[tos-fote2-t006a a “a ‘ sO EX - 786 > § December 1966 MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD woke Ses rn ae, Oe te a ’ SUBJECT: “American Defectors to the USSR" Ee Be 1, The attached material was part of a soft file entitled "American Defectors to tre USSR", which was set up by SR/6 - (Support) around 1960 and maintained by various SR cornponents s, until ca, 1963, The compilations were derived from a variety of sources, and contain both classified and overt data, . 2. Inthe fall of 1966, the files were turned over to CI Staff, In most instances, basic information was then abstracted ; for the US Defector Machine Program, In all instances in which the material was unique, or represented a valuable collation effort, it has been incorporated into the appropriate 201 file, along with a copy of this memorandum, . 3, It is suggested that any dissemination of this data should . be coordinated with SB Division and with CI Staff (CI/MRO}, tn view of the frequently inadequate sourcing and of the fact that disseminations have aiready been made through the US Defector Machine Program, Orig - CI/MRO 1- RID/FI 5 1 - SB/RMO & L- CI/R&A 1- CI/R&A/chrono hal eee SECRET QO 2ESIA7TZ RETURN TO CIA Background Use Only "Do Not Reproduce
14-00000 “ ~ ) WEBSTER Kobert Edwar , 2701-265)72 23 Cetober 1928, Tiffin, vhie Plastics expert; cami Co. expleye All entries through May 192 come from 201 unless otherwise noted. red Cirea Gell Harch 1959, He made prelininary trip to “oscew in connection with plannin: the tan? exhibit for next summer's U.0. fairs oe Circa 3 Jlay - late June 1°59, Lecom trip to Moscow to helo set up the Rand exhibit. «ent steady witn Vera PIATOUOVA, married, hostess at Hotel Ukraina/corrector for a Soviet corresnemence school's Enclish language de- partment/ing lish teacher at Medical Institute. She always met hia outside so that. colleapves would not kmow she datiny American, but somebody knew because she usnally had to request prmission to take evening off = and she alweys got it, Alsays nad the taxl leave her near bri. not at her home, and ©..5- allowed nothing more than one Kiss, at end of evening. He told her his wife a didn't understand nim, etc., smd that he world come back to Neoscow and marry her, Her name also rerorted as Vera ivinovna IVCHENKO, probably her maiden- *" nate. She night possibly be identical with Vera PLOTNIKOVA, reported in y 00+3+3,10,059 of 2h Sept 1555 (3x/05/s10) as a 20-year old elevator eaperator’ . at the Ukrainas she became very friendly with the source's wife (mussian- . speaking) but asked her not to show friendliness in public, met her elsewhere to tak, snared confidences, spoke poor to ftir brglish.! : 3 July 1959. His third trip to the UZcR. he had about six pieces of lugeare, Crammed with nylon hese, Ella Fitarer«lc records, enples of U.S. marazines, etC., end several boxes of books, bub “he did not taxe heavy clothing because he felt this mi;ht leok suspicious" J11 He had no trouble whitsoever with Lovlet customs, ind he went out with Vera on his first night backs Circa 11 J:l- 1959, He joined two high ~oviet exhibit officials at their resta’rant table at the fair and told then he wanted to defect. They arrancved meetin: few days later with covernment refresentitive POPOY and SHISHKIN - far dinner at Praca {3 favorite sGB hanzout }. Sah EF ery} cee Circa 15 duly 1959, Uncer inflvence of vodka and food at Praya, wrote letter to -upreme coviet requesting stay as Soviet citizen, PLO0V said not to tell anyone, since answer right take a while, Gave him uvestionnalre to take back to hotel anc fill ort: biog plus reasons for defection. Uy august 1959, Sent his wife a telegram saving hed sold 100 units, which untrue. ” Aucust 1959. More meetincs in private rooms at nico restaurants. The coviels Impresred on him thit if he stayed he covld never leave. questioning included debricfinr by two chemists to see if he really‘covld make the spray gun (for plastic coating jobs) ceonstrated at Rand exhivit; jokes about bu ing him instead of run. . i Late Av-ust 1959, Wife cabled hin asking if he coming briex. She wanted to know so that sne could decice weether to put the children into usual school (if he conning hore) or move to her oirents! heme ani pvt then in school there (if ne nol). lie eazled to .o ahead anu out them into usual schoole Fae te . . a , ome Ps SECRET anole 16S 472
