the archives of Russian intelligence as well as articles, interviews, and memoirs by veteran intelligence officers. From the time of Ivan the Terrible to today, Russia has excelled at the art of spying, becoming an espionage superpower. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, some materials on Moscow’s intelligence operations have become available to English-speakers, but much remains undiscovered. Espionage History Archive aims to lift the veil of secrecy from the KGB, its major operations, and most formidable officers. From intelligence and counterintelligence to special operations (spetsnaz), assassinations, secret diplomacy, and deep politics, we seek to peer into the history of spying – a murky underground world that can tell us much about the ever-present realities of the Great Game.

Mark Hackard is an independent foreign policy analyst. He earned a BA in Russian Language from Georgetown University and an MA in Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian Studies from Stanford University. With an abiding interest in geopolitics, he has long researched the history of intelligence, particularly that of the Soviet KGB, including its structure, personnel, and operations. Using his Russian language translation skills, he looks to share the heretofore hidden true stories of Soviet espionage with English-language readers.