The Rest Is Classified – Ep. 84: The Man Who Saved The World: A Friendship Shattered (Ep 5)

Date: September 21, 2025
Hosts: David McCloskey & Gordon Corera

Overview

This episode chronicles Oleg Gordievsky's harrowing final days as a British double agent inside the KGB, focusing on the tense period in 1985 when he is suddenly summoned back to Moscow under suspicious circumstances. With mounting evidence that he's under suspicion, Gordievsky must decide whether to risk going back home or defect, putting not just his life but also his family's future on the line. The hosts delve into the psychology of espionage, the tradecraft of escape, trust and betrayal, and the heavy personal costs borne by spies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Call Back to Moscow: A Dangerous Telegram

• Ominous Orders
  Gordievsky, then on the cusp of becoming the top KGB officer (Resident) in London while spying for MI6, receives a sudden, cryptic cable ordering him to “come to Moscow urgently in two days time for important discussions” ([00:03]-[01:08]).
  • “As I read the handwritten message, I felt sweat break out of my back and for a second or two my vision clouded.” — Oleg Gordievsky’s memoir (read by McCloskey, [00:03])
• Immediate Alarm
  Both the hosts discuss the classic espionage red flag: urgent, unscheduled recall usually spells doom for compromised agents ([01:52]).

The Dilemma: To Flee or Not to Flee

• MI6’s Advice
  Gordievsky meets MI6 handlers; the conversation is tense, with MI6 neither forbidding nor encouraging his return to Moscow, but making it clear the choice is his ([02:24]-[05:23]).
  • “If they are onto him, he’s dead...But then on the other hand, the prize is close, being Resident...the option is on the table to not go back.” — Gordon Corera ([02:24])
  • Gordievsky’s storied ideological commitment factors into his perilous decision to return rather than defect in London. Both hosts admit they’d have made the same choice ([05:23]-[07:00]).

Return & Rising Suspicion in Moscow

• Signs of Danger
  Upon return, telltale signals abound: changed locks on his apartment (a third rarely-used lock engaged, signifying a search), wary behavior from colleagues, but no immediate arrest ([07:09]-[09:56]).
• Deep Cover "Illegals" Withdrawn
  Gordievsky hears that KGB's deep-cover operatives (“illegals”) in Britain are being pulled, a sign of high-level alarm and possible compromise ([09:56]).
• Psychological Pressure
  For a week, the KGB lets him “stew” before summoning him for the most chilling interrogation ([10:18]).

The Interrogation: Truth Serum and Mental Games

• Drugged and Questioned
  Gordievsky undergoes a sodium pentothal (“truth serum”) interrogation. He recalls fragmented memories — accusations, demands for confession, references to his recruitment by MI6, and denials ([11:21]-[13:57]).
  • “We know who recruited you in Copenhagen...” — KGB interrogators (reported by Corera, [12:09])
• The KGB’s Contradictory Legalism
  The KGB seek a legally-sound confession, not wanting to act without “concrete” proof, mirroring its history of being both ruthless and obsessed with paperwork ([13:57]-[14:31]).
  • “For all their ruthlessness, they need evidence and they need proof...” — Gordon Corera ([13:57])

The Ticking Clock: Surveillance, Family, and Preparation

• Worsening Surveillance
  Intense, visible surveillance ramps up—15 cars and multiple officers in his apartment block—meant to intimidate and perhaps coax a mistake ([17:33]-[19:27]).
• Family as Hostages
  MI6 realises things are dire when Oleg’s wife Leila is told to return to Moscow with their children, restricting any hope of escape as a family ([16:33]).
• Confidant Smiley Mike
  Oleg confides in his old KGB friend “Smiley Mike” (Mikhail Lubimov), a scene revealing Gordievsky’s profound stress and deepening isolation ([19:27]-[20:52]):
  • “I need vodka, you know? He is stressed.” — Corera, quoting Lubimov ([20:45])
  • Lubimov, ignorant of the real stakes, dismisses it as a minor infraction: “If you get fired from the KGB, it’s not the end of the world. Maybe you can become a novelist too.” ([20:45])

Escape Planning: Tradecraft and Sacrifice

• The Exfiltration Blueprint
  The escape plan, codenamed Operation Pimlico, had roots as far back as the late 1970s and was meticulously updated. Gordievsky’s insider knowledge meant he could stress-test MI6’s tradecraft for flaws ([22:57]-[26:22]):
  • “That is the kind of detail Oleg can give...he’s inside the KGB and knows it.” — Corera ([24:40])
• The Agonizing Family Decision
  Oleg opts not to bring his wife and young daughters; trust and logistics make it unworkable ([26:22]-[27:32]).
  • “He loves her, but he doesn’t trust her with this secret.” — McCloskey ([27:01])
  • The emotional weight is explicit:
    • “We parted in the doorway of a supermarket...She gave me a quick farewell peck on the cheek...Not knowing that by the time she returned to Moscow, I would be either dead or in exile.” — Gordievsky’s memoir, voiced by McCloskey ([28:17])

