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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

If you are interested in the searchable documentary record of Soviet #spy operations & personalities in the United States, I highly recommend the Friday Archive. 43 collections/ 1,130 files/ 147,000 pages. The link: fridayarchive.org

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I enjoyed reading Roger Hall's entertaining #OSS memoir You're Stepping on My Cloak & Dagger, first published in 1957, in which, by the way, Bill Casey, the future #CIA director, plays a prominent role. Now I look forward to reading Hall's only #spy fiction novel 19.

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

A “trace” is a summary information on a given individual that an intelligence service keeps in its records. I've recently started a short article series "Top Secret: Traces from #KGB Files." Here's the link for the first 4 installments: thechekistmonitor.blogspot.com/2026/09/fili...

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Happy 96th birthday to my grandmother! She was born when Herbert Hoover was U.S. president and my favorite place for archival research is the Reading Room of the Hoover Library & Archives at @stanforduniversity.bsky.social.

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

My book #KGBLiterati made it to the University of San Francisco's Library "Hall of Fame." #spyfiction #coldwar

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Honored to have Vin Arthey, the distinguished biographer of Soviet spy Rudolf Abel/William Fisher, review my book #KGBLiterati in the latest issue of the Scotland-Russia Forum Magazine.

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

A significant research contribution on Soviet intelligence illegals in the U.S. & Canada by my colleague Kevin Riehle. This table offers the most comprehensive list compiled so far & includes both #KGB and #GRU spies. ⬇️ The article link: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

From my ongoing research of #KGB files: A Fake Defector's Tale "The cover stories and technologies might be different, but the intentions and tactics have remained the same." Here's the link: tinyurl.com/mr2vkvwh

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Exclusive: My new article based on the original handwritten class notes of a junior #KGB officer. ⬇️ Check out what #KGB said about #CIA in a classified setting: tinyurl.com/ye25xec2

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

How many Soviet ambassadors were undercover #KGB officers of the active reserve? Here's one documented case: Andrei Yefimovich Kovalyov, Soviet ambassador to Finland, 1965-1970. Below is the biographical information on Kovalyov from Nikita Petrov's book Those Who Led State Security, 1941-1954.

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

I love this new interview about my book #KGBLiterati on Eye Spy: The Intelligence History Podcast engagingly hosted by @stanforduniversity.bsky.social PhD student Krystel von Kumberg. @uoftpress.bsky.social Give it a listen: tinyurl.com/pjvvtdms

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

In his memoir Washington Station, former #KGB intelligence officer Yuri Shvets wrote that the Second Chief Directorate (counterintelligence) was known for its attitude: "Give us a body & we'll always find treason in it." Today, its successor #FSB is no different.

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Very much enjoyed talking about my book #KGBLiterati on the Spionpodden podcast! In the Soviet Union, #KGB wrote itself into the imagination of a nation. Find out how they did it. The link: soundcloud.com/search?q=Ep9...

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

One of the largest & longest-lasting #GULAG uprisings took place in the Stepnoi camp in Kazakhstan 72 years ago (May-June 1954). It's described by Solzhenitsyn in The Gulag Archipelago. Here's is a secret 22-page #MVD report on the uprising: kgbveikla.lt/dokumentai/1...

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

I am researching the papers of #KGB assassin-turned-defector Nikolai Khokhlov at the Hoover Library & Archives. His MA & PhD theses in experimental psychology are there, but almost nothing on espionage. In his later life, he appears to have been more interested in "psychic warfare."

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Thanks to @stanforduniversity.bsky.social's Center for Russian, Eastern European & Eurasian Studies for organizing a memorable conference on surveillance & intelligence in Russia & the Soviet Union. My contribution was on Soviet #spy training.

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

I filed a #FOIA request with #DIA regarding the documents related to #KGB General Aleksandr Sakharovsky, the head of the First Chief Directorate from 1956 to 1971.

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Beria's top secret report to Stalin dated Oct. 14, 1944, released by kgbveikla.lt last week, reveals how many anti-Soviet rebels were killed & captured by #NKVD/#NKGB from Feb. to Sept. 1944. Western Ukraine 38,087 (k) / 31,808 (c) Western Belarus 444 (k) / 927 (c) Lithuania 415 (k) / 1,635 (c)

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

On June 20, 1978, #KGB Chairman Yuri Andropov issued a secret executive order No. 0330 on the candidate assessment & recruitment for work in the KGB. This included the requirement that a potential candidate needs to be monitored & assessed for "no less than 1 year."

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Original prototype for #KGB literature & film award established by Yuri Andropov's executive order in March 1979. Want the full story? It's in my book #KGBLiterati. amazon.com/KGB-Literati...

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Surreal Goodreads moment: scrolling a shelf of well-known books and realizing .... that's my book #KGBLiterati in the mix. Thanks to everyone shelving, rating, and reviewing! Honored to be in this company.

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

If you ever wondered how various #KGB positions translated into military rank, this is the document for you. The #topsecret order approved by KGB Chairman Ivan Serov in 1955 from the Lithuanian Special Archives. The link: kgbveikla.lt/dokumentai/1...

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Top secret #KGB Counterintelligence Lexicon from 1972 digitized by the Latvian National Archives includes more & longer entries than the available English translation edited by KGB defector Vasili Mitrokhin & published in 2002. The link: kgb.arhivi.lv/dokumenti/vd...

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

In July 1956, Lithuanian #KGB counterintelligence kept files on the suspected agents of the following countries: US - 90 individuals UK - 54 France - 20 West Germany - 105 Japan - 2 Sweden - 3 Belgium - 1 Israel - 2 Vatican - 2

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

My book #KGBLiterati expertly reviewed by a retired #CIA officer John Ehrman in the March 2026 issue of the CIA's long-established & highly regarded quarterly journal Studies in Intelligence. ⬇️ @socintelhist.bsky.social The link: cia.gov/resources/cs...

