Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Intelligence

expected narrow dogmatists in Moscow, but not “vulgar thugs.” The

KGB continued to work closely with the Czechoslovak services un-

til the “Velvet Revolution” ended Communist Party control in 1989.

PRAVDIN, VLADIMIR (1902–?).Born Roland Abbiate of French

parents in St. Petersburg, Pravdin grew up in Paris. He was recruited

for Soviet intelligence by his sister Mieille, who was an accom-

plished illegal. He joined the OGPUin 1932 and served in Western

Europe under a number of pseudonyms. As Vladimir Pravdin, he

served in Europe and as an NKVDcase officer in New York under

journalist cover. In his first creation as an intelligence officer, Pravdin

took part in the murder of Ignatz Poretskyin Switzerland in 1937.

In 1944 Pravdin was assigned to New York as rezidentunder cover

as a TASS representative. Under journalist cover, Pravdin was a suc-

cessful intelligence officer; he recruited and ran Judith Coplon, and

he managed several other successful operations.

The defections of Elizabeth Bentleyand Igor Gouzenko, plus the

Anglo-American success in deciphering Soviet codes, undid

Pravdin’s relationship with important agents. Fearing arrest by the

Federal Bureau of Investigation, many productive agents were not re-

contacted. Moscow decided that a more conservative posture in the

United States was needed; Pravdin was recalled in 1946 to Moscow

and replaced with a nonentity. Blamed for the loss of agents, Pravdin

fell under a cloud of suspicion. He was fired partly because of his for-

eign Jewish ancestry. He made efforts to clear his name but in despair

committed suicide.

Pravdin’s fate demonstrated graphically the deterioration and col-

lapse of NKVD networks in the United States. As Pravdin and other

talented case officers were recalled, they were not replaced with com-

petent agent handlers. New officers were warned about the new

counterintelligenceenvironment and became risk averse, choosing

to write intelligence reports based on articles in the American press.

The intelligence empire that had been built up during World War II

crumbled.

PREOBRAZHENSKIY PRIKAZ.Tsar Petr the Great created the Preo-

brazhenskiy prikaz[Preobrazhenskiy Office] in 1699 as a secret

chancery to prosecute treason and disloyalty. The tsar was concerned

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