The story of how one man—a librarian for the KGB—became a traitor to the intelligence agency, stealing the most prized Soviet-era archives and smuggling them to the West.
Historian and journalist Gordon Corera whose new book “The Spy in the Archive” tells the remarkable story of how Vasili Mitrokhin—an introverted archivist who loved nothing more than dusty archives—ended up changing the world.
As the in-house archivist for the KGB, the secrets he was exposed to inside its walls turned him first into a dissident and then a spy; a traitor to his country but a man determined to expose the truth about the dark forces that had subverted Russia, forces still at work in the country today.
Related episodes
Deep Cover Cold War Spies: How Russia’s Illegal Agents Penetrated the West https://pod.fo/e/2c6cf5
Portland Spy Ring Part 1 https://pod.fo/e/292bd
Portland Spy Ring Part 2 https://pod.fo/e/4471e
The Bridge of Spies spy https://pod.fo/e/15f244
Discovering your husband is a KGB spy https://pod.fo/e/17a1c4
I was a deep cover KGB spy Part 1 https://pod.fo/e/9c88f
I was a deep cover KGB spy Part 2 https://pod.fo/e/9e0a6
Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode408/
The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.
You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history.
Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/
If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link.
Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/
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Love history? Join Intohistory https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod
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59:44
Memories of an East German Naval Officer's Family (407)
Katja Hesse, daughter of Vice Admiral Gustav Hesse of the East German Navy, shares her deeply personal story of growing up behind the Iron Curtain.
In this fascinating conversation, Katja provides rare insights into life in the GDR as the child of a high-ranking officer— from an idyllic childhood in privileged housing to working at the Grand Hotel Berlin.
She recounts her father’s harrowing World War 2 escape from the Sudetenland, her experiences of political indoctrination in school and life within a family loyal to the East German government. Katja also describes her work at guest houses for East Germany’s elite , where she served dignitaries including Erich Honecker and Egon Krenz.
This is a moving and revealing glimpse into a unique Cold War upbringing— and into the personal costs of German reunification for families like Katja’s.
Buy Katja's book here https://www.engelsdorfer-verlag.de/Belletristik/Romanhafte-Biografien/Ostprinzessinnen-tragen-keine-Krone::7605.html
Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode407/
The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.
You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history.
Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/
If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link.
Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/
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Love history? Join Intohistory https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod
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1:15:32
Gorbachev - The Man Who Ended An Empire (406)
In the annals of history, few leaders have faced the monumental challenges that Mikhail Gorbachev encountered when he rose to power in the Soviet Union in 1985.
His ascent came at a time when the nation was grappling with stagnation, disillusionment, and an economy on the brink of collapse. Gorbachev, the youngest General Secretary in Soviet history, was thrust into a leadership role that demanded not only a vision for reform but also the courage to confront an entrenched bureaucracy resistant to change.
In a new format I explore the life of Mikhail Gorbachev without a guest.
Recommended episodes
Face to face with the Soviets at the Cold War Reykjavik Summit between President Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev https://pod.fo/e/244e66
On the Streets of Cold War Estonia fighting for Independence https://pod.fo/e/222e82
Eyewitness to the 1991 Soviet Coup https://pod.fo/e/f7f7
Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode406/
The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.
You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history.
Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/
If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link.
Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/
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00:00:00 Introduction
0:01:10 The Man from Stavropol
0:06:35 Acceleration and the Mirage of Momentum
0:13:15 The Opening to the West
0:20:26 Opening the Gates
0:28:08 Signing Away the Missiles
0:34:37 Nations within a Nation
0:40:36 The Centre Cannot Hold
0:46:51 The Coup that Failed
0:58:00 The Weight of Legacy
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1:10:28
Policing the Berlin Wall with the Royal Military Police (405)
Simon Wood served in the British Army’s Royal Military Police in Berlin during the1980s. He describes the unique challenges he faced patrolling the Berlin Wall and policing British troops in the divided city.
