Leonid Shebarshin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leonid Shebarshin
Леонид Шебаршин |
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| Acting Chairman of the Committee for State Security | |
| In office 22 August 1991 – 23 August 1991 |
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| Premier | Vitaly Doguzhiyev (аcting) |
| Preceded by | Vladimir Kryuchkov |
| Succeeded by | Vadim Bakatin |
| The head of the foreign intelligence service of the KGB USSR | |
| In office 6 February 1989 – 22 September 1991 |
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| Preceded by | Vladimir Kryuchkov |
| Succeeded by | Yevgeny Primakov |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 March 1935 Moscow, Soviet Union |
| Died | 30 March 2012 (aged 77) Moscow, Russia |
| Resting place | Troyekurovskoye Cemetery, Moscow |
| Nationality | Soviet and Russian |
| Political party | Communist Party of the Soviet Union |
Leonid Vladimirovich Shebarshin (Russian: Леонид Владимирович Шебаршин; 24 March 1935 – 30 March 2012) was a skilled intelligence officer and spy. He worked for the Soviet Union's main foreign intelligence group, called the First Chief Directorate (FCD) of the KGB. In January 1989, he became the head of the FCD. Before that, he was the deputy head of the FCD starting in April 1987. He even served as the acting head of the entire KGB for one day in August 1991.
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Early Life and Studies
After finishing high school in 1952, Leonid Shebarshin studied Indian languages. He attended the Moscow Institute of Oriental Studies. In 1954, this institute joined with the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). He continued his studies there.
In 1957, he married Nina Vassilyevna Pushkina. She was also a student, studying Chinese languages. After graduating in October 1958, he began working at the Soviet embassy in Pakistan. By 1962, he was promoted to third secretary of the embassy. He also worked in the USSR's South-East Asian Affairs department.
Working in Pakistan
In 1962, Shebarshin was invited to join the First Chief Directorate. This was the start of his new career as a security officer. After a year of training, he was sent back to Pakistan. He worked there under a diplomatic cover, meaning his real job was secret.
At that time, Pakistan was very important to Soviet intelligence. It had strong ties with the United States. It was also part of military groups like CENTO and SEATO. Pakistan also had conflicts with neighboring India and was building ties with China. The KGB wanted to gain information from American facilities in the region.
In January 1966, Pakistani President Ayub Khan and Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri met in Tashkent. This meeting aimed to end the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It was a big diplomatic success for the Soviet Union. Shebarshin was promoted for helping prepare for these important talks. His bosses said he "achieved concrete results in the recruiting work," which meant he successfully gathered information.
Serving in India
In 1968, Shebarshin returned to Moscow for a year of training. In early 1971, the KGB sent him to India. By 1975, he was appointed as the rezident, which means he was the chief intelligence officer in the country.
While Shebarshin was in India, another war between India and Pakistan happened. This war led to East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh. India also went through a state of emergency. Soviet intelligence paid close attention to American activities in India. The United States was the main rival of the Soviet Union for many decades. India's relationship with China was also important. Shebarshin's work in India was highly valued by the Soviet leaders.
Assignments in Iran
In April 1977, Shebarshin's six-year assignment in India ended. In late 1978, he prepared to work in Pahlavi Iran. He arrived there in May 1979. By this time, the Soviet intelligence connections in Iran were not very strong. This was partly due to the secret police of the Iranian monarchy, called SAVAK.
Shebarshin arrived after the Iranian monarchy had fallen. The Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, had left the country in January 1979. The spiritual leader of the opposition, Ayatollah Khomeini, returned to Iran. He became a national leader with the title of Imam. The Iranian Revolution caused a lot of political unrest. There were armed clashes and many acts of terror by different groups.
The Soviet Union had mixed reactions to these events. They lost an ally in the Shah. However, they saw the early revolution as a chance to form new alliances. The KGB quietly supported the communist Tudeh Party of Iran. They also secretly talked with other opposition groups.
In November 1979, the Iran hostage crisis began. Iran's ties with the U.S. were broken. But this did not help the Soviet Union gain influence. Iranian leaders wanted to prevent their northern neighbor from becoming too powerful. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979 made relations between Iran and the Soviet Union even colder. There were even attacks on the Soviet embassy. Soviet intelligence operations became very difficult.
In 1982, a Soviet officer named Vladimir Kuzichkin, who worked under Shebarshin, left his post. He went to the British department at the Swedish embassy in Tehran. He shared many Soviet secrets with the British. These secrets were then shared with the CIA and the Iranian government. This event caused problems for Shebarshin. He was called back to Moscow in 1983. Shebarshin said he was recalled to avoid being expelled by the Iranians. The Iranian government was arresting Soviet agents and Iranian leftists at the time.
Shebarshin left Iran in February 1983. The Iranian government had started arresting opposition leaders. This included the leader of the Tudeh party, Noureddin Kianouri. He and many others in his party were forced to publicly admit to spying for the USSR.
Later Career and Retirement
In 1983, Shebarshin returned to the KGB headquarters in Moscow. He worked under the chief of the PGU KGB, Vladimir Kryuchkov. Shebarshin became the deputy chief of the intelligence's information and analysis department. In 1984, he went on a mission to Kabul with Kryuchkov. Until mid-1991, he went on more than 20 missions to Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. He got to know the country's leaders well. In 1987, Shebarshin became deputy chief of PGU KGB, second in command after Kryuchkov. He managed intelligence operations in the Middle East and Africa. In February 1989, he replaced Kryuchkov as head of the First Chief Directorate. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.
In August 1991, Shebarshin played a role in an unsuccessful coup against Mikhail Gorbachev. KGB Chief Kryuchkov led this coup. Shebarshin followed Kryuchkov's orders to activate FCD agents and special units in Moscow. However, he told them to only take orders directly from him. After a few days, Shebarshin realized the coup would fail. He stopped working with the plotters. The coup ended in less than a week. Kryuchkov and other members of the Gang of Eight were arrested. Shebarshin met with Gorbachev and was appointed the new head of the KGB.
He served for only one day. RSFSR President Boris Yeltsin did not approve of the appointment. He demanded a new candidate. Shebarshin was replaced by Vadim Bakatin. Bakatin's job was to essentially break up the KGB. Shebarshin returned to his post as FCD head. However, Bakatin appointed a new FCD deputy director, Vladimir Rozhkov, without asking Shebarshin. Shebarshin resigned from his post on September 20, 1991.
Shebarshin received several awards for his service. These included the Order of the Red Banner (1981) and the Order of the Red Star (1970). He also earned badges like "For Service of Intelligence" (1967) and "Honorary State Security Officer" (1972).
In 1991, Shebarshin and his friend, Nikolai Leonov, started a consulting firm. It was called the Russian National Economic Security Service (RNESS). This company was based in Moscow.
Leonid Shebarshin passed away at his home in Moscow at the age of 77. Before his death, he had suffered a stroke that caused him to lose his eyesight.
See also
- Vladimir Lokhov