The Signal: Activation of the Escape Plan

• Surveillance Countermeasures Oleg conducts painstaking “dry cleans” (counter-surveillance walks) before attempting to contact MI6 ([28:35]-[31:16]).
• The Safeway Bag and Mars Bar
  The escape signal: at a designated spot, Oleg holds a Safeway bag; the MI6 officer acknowledges with a Harrods bag and eats a Mars Bar ([33:40]-[34:48]).
  • “It’s very specific...if someone’s life wasn’t in danger, you’d think this is slightly absurd, wouldn’t you?” — Corera ([34:48])
  • After tense near-misses, the signal is successfully exchanged and the escape is “on” ([37:13]-[38:25]).

Political Clearance: Power, Protocol & Nerves

• High-level Approval Needed For such an operation, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s personal sign-off is required. Thatcher, invested in “Mr. Collins” as Oleg was known, immediately approves: “We have an obligation and we will not let him down.” ([41:07]-[41:53])
• Scepticism and Risks
  The new ambassador to Moscow vehemently opposes the operation, fearing catastrophic diplomatic fallout, but is overruled ([41:56]-[42:43]).
  Some at MI6 fear it could be a KGB trap, pessimistically rating the chances of success as low as 1 in 20 ([43:39]).

Final Steps: Friendship and Defiance

• An Eloquent Farewell
  On the eve of his escape, Gordievsky makes a cryptic call to “Smiley Mike,” referencing a Somerset Maugham story (“Mr. Harrington’s Washings”) about an escape over the Finnish border—the same route Oleg would take ([45:01]-[47:30]).
  • “The way he explains it, it’s a last two fingers up at the KGB…” — Corera ([47:30])
  • McCloskey notes this reveals both the ego and defiant pride driving Gordievsky ([48:22]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tension crystallized:
  • “As I read the handwritten message, I felt sweat break out of my back and for a second or two my vision clouded.” — Oleg Gordievsky via McCloskey ([00:03])
• The moral burden and loneliness of espionage:
  • “He loves her, but he doesn’t trust her with this secret.” — McCloskey ([27:01])
  • “Most humans would make the decision to remain with their family...But he’s so dedicated to this mission.” — McCloskey ([28:33])
• Tradecraft details, with wit:
  • “Pro tip for anyone captured as a potential traitor: never confess.” — Corera, referencing Kim Philby ([14:31])
  • “Check which bottle they’re serving you out of and make sure it’s the same.” — Corera, about the KGB’s use of sodium pentothal ([11:11])
• Exfiltration with absurd specificity:
  • “An MI6 officer is going to acknowledge it by walking past him carrying a Harrods shopping bag and eating a Western chocolate bar.” — Corera ([34:48])
  • “It’s the magic of a Mars bar, Gordon. It can do amazing things.” — McCloskey ([38:25])
• Personal courage and pride:
  • “He wants to know and prove and tell them he’s better than them.” — Corera ([49:04])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:03–01:08: Gordievsky’s fateful telegram; context and stakes set.
• 02:24–07:00: The escape-or-defect decision; MI6’s ambiguous support.
• 07:09–10:18: Arrival back in Moscow, detecting surveillance and warning signs.
• 11:21–14:31: Interrogation and “truth serum”; the KGB’s legalistic mindset.
• 16:33–19:27: Family repatriation, and surveillance closes in.
• 19:27–21:20: The “Smiley Mike” reunion: stress, secrets, and KGB culture.
• 22:57–24:40: Operation Pimlico’s origins; the art of planning an escape.
• 27:00–28:35: The heartache of parting from family.
• 33:40–34:48: The operation’s signal sequence: Safeway bag, Harrods bag, Mars Bar.
• 41:07–41:53: Thatcher’s decision; political repercussions.
• 47:30–49:04: The Somerset Maugham reference call; defiance as parting shot.

Conclusion

The episode masterfully reconstructs the paranoia, high-wire suspense, and soul-wrenching choices faced by Oleg Gordievsky as he teetered between discovery and escape. It highlights both the sophisticated craft of spies and the profound human drama that underpins intelligence work. The story pauses at a cliffhanger: the signal given, the political green light secured, but with Gordievsky still needing to execute a desperate dash for his life.

Next episode preview:
Will Oleg Gordievsky make it out of Russia alive, or become another casualty of the KGB's deadly game? Tune into the next episode for his daring escape.