Jack Barsky: KGB Spy, FBI, U.S. Government, Espionage, Soviet, Cold War | Hrvoje Kukina Podcast #20

I had a wonderful conversation with Jack Barsky, a former sleeper agent of the KGB who spied on the United States and is an expert on espionage. Mr. Barsky and I talked about various aspects of his life, including what his life was like before joining the KGB, the events that made him an ideal candidate for recruitment, how he was approached by the KGB, and what made him commit to such a dangerous and secretive life. We discussed the most surprising thing he learned during his KGB training, the preparation for his role in the United States, and the challenges of adapting to American culture. He also shared how he balanced the two identities—Jack Barsky and Albrecht Dittrich—and how he coped mentally with living two entirely separate lives. We talked about his main mission while living in the United States, how successful he was in achieving his goals, and how he measured success. Additionally, we covered when he was closest to being discovered, how his perspective on the United States changed over time, flaws in the Soviet narrative, his allegiance to the KGB, and his family in the United States. Personal relationships, the role of ideology, and integrating into American society after he stopped spying were also part of our conversation. Finally, we discussed building trust with the FBI and U.S. government, loyalty, morality, national identity changes after his time as a spy, cybersecurity, intelligence, the secretive and complex nature of espionage, and the secrecy and adrenaline involved in his work.

Jack Barsky LINKS:
Website: https://jackbarsky.com/
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Undercove...
LinkedIn:   / jackbarsky  
Instagram:   / jackbarskyofficial  

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#KGBSpy #USGovernment #Espionage