Yevgeny Ivanov (spy) facts for kids
Captain Yevgeny Mikhailovich Ivanov (Russian: Евгений Михайлович Иванов; 11 January 1926 – 17 January 1994), also known as Eugene Ivanov, was a Soviet officer. He worked at the Soviet Embassy in London during the early 1960s. He was also involved in gathering secret information for his country.
Yevgeny Ivanov was born in Pskov, a city in Russia, in 1926. His father was an army officer. Ivanov joined the Red Navy in 1944.
He became a specialist in gunnery, which means he knew a lot about naval weapons. He served in the Soviet fleets in the Far East and the Black Sea. Later, he trained with the GRU, which was the Soviet military intelligence agency. After his training, he was sent to London on March 27, 1960. His job there was assistant naval attaché for the Soviet Union. This meant he was a military expert working at the embassy.
Ivanov came to Britain with his wife, Maya. Her father, Alexander Gorkin, was an important judge in the Soviet Union. People said Ivanov spoke English well. He and his wife were popular among other diplomats.
Working in London
Ivanov became friends with an osteopath named Stephen Ward. They met through a newspaper editor. The British intelligence agency, MI5, thought Ivanov might want to switch sides and work for the United Kingdom. So, MI5 asked Ward to try and convince Ivanov to help them.
In July 1961, Ivanov was at a party at the Cliveden estate. There, Christine Keeler met John Profumo, who was a British government minister. This happened during a time of high tension called the Cold War. The Cold War was a period when the United States and the Soviet Union were rivals. Ward and Ivanov reportedly asked Keeler to find out when American nuclear missiles would be moved to West Germany.
Later Years and Memoirs
Ivanov was called back to Moscow on January 22, 1963. The Soviet government had heard about a possible scandal involving MI5. After returning to the Soviet Union, Ivanov kept a very low profile for many years. He continued his naval career, serving with the Black Sea Fleet.
In 1992, Ivanov published his memoirs, which are like a personal story of his life. It is not known if he continued to work with the GRU. However, he reportedly received the Order of Lenin, a very high award in the Soviet Union.
Christine Keeler said she met Ivanov again in Moscow in 1993. In 1994, Ivanov was found dead in his Moscow apartment. He was 68 years old.
Ivanov's Book
Ivanov's memoirs were published in 1992. Parts of the book were written with help from another person. In his book, Ivanov claimed he was able to get important military intelligence by being part of British political groups.
