intelligence department and spent 13 years as an illegalin Europe and
Asia. During World War II, Zarubin served in Washington as the in-
telligence services rezidentunder the name “Zubilin.” He managed
the recruitment and running of American agents within the nuclear
weapons program (which the Soviets codenamed Enormoz), as well
as the State and War departments and American security agencies. His
official biography notes that his reporting was frequently read by
Joseph Stalin. He was awarded two Orders of Leninand two Orders
of the Red Banner, plus other combat decorations.
Nevertheless, Zarubin was not an effective intelligence officer, and
his lack of street tradecraftwas a reason for the collapse of the ser-
vice’s networks in the postwar years. His meetings with members of
the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) were monitored
by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). These meetings alerted
the FBI to the fact that the NKVDwas using Communist Party mem-
bers as agents. The FBI also observed Zarubin in operational meet-
ings with other agents, which further intensified surveillanceagainst
him and his team. He was by the end of his tour well known in offi-
cial Washington circles as a Soviet spy.
Zarubin and his wife, Elizaveta Zarubina, were recalled to
Moscow in late 1944. He had been denounced by a jealous and emo-
tionally unstable subordinate and had to face an enquiry by counter-
intelligenceofficers. Although Zarubin was cleared, decorated once
again for his successes, and promoted to the rank of major general,
his career as a foreign intelligence operative was over. He worked in
Moscow until 1948, then retired for health reasons. Zarubin’s daugh-
ter, Zoya Zarubina, served in the foreign intelligence service during
the war as a captain. See also MIRONOV LETTER.ZARUBINA, ELIZAVETA YULEVNA (1900–1987).Before her 20th
birthday, Zarubina had taken part in underground Communist Party
activities behind enemy lines in the Russian civil war. After serving
as a translator for Soviet trade agencies in Vienna, she joined the in-
telligence service. From 1925 to 1938 she worked as an illegalin
Turkey, Denmark, Germany, France, and the United States. While in
Turkey, she betrayed her first husband, Yakov Blumkin, who had
formed a personal relationship with Leon Trotsky. Blumkin was re-
called to the Soviet Union and later executed.298 •ZARUBINA, ELIZAVETA YULEVNA (1900–1987)06-313 P-Z.qxd 7/27/06 7:57 AM Page 298