One man, Vasili Mitrokhin, the KGB’s in-house archivist, helped to change the course of history. Disillusioned by what he uncovered in his job, he became first a dissident and then a traitor to his country, stealing the most secret Soviet archives and smuggling them to the West. In his book, ‘The Spy In The Archive – How One Man Tried To Kill The KGB’, Gordon Corera explores the story of a man determined to expose the truth about the dark forces that had subverted Russia – forces many argue are still at work today – and the high-risk MI6 operation to extract him.
These events took place more than three decades ago, but the revelations in what became known as the Mitrokhin Archive have greatly contributed to our understanding of Soviet intelligence, secrecy, and statecraft and have had lasting impact. To what extent do the KGB-era methods and mindset still continue to influence the Kremlin; and what can they tell us about espionage operations and the exercise of power in Putin’s Russia today?
To coincide with the paperback release of The Spy in The Archive, we are delighted to welcome back to GSF, Gordon Corera, co-host, of ‘The Rest Is Classified’ podcast. He will speak on ‘How One Man Tried To Kill The KGB – The Story Of Vasili Mitrokhin And What It Tells Us About Putin’s Russia Today’, in an event chaired by GSF Advisory Board member, General Sir Richard Barrons KCB CBE, Strategic Defence Review External Reviewer (2024-2025); and Commander Joint Forces Command (2013-2016).
When: Wednesday 20th May 2026 (1.00pm-2.00pm; buffet lunch from 12.30pm).
Attendance: By invitation only to GSF members and guests.
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
GORDON CORERA co-hosts the podcast ‘The Rest is Classified’ with former CIA analyst turned novelist David McCloskey which looks at the world of spies and secrets. He has spent 25 years covering the world of security and intelligence including two decades as a Security Correspondent for BBC News. He has also written a number of books on MI6, cyber-spying, Russian agents and pigeons. His most recent book is The Spy In The Archive – How One Man Tried To Kill The KGB, the paperback version of which will be published in May 2026.