Vladimir Semichastny
Encyclopedia
Vladimir Yefimovich Semichastny (Russian: Владимир Ефимович Семичастный, 15 January 1924 – 12 January 2001) was the head of the KGB
from November 1961 to April 1967.
His mentor and predecessor was Alexander Shelepin
. In October 1963, Semichastny sanctioned the arrest of Professor Frederick Barghoorn of Yale University
when he was visiting Moscow
. Semichastny hoped that by charging Barghoorn as a spy
he could induce the United States
to release Igor Ivanov, arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
that month for espionage..
Barghoorn was a personal friend of President John F. Kennedy
, who forcefully stated that Barghoorn was not involved in any illegal activities at a press conference. The Soviets subsequently released Barghoorn. Ivanov was allowed to leave the United States in 1971.
Subsequently, Semichastny participated in the ouster of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev
in October 1964, an act that undoubtedly led to his being retained by the new Soviet leadership. There are some indications that Leonid Brezhnev
, who led the coup against Khrushchev, wanted to assassinate him, but Semichastny refused to allow KGB participation.
During his tenure Semichasnty attempted to create a new public image of the KGB, permitting an article to appear in the newspaper Izvestia
that included an article with "a senior KGB officer" (himself); in the article he stated
, and Richard Sorge
.
Brezhnev finally replaced Semichastny on 18 May 1967, as part of a Kremlin
power shuffle. Yuri Andropov
became the new chief of the KGB.
Vladimir Yefimovich Semichastny (Russian: Владимир Ефимович Семичастный, 15 January 1924 – 12 January 2001) was the head of the KGB
from November 1961 to April 1967.
His mentor and predecessor was Alexander Shelepin
. In October 1963, Semichastny sanctioned the arrest of Professor Frederick Barghoorn of Yale University
when he was visiting Moscow
. Semichastny hoped that by charging Barghoorn as a spy
he could induce the United States
to release Igor Ivanov, arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
that month for espionage..
Barghoorn was a personal friend of President John F. Kennedy
, who forcefully stated that Barghoorn was not involved in any illegal activities at a press conference. The Soviets subsequently released Barghoorn. Ivanov was allowed to leave the United States in 1971.
Subsequently, Semichastny participated in the ouster of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev
in October 1964, an act that undoubtedly led to his being retained by the new Soviet leadership. There are some indications that Leonid Brezhnev
, who led the coup against Khrushchev, wanted to assassinate him, but Semichastny refused to allow KGB participation.
During his tenure Semichasnty attempted to create a new public image of the KGB, permitting an article to appear in the newspaper Izvestia
that included an article with "a senior KGB officer" (himself); in the article he stated
, and Richard Sorge
.
Brezhnev finally replaced Semichastny on 18 May 1967, as part of a Kremlin
power shuffle. Yuri Andropov
became the new chief of the KGB.
Vladimir Yefimovich Semichastny (Russian: Владимир Ефимович Семичастный, 15 January 1924 – 12 January 2001) was the head of the KGB
from November 1961 to April 1967.
His mentor and predecessor was Alexander Shelepin
. In October 1963, Semichastny sanctioned the arrest of Professor Frederick Barghoorn of Yale University
when he was visiting Moscow
. Semichastny hoped that by charging Barghoorn as a spy
he could induce the United States
to release Igor Ivanov, arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
that month for espionage..
Barghoorn was a personal friend of President John F. Kennedy
, who forcefully stated that Barghoorn was not involved in any illegal activities at a press conference. The Soviets subsequently released Barghoorn. Ivanov was allowed to leave the United States in 1971.
Subsequently, Semichastny participated in the ouster of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev
in October 1964, an act that undoubtedly led to his being retained by the new Soviet leadership. There are some indications that Leonid Brezhnev
, who led the coup against Khrushchev, wanted to assassinate him, but Semichastny refused to allow KGB participation.
During his tenure Semichasnty attempted to create a new public image of the KGB, permitting an article to appear in the newspaper Izvestia
that included an article with "a senior KGB officer" (himself); in the article he stated
, and Richard Sorge
.
Brezhnev finally replaced Semichastny on 18 May 1967, as part of a Kremlin
power shuffle. Yuri Andropov
became the new chief of the KGB.
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
from November 1961 to April 1967.
His mentor and predecessor was Alexander Shelepin
Alexander Shelepin
Alexander Nikolayevich Shelepin was a Soviet state security officer and party statesman. He was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and its Politburo and was the head of the KGB from 25 December 1958 to 13 November 1961.Shelepin was born in Voronezh...
