Fresh Air

The Real-Life Russian Spies Who Inspired 'The Americans'

25 snips
Apr 16, 2025
Shaun Walker, an international correspondent for The Guardian and author of 'The Illegals', shares gripping tales from his decade in Moscow. He delves into the fascinating world of Russian spies like Andrei Bezrukov and Elena Vavilova, who lived undercover in the U.S. with their children unaware of their true identities. Walker discusses the rigorous training these operatives endure, the emotional toll of living a double life, and the complexity of loyalty after the fall of the Soviet Union. Plus, a tribute to jazz saxophonist Gene Ammons adds a cultural twist.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
ANECDOTE

The Americans Inspiration

  • The FX series The Americans portrayed a seemingly ordinary American family living in suburban D.C.
  • The parents were secretly Soviet spies, their true identities hidden from their children.
ANECDOTE

Unique Soviet Program

  • Many countries use diplomats or businesspeople as spies, providing them with cover identities.
  • The Soviet and later Russian program was unique in training agents to live as ordinary citizens for decades, with no ties to their home country.
ANECDOTE

Lenin's Illegals

  • Lenin, leading the Bolsheviks, employed "illegals" for clandestine operations against the Tsar, even using fake identities and invisible ink.
  • After the revolution, these methods were adopted by the new Soviet intelligence service.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app