4400000 PM eget ew a te woe ‘ yet aa ne P beteried 192, TONY nt hin at etroncl]l revtaurant anc tole him he , had teen accepted. chis was just after closim of fair anc three cays tefore “ _ Rard :rovn to leave for hore. P asxed where he would like *o werk and when w said iwoscow informed hin it wovld be 4enincrad. (W later told .r. Kand andi Gonaul Unyder that he had been offered work in many cities.) \ requested a vacations peated. Ueeting with POPOV and CHICH-IN on subway steps arrarrements for W to get away from Rand rroup without ovis: noticed. 10 wentember 1959, Sent to Leningrad with interoreter Volodcya [see also. Rieelarcelll case], uiven 1000 old rubles and promi: ed more. jet by Aleksey of Inturist in Leningrad. tept changing hotels so that Mam rroup couldn't pet him. Had left note saying planned travel arcund ‘CGR tefore returning, but they sselled a rat and were trying to locate him argwsy. Voledya stayed . . there with him; went sightseeing, applicd for job at ieninzrad “clentific as : Research Imtitute, He was allowed to call Vera, who came right up and brought the rest of his barrare; affair began. Circa nid-Vctober 1959. Returned to ‘oscow. 16 Uctober 1959. MFA called US Embassy to say that W had assumed Soviet citizenship. 17 October 1959. Confrontation meeting at Moscow OVIR, with Hand and Snyder present. lewspaper re ort said it was esotional scece at onmbassy and taat «¢ mat said he had not vet received Soviet passport, but this orobably True story seems be that « sipned expatriation forn, vert his U.5. Wrong» : passnort nevertheless (on cretext that he didn't have it with nin, sndeh he reelly did), aml followed Soviet instructions in tellin onvoer trat he had -_ received Joviet passport on 21 September (wiich he hadn't), hac ceZected for political reasons (wiich he didn't), atc, Accordins to infomation in CI/SIG files, Snyder said that the only discrepancy between &'3 story and Enoassv's facts was that ne seemed horestly i; norant of two pom calls he supposedly made to Hand office in .wscow. Ye said he mignt aave authorized thea to oe made in his neme. ote thit voth calls purporteciy received vy Hand's Soviet employee Galina Ivanovna AZDNIKIAA while she alone in office. October 1959, «a Washington Post article of 21 iy 162 sale that he chanrec his mind after only three months in the Uschk and wert to tre Embassy for aU... reentry permit, but thet it was trrned down and ne rac to wait a year to reaonvly. [In the licht of other renorts, this seems thoroughly garbled and to be ‘disregarded.| Circa 18 Gctober 1959, Inmnddiatel. or shortly arter the co:frontation meetin’, he anu vera took off for a vacation in Lochi. LU, November 1959. The «ev York Tises wrote that he had written his parents ne was planning to marry a sovict girl. Circa 10 Ggtmberx2Y Noverber 1959, After a month in Sochi, ne anc Vera retvrned to settie in “enincrac. ‘era was nis assistant and transistor, and ine to itand Chow woulo ne know 27 she cot about 2000 ritles a months accords He was assigned to make the spray cun, ata salary of 2 00 a nontn plus , seai~annual bomus of 500-600 rubles; this was equal t the salary of the acid coief -f Lab #5 where he werved, Yis only duevnent vas a siin fren Geik seying that he had aprlied for a cassport. They Lived at soncratevskiy €rosnerkzxursvertz2z3 Prospekt hoves (4, mt 18, veninored K-42, 2 to ree-roam SECRS
