Khrushchev, and Leonid Brezhnev, Pitovranov had a career with a
series of sharp turns. In 1938 he was drafted out of the Communist
Partyhigher school into the security service. Due to the purge of
thousands of officers, his promotion was rapid, and within five years
he was a major general involved in internal security and counterin-
telligence, first in Russia and then in Uzbekistan.
In 1951 Pitovranov’s career further accelerated and he became
chief of counterintelligence. But in 1952, as part of Stalin’s rolling
purge of the MGB, he was arrested. He was quickly released from
jail, however, and resumed his career as chief of foreign intelligence.
He was apparently seen as too junior for this position and was trans-
ferred to Berlin as chief of the KGB in East Germany. He was notably
successful in rebuilding the security service’s operations in Berlin.
He later served as KGBrezidentin China, and then as head of the
KGB’s training school with the rank of lieutenant general. Following
his retirement from the KGB, Pitovranov became the first chair of the
Chamber of Commerce.PITTS, EARL EDWIN (1945– ). An agent of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) serving in New York, Pitts volunteered to work
for the KGBin a letter that he sent to the Soviet security officer at
the United Nations. Pitt then worked for the KGB from 1987 until
1992 and received $240,000 for providing top secret FBI documents.
He met with his KGB case officer, Aleksandr Karpov, in New York
on nine occasions, but for the most part he communicated with Kar-
pov and other KGB officers through dead drops. Pitt was eventually
identified to the FBI by Karpov and by his wife Mary, who suspected
his betrayal. The FBI set up an elaborate sting to obtain legal evi-
dence for a trial. Over more than a year, Pitts met with FBI agents
masquerading as Russian intelligence officers, and he provided in-
formation for more than $60,000 in payments. Pitts was arrested in
1996 and sentenced to 27 years in prison. Asked his motivationfor
spying, he said it was “to pay them back,” referring to a number of
unspecified grievances against the FBI.PLEHVE, VYACHESLAV KONSTANTINOVICH VON (1847–
1904).One of the most reactionary and anti-Semitic of Tsar NicholasPLEHVE, VYACHESLAV KONSTANTINOVICH VON (1847–1904)• 19706-313 G-P.qxd 7/27/06 7:56 AM Page 197