Ep92. KGB - Literati: The Spy Stories That Built Putin’s Imagination

This is one of Spionpodden’s more unusual journeys into the intelligence world.

Not through secret meetings or hidden microphones.

But through spy fiction.

Can a novel become an intelligence tool?

Can a secret police service write itself into the imagination of a nation?

KGB - Literati opens a forgotten Cold War battlefield: Soviet spy fiction written by active or former KGB officers.

Stories where the Chekist was noble.

The West was corrupt.

The dissident was suspect.

And the homeland was always under siege.

One young reader of these romantic KGB stories was Vladimir Putin.

The Soviet Union collapsed.

But did the mythology of the KGB ever really disappear?

From Chekist Stories to Putin’s Russia, from literature to disinformation and digital influence — this episode asks:

If espionage steals secrets… what does influence steal?

Guest: Professor Filip Kovacevic — scholar of Soviet and Russian intelligence history and author of KGB Literati.

A podcast by Mikael Hylin

Music: Anton Fossum-Hylin

Cover design: Sebastian Frye

Cover image: Emblem of the KGB. Wikimedia Commons

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De berättelser, fakta, åsikter och synpunkter som presenteras i denna podcast är uteslutande de som tillhör presentatören eller intervjuobjektet och speglar inte nödvändigtvis Spionpoddens officiella hållning. Spionpodden är en oberoende, ideell podcast utan kopplingar till politiska, religiösa, ekonomiska, offentliga eller privata särintressen. Den är varken kontrollerad eller ägd av någon tredje part.

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Disclaimer:

The stories, facts, views, and opinions presented in this podcast are solely those of the presenter or interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of Spionpodden. Spionpodden is an independent, non-profit podcast with no affiliations to political, religious, economic, public, or private special interests. It is neither controlled nor owned by any third party.

Spionpodden has not received any external funding, other than 100% anonymous, private, and entirely voluntary donations. The content is produced freely and independently, without influence from any outside parties. The responsible publisher is Mikael Hylin.