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74-90000 , att, oO 7 SECRET ~~ | apartrent with bathe Late Decerber 1959 or early sav ars 1960, eceived Soviet internal a) passoorte . o7 Jamary 1%0, Received 6 Lecender letter fron his father telling him his nother now in mental hosvital because of nis defection anc reaind ing him of resnonsibility for his chiluren, ete, Se deciced fo hom tt told no ong. 3 “arch 1960, He wrote father astinr help to ret-rn home and asking why his fatner nadn't replied to nis 5 February letter {whieh the father had never rotten). 13 and Uf harch 1960, He wrote his fatcer that the farily should come visithin Th tne Tohe Abort. this time hand advised the father te get #'s phone number so th-t they covle tale to hin, ro” , 1 Aor] J940, Rand rerorted receivine a wire fron « ctving his phone in Lenligrad as U-23705. ‘his was paone at lab, where fsther callod hin 2 Apre S Avril 1960. & wrote his father that he would be in toscow for the May Lay celeerations and would e2ll at the Sroassy. he felt certain of reo trning to the ia. and told father not to core: visit hia efter all. 2¢ Aoril 1:40, Mand telephoned |, who confirned desire return U.S. : P ’ te war 19/0, Volodya hee errenecd invit-tfon for W ane Vera to Moscow carade, 4.9, went, ho tention Poverce & 7? his tO, He vigibed Vel. L éouy, Ware not Cnallenged by “‘oviet suards .eca'se of American av-venrene, Cnrder told his how go sbout fretting exit vise. Information in GI/SIS f'les adds that b said at this interview that he had recently made a speech ts a larce avdience on why he left the tic. Claims sais nothing derogatery to U.c. ‘as tolu specen recorded for Mture radio usa. & sta LOEO, Se wrote father rev-esting invitations necessary for soviet exit mratt, vole Vera iio "at first" was "host ano aunoyed". ‘Tera, 3ix months prynernt, had to averove iis exit regrest, water she did, nocsibly assuming it waulen't be pranted ans vay. Uo wav 1960, Rand was back in ieseow anc ohoned &e 1? fully 1%O, Sather sent. wthenticated invitation letters. 26 duly 1940, ‘ arcte fotace cetatis of la Lay trip. till no mention of Fevers, tuourn and had tele oress all about freese(caised by Ue2}unich he ren tato when he lef the tlh cv car in dene 1960, 90, Dargiter Evetiana born. ™ adonted her Le ° a fev day Gid not inten? to wer cera bectrse he as not divorced etpaainiye & from his firs aust 130. « mad conoletec ever; tain for exit acrlication. From ote 7 er, \era was more attentive to his y mViewadiann ain * ation 25 rot veers) eo hae pre ofiictals cease from .uwseou to as’ ain
14-00000 $3 - SECRET = Ccteber 1°40, Exit pernit. denied, fener 191, °. anc Vera vacationed at >each near Aira, Tera received final divarce from first husband. , Srevst 196], ‘Sarde second exit a-plication. 24 Fetresry 1962, This was the date U received exit persit, according ; to what Sater tose mand. (CL/SIG files) : 2 farch 192, W wrote parents that he did not heve much momey saved and_si, nt need it for ‘oscow stay. (cY/sia) #3 Barch 1962, Clevelond Plain Lealer article said that when he last arote saalay re had fob In sostov-onson, also “utite Lept sudcbdbecoor aides said in agsiin ton tocay that his is the first case of its kind in which the “ussians have gronted an exit visa". |Tais inaccurate: ho was never even in Roctov-on-Von so far as is known, and Oswald for om had alreagy been granted an exit permit. (CI/fI¢) fh “arch 1962. it work, tainking aboul to leave. Sav 1962, He was met by no one uron arrival in Foscow, -ereired to small hotel w.ere vresented note from Vere asxing for cheap room. ne had net learned any? Russ ian. 18 wa. 1962, Traded voviet internal passport for exit passport, at OVIR. Mearmi Tie ran out of money. vera sent “in sone from “enincrad. Later in tiax, Reecived roney and olane ticket from father. Aeturned Vera's loan plus extra, vie LP correr-ondent, 20 Sav 1962, Arrived