CIA FILE ON VICTOR PETROVICH KAMKIN
Originator: CIA
From: STEVENS, M. D.
To: C/RB/SRS/OS BRUCE SOLIE
Document date: 12/17/1959
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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4-00000

104-10132-10017

TO

2022 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

8N NOU. BA

SCOT: 7

Office Memorandum • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

Bruca I. S0110, C/RB/SRS/os

DATE:17 Docember 1959

FRUN : M. D. Storens, RD/SRS/OS

RETURN TO CIA

Background Use Only

• Do Not Reproduce -

SUBJECT:

KAMKIN, Victor Petrovick

+1-2752-550-90097

A revion of Subjoct's Illo has bean mado in connoction with

with roferonco to

book store, as of the summer of 1959, was one of the four book stores

In the Undtod States where subscriptions could be bought for "pODINAle.

the bulletin edited by the Repatziation Coulttoo of East Berlin.

"RODINA"/ (LA PATRIE), which 18 distributed In various languages

and 19 pelled In sealed envelopes, has been forbiddon distribution

In Franco, (See attached thermofax.)

Socurity filos rofloct that In April 1957 the FBI advised that

Elena Andreevea KAMKIN and Nine SAPELKIA

Victor no tro subjects of an Internal security - R type Investigation

as of 1951 and thats "There is no derogatory data of a subversive

nature in the files of this Bureau concerning the subject of your

inquiry (KAMKIN). It should be noted, however, that Victor

Petrovich KAMKIN is currently of investigative intorest to this

Bureau and, accordingly, it is requested that any contact of him

In behalf of the Central Intelligence Ageney be handlad by this

Bureau. "

It was advised orally that the Burosu was using KAMKIN

as a source.

According to an undated blind memorandum (possibly a Staff C

MSo iSafe momorandum), Nina SAPELKIN 18 Elena KAMKIN's sister and as of

CRuti Viroms 1951 was living with the KANKINs In Tennesseo. NIna SAPELKIN wae

195701953 wher born in Russia 18 August 1912; and Has evacuatod fron Shanghai to

Mastenden s.c.

Samar, Philippino Islands undor IRO auspices in April 1949,

M.s.5.

accompanied by her husband Semen I. SAPELKIN and their tho childron.

Sho came to the United States in 1951 and lived in Tennossoo for

a time with the KAMKINs. The SAPELKINs reportedly renounced

Soviot citizenship in Shanghai in September or Ostober 1948.

The KAMKINs also wore born in Russia and KAMKIN attonded

high school and university in Harbin, Manchuria. Thereaftor until

1945 he was in the printing and publishing business in China and

during 1946-47 says he was with "Special Services, Section II,

Amph., Marine Corps", worldng on its newspaper, "North Chine

Marina". In 1947 ho was co-publisher of "Free Word" which he says

was an anti-soviet newspaper closed by pressure of the Soviet

38840

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SACREX

Consulato.

From 1947 to 1949 he stated that he was tho owner of

the "Anchor Printing Shop" in which the "North China Marine"

cortised publication in Isingtao, China. The KANKINs came to

the United States In 1949 arriving in San Francisco in Karch.

As of 1957 KAMKIN was being used on an unclassified basis by

the CIA Llbrary asa publications procurement channel. It is, of

course, possible that Subject's interest In "RODINA" is on behalf

of this Agency.

The other book stores Involved In the report to the French

Desk were the well known Conmunist "Four Continents Book Store",

(MS-2000), "Imported Publications and Producta" (MS-2001-I) and

"Urdversal Distributors Company" (#91916). These organizations aro

registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The Foux

Continents Book Store is flagrantly Connunist, needs no defining;

and the "Imported Publications and Products" is reported to be

one of the four principal outlots for Comuniet political prop-

aganda in tho United Statos.

described as "an official distributor of Communist Party Idterature"

and as "Conmunist controlled". It is the distributing agency for

the Four Continents Book Store.

Information from a reliable confidential Informant refleots

that during the summer of 1959 KAMKIN indicated he planned to

opon a branch book store in San Francisco to be operated by So

SAPFIXIN. The store was to be called Zanie, "

Pusgian Book Store,

and located at 5237 Goary Street, San Francisco.

This S. SAPELKIN,

1n all probability, is Mrs. KAMKIN'g brother-in-law Semen I.

