Soviet double agents
IV Sovietų okupacija, III Nacionaliniai partizanai
At the beginning of the fifties, the US intelligence service CIA, which initially coordinated its activities with the British MI-6, began to play an increasing role in intelligence operations against the USSR. At that time, the British positioned themselves as experts in activities on the territory of the USSR, having both infiltrated agents and information. They also shared general information about the USSR with the Americans. All of this information actually turns out to be Soviet counterintelligence disinformation.
Consequently, priorities in Soviet counterintelligence changed in 1951. Before that, the main direction of counteraction was the British and USSR MGB 2. In the structure of the main administration, according to the Slavic alphabet, part 2A was counterintelligence operations against England, part 2B - counterintelligence operations against the United States, and part 2V - counterintelligence operations against Latin American countries.
On the other hand, on December 25, 1951, a reorganization took place, in the course of which there was a change from letters to numbers. The United States became the main direction of counteraction. Therefore, in the 2nd Main Directorate of the MGB of the USSR, the 1st part was counter-intelligence operations against the USA, the 2nd part - counter-intelligence operations against England, the 3rd part - counter-intelligence operations against the VFR. This arrangement continued until the collapse of the USSR.
USSR intelligence had agents in both British and American intelligence who leaked information to USSR intelligence and worked against the West. They were part of much wider measures implemented by the Moscow "center", as a result of which specially prepared disinformation was "leaked" to the special services of Western countries. For these purposes, in the early 1950s, a fake forest brothers unit was even created in Latvia to demonstrate a "real national resistance movement" to British intelligence agents. Soviet counter-intelligence succeeded in fooling both the British and real national partisans, as well as the main opponent - the US CIA, which at that time directly started operations in Latvia
Daugiau informacijos šaltinių
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/dzive--stils/vesture/kgb-slepenie-arhivi.-spiegu-speles-latvija-cia-agenti-psrs-dienesta.a261845/
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/dzive--stils/vesture/kgb-slepenie-arhivi.-spiegu-speles-latvija-patiesie-strikisu-raustitaji.a260177/
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Susijusios vietos
Exhibition in the KGB Building "History of KGB Operations in Latvia"
The former USSR State Security Committee (commonly known as Cheka) building is open for visitors. Here chekists imprisoned, interrogated and murdered Latvian citizens who were considered opponents by the occupation regime. There is also an exhibit from the Latvian Occupation Museum on the activities of Cheka in Latvia. Guided tours of the prison cells, corridors, basement and courtyard are available. The house was built in 1911 and it is one of the most beautiful buildings in Riga. Called the ‘Corner House’ by the people, it was the scariest symbol of the Soviet occupation regime in Latvia, and also one of the pillars of power of the USSR. Cheka operated from the Corner House during the occupation from 1940 to 1941 and then again from 1945 to 1991. Tens of thousands of Latvians were affected by direct political persecution. The fight against enemies of Soviet rule continued also after World War II. Cheka’s approach towards its operation slightly changed after Stalin’s death. Physical torture was replaced by psychological terror. The majority of Cheka agents were Latvians (52%). Russians were the second largest group – 23.7%. 60.3% of the agents were not members of the Communist Party. 26.9% of the agents had higher education. The system was designed in a way to involve local people and thus have greater control over the society. Staff documents and service records are located in Russia. And these materials have not been made available to Latvian authorities and researchers.
Museum of the Occupation of Latvia
The museum exhibits the history of Latvia from 1940 to 1991, under the occupation of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. ‘House of the Future’ is a reconstruction and expansion project of the Occupation Museum designed by the well-known American Latvian architect Gunārs Birkerts as well as the new exhibit of the museum. The exhibit ‘History of Cheka in Latvia’ was created by the Occupation Museum and it is located in the ‘Corner House’, which is the former USSR State Security Committee (KGB) building. Latvian Occupation Museum was founded in 1993. It tells the long-hidden story of the fate of the Latvian state, nation and land under the occupation of two foreign totalitarian powers from 1940 to 1991. At the end of 2020 the museum had more than 70,000 different historical items (documents, photographs, written, oral and material evidence, objects and memorabilia). Museum specialists have recorded more than 2,400 video testimonials, making it one of the largest collections on occupation in Europe. The events that unfolded in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia clearly show us what the nations had to endure under the two totalitarian regimes.
Memorial stone of Alfred Riekstiņš
Memorial stone to Latvian Legion lieutenant and national partisan Alfred Riekstiņš, who died near the "Dreimaņi" house on September 11, 1952
On September 11, 1952, Alfred Riekstiņš, a lieutenant of the 19th SS Grenadier Division (Latvian No. 2) of the Latvian Legion and a Knight of the Iron Cross, died in the yard of the "Dreimaņi" house. On May 9, 1945, Alfred Riekstiņš from Pāvilosta arrived in Sweden with one of the last boats. On August 30, 1952, Alfrēds Riekstiņš, together with two former Latvian soldiers, landed in Kurzeme on behalf of the US intelligence services. The security services of the USSR knew about the operation and surrounded the intelligence officers in the shed of the "Dreimaņi" house, where Alfred Riekstiņš committed suicide by biting a poison ampoule.
Susijusi istorija
Alfred Riekstiņš with the nickname "Imants" dies as a result of the betrayal of a double agent of the USSR
Alfrēds Riekstiņš, a Latvian legionnaire, was recruited for cooperation with the US intelligence service CIA after World War II.