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

Hot off the press! My book chapter: "A Century of Chekist Public Relations: Four Case Studies." #intel #history #Cheka #KGB #FSB #SVR In "Routledge Handbook of Media & Intelligence" edited by Florina Cristiana Matei & Carolyn Halladay. @socintelhist.bsky.social

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

In Dec. 2025, #CIA declassified 2 Soviet pubs from the 1950s: 1. Leningrad: An Intourist Guide 2. Leningrad: Sputnik turista (in Russian & English) As the cover page said, "source evaluations are definitive. Appraisal of content is tentative." The link: tinyurl.com/2k4utjsy

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Only 2 days left to send your paper proposal for the Society for Intelligence History (SIH) Annual Conference at King's College, London, October 11-13, 2026. A top-ranking forum for intelligence history & related subjects! See you there! 😎 #intel #history #research

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Enjoyed reading #KGB defector Oleg Gordievsky's hand-written book reviews' drafts in Russian in the Martin Dewhirst Collection at Hoover Archives. Dewhirst translated & edited the drafts for publication. Also, an interesting find: Aleksandr Litvinenko's phone number.

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Routledge Handbook of Media & Intelligence is available for pre-order. I contributed a chapter "A Century of #Chekist Public Relations: Four Case Studies." Read about the Red Book of #Cheka & other Soviet/Russian PR ops to shape the hearts & minds in the last 100 years @socintelhist.bsky.social

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Just received #CIA's response regarding my #FOIA request for the documents about the controversial Soviet intelligence general Pavel Sudoplatov. The estimated completion date is August 19, 2027. #spies #ops #intelhistory

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

Aleksandr Sakharovsky was the chief #KGB spymaster from 1956 to 1971, some of the most dramatic years of the Cold War. There is little scholarly research about his activities due to lack of reliable documentation. I filed #FOIA request with #CIA to obtain more info about him.

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

Last week, my book #KGBLiterati was ranked #21 on @amazonkindle.bsky.social Best Sellers in Russian & Soviet Literary Criticism eBooks. #spies #writers #coldwar @socintelhist.bsky.social

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

Before leaving for his #KGB spy assignment in Japan, Stanislav Levchenko was given this advice by one of his supervisors: "Stay away from #CIA... At best, you'll waste your time... Other officers trying to recruit Americans have been caught like flies in a honey pot."

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Researching #KGB files at Hoover Library & Archives for my ongoing writing projects. #spies #secrets #coldwar

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

With some delay, my #FOIA request regarding Pavel Sudoplatov is now on track. #CIA

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Check out #AskHistorians Reddit forum, on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, 11 AM US Eastern Time! I'll be doing a live Q&A session known as Ask Me Anything (AMA) on my new book #KGBLiterati. Your chance to "ask me anything" about KGB spy fiction. @socintelhist.bsky.social reddit.com/r/AskHistori...

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Who was the most productive #KGB agent in Washington, DC in the early 1980s (before Ames & Hanssen)? In his memoir Washington Station (1994), former #KGB officer Yuri Shvets claimed that this agent was a janitor cleaning the offices of major Pentagon contractors in Rosslyn. ⬇️

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

#KGB defector Vladimir Kuzichkin wrote that he & his fellow cadets at the Red Banner Institute had access to James Bond films & were not upset with how they portrayed Soviet intel officers. Their attitude was "the more primitive you imagine us to be, the worse for you."

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Really enjoyed speaking in Prof. Mindy Haas’s graduate class on espionage & surveillance in international affairs at the University of Pittsburgh! I discussed #KGB institutional culture, ops mindset, and my book, #KGBLiterati. Thanks, Mindy, for your invitation! @socintelhist.bsky.social

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Great crowd last night at the Commonwealth Club of California for my talk on #KGB institutional culture & my new book #KGBLiterati. Q&A for almost an hour! @socintelhist.bsky.social

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Just received an autographed copy of Richard Kerbaj's great new book The Defector which I highly recommend. Thanks, Richard! @socintelhist.bsky.social

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

#AskHistorians Reddit forum, February 2, 2026. I'll be doing a live Q&A session known as Ask Me Anything (AMA) on my new book #KGBLiterati. Your chance to "ask me anything" concerning KGB spy fiction & institutional culture. Be there! @socintelhist.bsky.social reddit.com/r/AskHistori...

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

Ever wondered why I wrote #KGBLiterati? My interview with Miranda Melcher, a great host at New Books Network, covers that. Here's our in-depth discussion of KGB spy fiction & institutional culture: newbooksnetwork.com/kgb-literati @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social @socintelhist.bsky.social #spies

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

This top secret document of #KGB's 7th Department (surveillance) in Kaunas, Lithuania explains how they disguised a photo camera in a handbag. The document is not dated but, based on its position in the file, I suspect that it was written in 1956.

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

#CIA-funded Joint Publications Research Service translated several Soviet spy fiction novels in the 1970s but only one of them was written by #KGB officers. Rezident's Mistake was the first in a trilogy of novels on KGB counterintelligence. I discuss all three in #KGBLiterati.

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

In 1985, Lithuanian #KGB Tech Services prepared a 7-page secret memo listing "potential signs" the letter was sent by, or to, foreign intel. Some signs: cheap envelope, large spaces between the words, "thin" letter (2 pages or less), clearly written address, no dates, etc.

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Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

#KGBLiterati soon on New Books Network! I just recorded an interview with Miranda Melcher, a great New Books Network host. Will be posted next week. #spies #writers #kgb

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