. In October 1963, Semichastny sanctioned the arrest of Professor Frederick Barghoorn of Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
when he was visiting Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Semichastny hoped that by charging Barghoorn as a spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
he could induce the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to release Igor Ivanov, arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
that month for espionage..
Barghoorn was a personal friend of President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, who forcefully stated that Barghoorn was not involved in any illegal activities at a press conference. The Soviets subsequently released Barghoorn. Ivanov was allowed to leave the United States in 1971.
Subsequently, Semichastny participated in the ouster of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
in October 1964, an act that undoubtedly led to his being retained by the new Soviet leadership. There are some indications that Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
, who led the coup against Khrushchev, wanted to assassinate him, but Semichastny refused to allow KGB participation.
During his tenure Semichasnty attempted to create a new public image of the KGB, permitting an article to appear in the newspaper Izvestia
Izvestia
Izvestia is a long-running high-circulation daily newspaper in Russia. The word "izvestiya" in Russian means "delivered messages", derived from the verb izveshchat . In the context of newspapers it is usually translated as "news" or "reports".-Origin:The newspaper began as the News of the...
that included an article with "a senior KGB officer" (himself); in the article he stated
"many young Communist PartyMore articles and books on the security organs appeared, and Soviet spies became heroes in print — Rudolf Abel, Gordon Lonsdale, Harold (Kim) PhilbyCommunist partyA political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
and Communist Youth LeagueCommunist Youth LeagueThe Communist Youth League of China also known as the China Youth League is a youth movement of the People's Republic of China for youth between the ages of fourteen and twenty-eight, run by Communist Party of China. The league is organized on the party pattern. Its leader is its First Secretary...
workers have joined the KGB and none of the people who, during the time of the personality cult of Joseph StalinJoseph StalinJoseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
, took part in the repressions against innocent Soviet people is now in the Service."
Kim Philby
Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby was a high-ranking member of British intelligence who worked as a spy for and later defected to the Soviet Union...
, and Richard Sorge
Richard Sorge
Richard Sorge was a German communist and spy who worked for the Soviet Union. He has gained great fame among espionage enthusiasts for his intelligence gathering during World War II. He worked as a journalist in both Germany and Japan, where he was imprisoned for spying and eventually hanged....
.
Brezhnev finally replaced Semichastny on 18 May 1967, as part of a Kremlin
Moscow Kremlin
The Moscow Kremlin , sometimes referred to as simply The Kremlin, is a historic fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River , Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square and the Alexander Garden...
power shuffle. Yuri Andropov
Yuri Andropov
Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov was a Soviet politician and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 12 November 1982 until his death fifteen months later.-Early life:...
became the new chief of the KGB.
Vladimir Yefimovich Semichastny (Russian: Владимир Ефимович Семичастный, 15 January 1924 – 12 January 2001) was the head of the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
from November 1961 to April 1967.
His mentor and predecessor was Alexander Shelepin
Alexander Shelepin
Alexander Nikolayevich Shelepin was a Soviet state security officer and party statesman. He was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and its Politburo and was the head of the KGB from 25 December 1958 to 13 November 1961.Shelepin was born in Voronezh...
. In October 1963, Semichastny sanctioned the arrest of Professor Frederick Barghoorn of Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
when he was visiting Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Semichastny hoped that by charging Barghoorn as a spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
he could induce the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to release Igor Ivanov, arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
that month for espionage..
Barghoorn was a personal friend of President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, who forcefully stated that Barghoorn was not involved in any illegal activities at a press conference. The Soviets subsequently released Barghoorn. Ivanov was allowed to leave the United States in 1971.
Subsequently, Semichastny participated in the ouster of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
in October 1964, an act that undoubtedly led to his being retained by the new Soviet leadership. There are some indications that Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
, who led the coup against Khrushchev, wanted to assassinate him, but Semichastny refused to allow KGB participation.
During his tenure Semichasnty attempted to create a new public image of the KGB, permitting an article to appear in the newspaper Izvestia
Izvestia
Izvestia is a long-running high-circulation daily newspaper in Russia. The word "izvestiya" in Russian means "delivered messages", derived from the verb izveshchat . In the context of newspapers it is usually translated as "news" or "reports".-Origin:The newspaper began as the News of the...
that included an article with "a senior KGB officer" (himself); in the article he stated
"many young Communist PartyMore articles and books on the security organs appeared, and Soviet spies became heroes in print — Rudolf Abel, Gordon Lonsdale, Harold (Kim) PhilbyCommunist partyA political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
and Communist Youth LeagueCommunist Youth LeagueThe Communist Youth League of China also known as the China Youth League is a youth movement of the People's Republic of China for youth between the ages of fourteen and twenty-eight, run by Communist Party of China. The league is organized on the party pattern. Its leader is its First Secretary...
workers have joined the KGB and none of the people who, during the time of the personality cult of Joseph StalinJoseph StalinJoseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
, took part in the repressions against innocent Soviet people is now in the Service."