SAPBIKIN, MS-5000, who with his wife Nina, noo DAVIDOVA, aka

DAVIDOF, Has the subject of an fil hocord theck loquest in May

1955. (The wife Nina, per the chock sheet, residod at route

1, Van Leer, Tennessee from 1951 to 1952, which was the KAMKIN'B

address during this period.)

The 1955 FBI Record Chock Request on SAPEIKIN indicated that

he was formerly a painter; that hie wife Mina was e dentist; that

both were born in fussia; that ho arrived in the Undted States

fron France around the end of 1954, was stateloss and had his first

papor; and that she arrived 1n San Francisco 5 June 1951. They

vere residing at 1405 Harvard Strost, Nola, Washington, D. C.

(which was the address of Subjoct's book store); and had formerly

Insided in liontsin and shanghal, China. Both their children

were born in tientsin, ons in 1946 and one In 1949.

An RI check requested in 1957 for USIA indicated that the name

Semen I. SAPELKIN appeared in a report from a reliable sourco in.

May 1950, which dealt with refugees in an INO camp at Guinan,

Samar, ihilippine Islands; and, according to the report, ho had

baen a membor of the Russian Residents Association (probably fussian

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End grants Association) and of the Soviet Club In Shanghad.

'ONI same chook on KAMKIN, 1n November 1954, reflected the

crass-roferencing of his nano to

"Foreign Service Dispatch, Hong Konk

#402, 22i August 1952", the subjoct of which was "contact of Mr.

Verdondn|VASILEVIICH SAPELKIN with the Hong Kong Consulate Gonera]";

while results of a 1957 "f" check based on this sane "Foreign

Service Lispatch, Hong Kong #402, 22 August 1952, Secret",

reade an follo

MHS: SAPELKIN roported that he had recently

roceived various communications from & Whito Russian Irland of his,

Mr. Victor P. KAMKIN who was formerly head of the Russian Emigrants

Association 1n Tsingtao, China. Mr. KAMKIN left China early 1n

1949 and has resided in the United States sinco that timo.

Both

SAPELKIN and KAMKIN reportodly had cortain contacts with a Eugone

BORDENEV, Russian-speaking officer attached to tha A? Section of

the First Marino Division In Tlentain following the Japansso Surronder

1n 1945. Mr. KAMKIN has now writton to Hong Kong asking Mr.

SAPELKIN to supply cortein ocononic information on North China and

Manchuria for the use of the American Goverrment'. Mr. KAMKIN

Indicates that ho 1s involved in cortain Intelligonce activities."

Lin a lotter of 13 July 1950, offering his services to ONT, Subject

named GORDENEV as one who could "substantiate my work in China".

ONI advised CIA that their records contained so derogatory intor-

mation regarding Subject, but that ONI did not contemplate ut1112-

ing his servicon!

Subjoot's friend Myr. SAPELKIN" may well be Mr. Vendendn

diSPA

fulss Vasiliovitch SAPRIKIN, the Subject of Hong Kong Dispatch, 1402,

obtained, who In all probability is related to Mrs. KANKIN's brothor-in-lau,

Tothe

Semen I. SAPELKIN.

s individude.

MOS

Acoording to & 1955 RI chock conducted on ono Alexandos S.

114/60

ORIOFF for G-2, a report of 17 May 1950 advised that ORLOFF Twho

had boon described as an "Old Soviet worker") was closoly associated

with Vendanin Vasiliovitch SAPELKIN, an alloged Soviot agent at

the IRO Camp at Samar, P. I. As reported above, Mrs, KAMKIN' g

sister Nina and her husband Semen SAPELKIN were evacuated to Senar,

P. I., fron shanghai under IO auspices in April 1949.

Ventand Vasilleritch SAPILKIN's friend ORIOFF, according to

a raport of 8 April 1950, was alloged to have influenced a district

Joader of tho IRO Camp at Samar with pro-Soviot propaganda, and to

have worked with a number of othor pro-soviet Internoos in the camp

to Sovietize the Russian refugees interned there.

According to a

report dated 5 May 1950, ORIOFF allegedly was believed to bo a

Soviet agent. (The report noted that this information originated

In the IRO Camp in Samar; that much Information originating there

had proven unrollablo; and that the reliability of this particular

Information had not been determined.)