Discover the political tensions, the camaraderie with fellow soldiers, and the surreal moments such as being present at the post-mortem of Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess.
We also hear about life at Checkpoints Charlie and Bravo, interactions with East German forces, and taking part in Flag Tours in East Berlin which resulted in various confrontations with Soviet troops.
Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode405/
The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.
You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history.
Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/
If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link.
Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/
Follow us on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social
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Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod
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Love history? Join Intohistory https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod
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1:24:06
"The aircraft exploded and the cockpit filled with fire" - Korean skies to the brutal Vietnam War (404)
Colonel Robert J. Graham, USAF (Ret.), was more than a fighter pilot—he was a leader, a warrior, and a witness to one of the most complex conflicts in modern history. From the chaotic early days of guerrilla warfare in Vietnam to the bureaucratic maze that engulfed the later years, Colonel Graham's four combat tours reveal the triumphs and tragedies of a war that reshaped his world and his nation.
Buy Col Graham’s book here "One of the Few: A True Account of Courage and Stepping into the Fight" and support the podcast.
With vivid detail, he takes you into the cockpit of supersonic jets, the gritty realities of jungle warfare, and the tense moments of life-or-death decision-making. From earning the prestigious Silver Star to commanding the 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron through the final stages of U.S. involvement, Graham's stories balance fearless heroism with unflinching honesty.
Feel the adrenaline of battle. Experience the camaraderie of brothers-in-arms. Witness the sacrifices—and the cost—of duty. Through his eyes, discover not just the war, but the humanity within it.
Buy Col Graham’s book here "One of the Few: A True Account of Courage and Stepping into the Fight" and support the podcast.
Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode404/
The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.
You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history.
Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/
If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link.
Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/
Follow us on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social
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Experience the Cold War like never before with Cold War Conversations — an award-winning podcast recommended by The New York Times.
Each week, host Ian Sanders brings you raw, firsthand accounts from the people who lived through one of history’s most tense and transformative eras — soldiers, spies, civilians, and more.
These aren’t stories from textbooks. They’re unfiltered voices from the frontlines of history — emotional, gripping, and deeply human.
This is Cold War history, told from the inside out.
We cover subjects such as spies, spying, the Iron Curtain, nuclear weapons, warfare, tanks, jet aircraft, fighters, bombers, transport aircraft, aviation, culture, and politics.
We also cover personalities such as Fidel Castro, JFK, Ronald Reagan, Nikita Khrushchev, Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov, Mikhail Gorbachev, Konstantin Chernenko, Margaret Thatcher, John F. Kennedy, Josef Stalin, Richard Nixon, Lech Walesa, General Jaruzelski, Nicolae Ceaușescu.
Other subjects include Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania, Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin, West Berlin, East Berlin, Cuban missile Crisis, Berlin Airlift, Bay of Pigs, SALT, Perestroika, Space Race, superpower, USSR, Soviet Union, DDR, GDR, East Germany, SDI, Vietnam War, Korean War, Solidarność, Fall of the Wall, Berliner Mauer, Trabant, Communist, Capitalist, Able Archer, KGB, Stasi, STB, SB, Securitate, CIA, NSA, MI5, MI6, Berlin Wall, escape, defection, Cuba, Albania, football, sport, Bulgaria, Soviet Union, Poland, China, Taiwan, Austria, West Germany, Solidarity, espionage, HUMINT, SIGINT, OSINT, IMINT, GEOINT, RAF, USAF, British Army, US Army, Red Army, Soviet Army, Afghanistan, NVA, East German Army, KAL007, T-72, T-64, Chieftain, M60
The podcast is for military veterans, school teachers, university lecturers, students and those interested in Cold War history, museums, bunkers, weapons, AFVs, wargamers, planes, A Level, GCSE students studying Superpower Relations and the Cold War.
New Zealand