Crossing the Iron Curtain: The CIA’s Mole In Moscow

How did the CIA recruit a Russian asset in Moscow during the height of the Cold War? Why would someone be so determined to defect from the Soviet Union and spy for the US? And what would happen if the KGB found out they had a traitor in their midst?

Adolf Tolkachev had a vendetta against the Soviet state and became determined to orchestrate its demise. An expert on Soviet radar, Tolkachev realised his top secret work could help the US fight his communist overlords and potentially topple the entire system. So, how did he do it? Listen as Gordon and David start to tell the story of the man who became the CIA’s most valuable Russian spy.

00:00 Cold War spying
03:14 The battle between the CIA and the KGB
08:33 How to volunteer as a spy
27:05 Being persistent when the CIA don't want you
32:05 Who is this spy and what's in it for him?