in U.7. unter alien quota. sxtensivel; debriefed i by CIA, roi, etc. Osych assesement that-he unenctional, not the trpe te learn fron ewmcrience, thou-htless of xtweg others! feelings, airht be bought off by Soviets if in need, - weseovemnent sean nls > SO ag ae p ce ae sD pia F ' “ee ggizaze segay pide E2sE ms aectae eeeag 33 <h © Sos p d z 3 : cd = : Q S£n8e% 48°82, Be “bes €5. el E8aghs “Exkage Ze > he °° gketey gaadks ESS < sf SEs EE ga gSSoc2y Ses - PS GS & Fe snks, 8S MT ep THET ZeRSs bye? Fzsthssa.s2 3s ; £263 tone a<s e canes as Feu oat ¥ 2 aS CS 2288 a Zeeeeet“es yo38 Sed Oe 2h Hag SRT SE a hE eg BUY om w) afk. ~eekEateS, BE¢* ees bss cee S25 ie lke * ete *) a of - 8S § i SPs e2asle BS By eRe Vee sezas Rees , 2 mad m She Ze! Feat cM igs Lap gecgsa EZESESTS= 52 EF ge : @ & es e252 53| geeet Be Ze GBeE GAGRISZESESE RT woh + oh ee fm SSse"sl ees E2205 vif wPte aS,ESS "SR a eo SE ee Zee8 e?6eFSEe* shee 728 oF Se2t Fuk, Fe. BS Eo fesgs| gistged gis Sete Toe sS aS et baie Beg z ER ro © S Efeg= gue eFeteR ester hs ce §sS8a5 08, deus 2's slo tzy a & 22 Cn ae = esau a nt =a a= MR me SF) *SESSHE SERS sedi; 22s; £2 ea5h223 E532a58 53 Bet ae ‘ fee . ~ ° wf a ot * pst toes *
$3 Ccteber 1940, Exit perait denied, funmter 191, \. ant Vers vacationed at beach near Rica, Vera received final divarce fron first husband, Sucust 2961, ‘0 ande second exit arplication, 24 Fetrcary 1962, This was the date V received exit pernit, according to wat Sather tom aand. (Ci/SIG files) aren 1942, © wrote parents that he did not have much momy saved andolcht need Lt for stoscow stay. (cY/sie) , : 73 fiarch 1962. Cleveland Plain ealer article said that when he last wrote saalsy he Had Job in sostov-on-on, also “Jtite Vept eamcbchooox aides said in aasiington today that this is the first case of its xind in “which the Sussians have ersnted an exit visa", {Tals inaccurate: hy was never even in Roc tov-on-Von so far as is known, ard Oswald for om had alreagy - been granted an exit permit. (CI/ZIG) ‘ fh “arch 1962, wait work , tainking aboul to leave. May 1962, He was met by no one uron arrival in Koscow. ‘ensired to small hotél were vresented note from Vere asxine for cheap room, ne had net learned any Russian. 18 Ja. 1960, Traded ~oviet interast passport for exit passport, at OVIR, Mearmnile ran out of money. Vera sem ‘im sone from “enin: rad. Later in lay, Received money am lane ticket frou father. seturned Vera's loan plus extra, via UP cérres-ondent, 20 tay 1962, Arrived in U.7. under alien quota. s«xtensivel; debrie fed by Cla, czi, etc. Psych assessment that-he unenetionsl, not the type to Jesrn fron ‘ewerience, thoushtless of xmom others! feelinrs, xirht be bourht off by Soviets if in need, . mee “ 5g 78 — ; : 29 T'6 AGSSERT FRESZETR Eada * a BS Ssigee SER7 2425 LAGE Ua Ggctags EASeGee 228 - By 3 Ee" 4u%e te “J ~~ “Euksa Se: 2 RS aliedy eeate firs akee Gyytehtads sister soe | fg & peSaia: B28a8, Sige cee" Z'essesel> Ziscsesalg Sl HF Ported Bleesess's Giga Bee et2 Size Al tze Tab > oa GH eee es wo okEgsek, ER#* ES8ES Sle eR SSSELH ESS si QO SH 3 He885 71 sel skaagce ze Suess ty eea ses sae EE PS gq .B EFfyfs] Ligesse Ss. Sgks $2528" 22 cee rs3= 22S? fk Simm Ge te EEE >| 2S F232. eo  eeee SHS. ES "2 Tag ges H2 Be Sp, estat SF les ee eEs Sieg Gee eet as et ka2s tye h Es, “es . £3 -7 ees BUSP BES SU SESS SG. S ete“ 4b esas ‘ 35 fag # Sadi Salig da” Fok ore = ase oa ff & em OG a ES oc S EPESS eyes cde igR bs kseks ed sseeste, feveztssteey'y . Ses ‘Ea go =e cau eEP Sy 3 =a "En SOG) HSLESES Ss 25S es2s S285 es" sabksba ts2sasz £2 Bot Pes ? . . 2 oo Ae fhe C 8 e araman ei oe Bone
14-00000 4 Handwriting sample of Vera Ivanova FLATONOVA , wf Pebit Shrronh keep. Ce Leflocecibars &!' Yofere, © cmes \ hoa tate 8 1 Pn peter ens (hate hae Ae wk HOHE 18 20, 4s pre ompR et Bean ged oy Y gore SE, 5xG 5. shed ortiyars tes loth, a, : 3 ' tae Cer fae Rosner Wy Reed nates