Kim Philby
Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby was a high-ranking member of British intelligence who worked as a spy for and later defected to the Soviet Union...
, and Richard Sorge
Richard Sorge
Richard Sorge was a German communist and spy who worked for the Soviet Union. He has gained great fame among espionage enthusiasts for his intelligence gathering during World War II. He worked as a journalist in both Germany and Japan, where he was imprisoned for spying and eventually hanged....
.
Brezhnev finally replaced Semichastny on 18 May 1967, as part of a Kremlin
Moscow Kremlin
The Moscow Kremlin , sometimes referred to as simply The Kremlin, is a historic fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River , Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square and the Alexander Garden...
power shuffle. Yuri Andropov
Yuri Andropov
Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov was a Soviet politician and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 12 November 1982 until his death fifteen months later.-Early life:...
became the new chief of the KGB.
Vladimir Yefimovich Semichastny (Russian: Владимир Ефимович Семичастный, 15 January 1924 – 12 January 2001) was the head of the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
from November 1961 to April 1967.
His mentor and predecessor was Alexander Shelepin
Alexander Shelepin
Alexander Nikolayevich Shelepin was a Soviet state security officer and party statesman. He was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and its Politburo and was the head of the KGB from 25 December 1958 to 13 November 1961.Shelepin was born in Voronezh...
. In October 1963, Semichastny sanctioned the arrest of Professor Frederick Barghoorn of Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
when he was visiting Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Semichastny hoped that by charging Barghoorn as a spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
he could induce the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to release Igor Ivanov, arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
that month for espionage..
Barghoorn was a personal friend of President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, who forcefully stated that Barghoorn was not involved in any illegal activities at a press conference. The Soviets subsequently released Barghoorn. Ivanov was allowed to leave the United States in 1971.
Subsequently, Semichastny participated in the ouster of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
in October 1964, an act that undoubtedly led to his being retained by the new Soviet leadership. There are some indications that Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
, who led the coup against Khrushchev, wanted to assassinate him, but Semichastny refused to allow KGB participation.
During his tenure Semichasnty attempted to create a new public image of the KGB, permitting an article to appear in the newspaper Izvestia
Izvestia
Izvestia is a long-running high-circulation daily newspaper in Russia. The word "izvestiya" in Russian means "delivered messages", derived from the verb izveshchat . In the context of newspapers it is usually translated as "news" or "reports".-Origin:The newspaper began as the News of the...
that included an article with "a senior KGB officer" (himself); in the article he stated
"many young Communist PartyMore articles and books on the security organs appeared, and Soviet spies became heroes in print — Rudolf Abel, Gordon Lonsdale, Harold (Kim) PhilbyCommunist partyA political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
and Communist Youth LeagueCommunist Youth LeagueThe Communist Youth League of China also known as the China Youth League is a youth movement of the People's Republic of China for youth between the ages of fourteen and twenty-eight, run by Communist Party of China. The league is organized on the party pattern. Its leader is its First Secretary...
workers have joined the KGB and none of the people who, during the time of the personality cult of Joseph StalinJoseph StalinJoseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
, took part in the repressions against innocent Soviet people is now in the Service."
Kim Philby
Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby was a high-ranking member of British intelligence who worked as a spy for and later defected to the Soviet Union...
, and Richard Sorge
Richard Sorge
Richard Sorge was a German communist and spy who worked for the Soviet Union. He has gained great fame among espionage enthusiasts for his intelligence gathering during World War II. He worked as a journalist in both Germany and Japan, where he was imprisoned for spying and eventually hanged....
.
Brezhnev finally replaced Semichastny on 18 May 1967, as part of a Kremlin
Moscow Kremlin
The Moscow Kremlin , sometimes referred to as simply The Kremlin, is a historic fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River , Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square and the Alexander Garden...
power shuffle. Yuri Andropov
Yuri Andropov
Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov was a Soviet politician and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 12 November 1982 until his death fifteen months later.-Early life:...
became the new chief of the KGB.