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SENDE

However this may be, It appears that thore could be much truth

in the allogations. Information in Security files roflects that

ORLOFF very possibly 1a identioal with & "Count ORLOFF of the

Russian Committes", (apparently a committoo of 14o), Who assisted

the Commercial Counselor for the Bulgarian Legation In securing

IRO employment for pne Bogdana OTTAI, a possible Sovlot agent in

Paris who was Ilving with and has engaged to marry KirlI VASSILEV,

who was bellevod to be an agent of the Bulgarian Military Intelligence

Servico.

"Count ORIOFF" also helped arrango OTTAI's entrance into

the Unitod Statos.

Alexander S. ORIOFF and "Count ORIOFF" may well

be Identical with Alaxander ORLOFT, DI-2881, a highly suspect

Individual of Fussian birth, and a former AMTORG employee who was

security disapproved by OSS in 1943. This latter individual, per

a 1943 OsS investigation, was known as "The Count".

A Docember 1954 Staff C memorandum regarding KAMIN, reported

that uneraluated Information dated 1 June 1948 indicated that ome

Victor Noj KAMKIN was Involved in a money printing transaction with

the Japanese; In which he used the machtnery of the Chihli Press

in Tient'sin to facilitato the counterfitting. The source of this

Information had pointed out the possibility that Victor N. KAMKIN

might be identified in some way with a V. P. KAMKIN who was named

as a charactor reforence by one Vladimir Vasily IVASHKOFF. (IVASHKOFF

was not identifiod. The memorandum advised that according to a

report datad I June 1948 from a U. S, Naval Attache, Nanlang, to

the American Anbassador, Nanking, V. No KAMKIN was a printer and

publisher in Shanghai and later was in charge of the Russian

Publishing House/ known as Nashe ZNANIE. He was closely associated

with Bornard S.HOGARD of the chihll press, who in turn was

associatod with alloged soviet espionago agent olga NakVAsIN.

According to the Staff C memorandum, a report from the FBI

dated Il August 1953 indicated that a source of unknown rellability

stated that one Victor KAMKIN, uho operated a book store as a

possible cover in Tientsin, China, acted as a pald Informer of

the Japanese during World War II; and was a paid Informer of U. So

Army Intolligence after the War.

With the assistance of the

American Mlitary Goverrent in Isingtao, China, he became Chairwan

of the fussian Immigrant Society in Tsingtao in 1948. There soems

small doubt that this Victor KAMKIN 1s Identical with Victor Nº

KAMKIN, and with Subjoct, Victor P. KAMKIN who was formerly head

of the Russian Immigrant Association in Tsingtao, Chine, accord-

1ng to his friend SAPELKIN, as reported in Hong Kong Dispatch

#402. Noto that Victor N. KAMKIN was in charge of a Russian

Publishing House in China known as Nashe Znania; and that the

ranch store Subject intended to open in San Francisco (and mas

hare opened) was also to be called Inando (this work 1n Russian

means "Knowlodga").

Bernard'S. ROGARD of the Chihll Pross, roferred to

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addo del fas

abovo as a close associato of Subject and also of alleged

Soviet espionage agent Olga NAKVASIN, i8 the subject

of SSD filo $ 35095. ROGARD is a Iormer U. S. Marino Whose

parents were Polish-born and who lived in China for

twenty years prior to roturning to tho United States 1n

1950. He allegodly was pro-soviet, 10: Ildiculod White

Russians who did not avail thenselves of Soviet citizon

ship made avallable to them hirod as Editor of his

Tiertsin Evering Journal, following its resumption oftor

the War, one Leonoff who was an employeo of TASS;

folloved a Communist inspired line in his newspaper;

and published without comment in his Ilentsin Evening

Journal a letter discrediting Americen Military Police

in ilentsin, comparing them unfavorably with Soviot

Military Polico In Harbin who were praised in glowing

termes etc.

ROGARD, "if used" by project pillai,

Ibragimoff ROGARD, #79069, had [learance for a

sensitive use on another Projectle

Mrs. ROGARD appears to have had olearances for ZH

responsible positions with Agency Cover Companies sinco

Various relatives of hers have in the past been

associated with the Agency. tre. RotArI appoara wo

have had much the same history as subject.

born in Russia of Russian-born parents, of Turko-Tartar

nationality, laft Russia in 1919 for Harbing Was

educated in Mukden and Tlentsin; and was amployed in

Tiontsin in various import-export firms, etc.

thorough study has been made of the ROGARDS' f1les.)

M. D. Stevens

OS: SRS:MDS8h10

- 5.

BRi

7599975199991!

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