This also was the case with the hollow nickel. [68] For the sake of its own reputation it suited the KGB to portray "Abel's" nine years of being an undetected agent in the United States as a triumph by a dedicated NKVD member. After handing back Kayotis's passport and documents, Fisher assumed the name Goldfus. In 1949, Hyhnen freely obtained Maki's birth certificate. They were not convinced he might actually be a Russian spy until he produced a hollow Finnish 5-mark coin. He moved to Russia in the 1920s, and served in the Soviet military before undertaking foreign service as a radio operator in Soviet intelligence in the late 1920s and early 30s. Full information concerning Rhodes involvement in Russian espionage was disseminated to the Army; and following a court-martial, he was sentenced to serve five years at hard labor.). Roughly halfway through his journey, he was shot down over Sverdlovsk in the Ural Mountains. READ MORE:The Spy Who Kept the Cold War From Boiling Over. On May 7, the United States acknowledged that the U-2 had probably flown over Soviet territory but denied that it had authorized the mission. A lady answered the door. They carefully wrapped the nickel and microphotograph for shipment to the FBI Laboratory. After completing a two-year stint with a radio battalion of the Red Army, he joined the OGPU security agency in 1927. [28] Members of the network had stopped cooperating after postwar security was tightened at Los Alamos. It had been hollowed out, and there was a small hole in the first a of the word Tasavalta which appeared on the tail side of this coin. [43] In January 1957, Hyhnen received a message from Moscow promoting him to Lieutenant Colonel and granting him leave in the Soviet Union. One year laterJuly 28, 1952a passport was issued to Hayhanen as Eugene Maki at Helsinki. Although he refused to discuss his intelligence activities, the photo studio and hotel room which he occupied were virtual museums of modern espionage equipment. The exchange took place on the Glienicke Bridge that linked West Berlin with Potsdam, which became famous during the Cold War as the "Bridge of Spies". In particular, he became a friend of Burton Silverman. The Soviet spy, Rudolf Abel, has written a note to James B. Donovan, his courtappointed defender in a 1957 espionage trial . Hayhanen had proved a poor spy during his five years in the United States and was being recalled to the USSR, where he feared he would be disciplined. The detective, in turn, gave the coin to the FBI. The real Andrew Kayotis was Lithuanian born and had become an American citizen after migrating to the United States. [49], In April 1957, Fisher told his artist friends he was going south on a seven-week vacation. Letters subsequently received from him indicated that he was in a Lithuanian hospital. On July 3, 1951, Hayhanenthen living in Turku, Finlandvisited the United States Legation in Helsinki. It is known he occasionally drew attention to himself by indulging in heavy drinking sessions and heated arguments with his Finnish wife Hannah. He also checked a dead-drop location he had memorized. Among the tenants was one Emil R. Goldfus, a photographer who had operated a studio on the fifth floor since January, 1954and who also had formerly rented a fifth-floor storage room there. [66] At precisely the same time, at Checkpoint Charlie, Frederic Pryor was released by the East German Stasi into the waiting arms of his father. By a five-to-four decision which was handed down on March 28, 1960, the Supreme Court upheld the conviction of this Russian spy. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Emil Goldfus was Rudolf Ivanovich Abel, a brilliant Soviet spy who was fluent in at least five languages and an expert at the technical requirements of espionage. This page was last edited on 16 April 2023, at 19:55. In his studio, FBI investigators found a hollow pencil used for concealing messages, a shaving brush containing microfilm, a code book, and radio transmitting equipment. The Irish American New York lawyer who defended a Russian spy, and negotiated on behalf of the thousands of prisoners captured after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, is remembered by his daughter Jan. It can often appear that the lives of individuals depicted on the silver screen are too fantastic to be real. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Since the FBI Laboratory maintains a reference file concerning typewriters manufactured in the United States, a foreign-made typewriter undoubtedly was involved. economics. The Cohens were quickly spirited to Mexico before moving on to Moscow. His primary objective was to identify anti-Soviet elements among the intelligentsia. Hayhanen obtained the impression that Mikhail was a Soviet diplomatic officialpossibly attached to the embassy or the United Nations. Yes, they remembered Jimmy; but, if either had given him a hollow nickel, it was entirely unintentional. Despite his modest background, Hayhanen was an honor student and, in 1939, obtained the equivalent of a certificate to teach high school. In 1970, he published a book, Operation Overflight, about the incident and in 1977 was killed in the crash of a helicopter that he flew as a reporter for a Los Angeles television station. 26. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. FBI mugshot of William August Fisher, a.k.a. The newsboy quickly counted the coins in his pocket. [4] He served just over four years of his sentence before he was exchanged for captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers. During this period, FBI agents discreetly tied together the loose ends of the investigation, matters which had to be resolved before this Russian intelligence officer could be taken into custody. The case, which had made international headlines and turned James Donovan into a public pariah, faded into obscurity. They were to resurface in the United Kingdom using the identities of Peter and Helen Kroger. Donovan is widely known for negotiating the 1960-1962 exchange of captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers and American student Frederic Pryor for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, and for negotiating the 1962 release and return of 9,703 prisoners held by Cuba after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion. They contained shortwave radios, cipher pads, cameras and film for producing microdots, a hollow shaving brush, cuff links, and numerous other trick containers. Goldfus's birth certificate was obtained by the NKVD at the end of the Spanish Civil War, when the Centre would collect identity documents from International Brigades members for use in espionage operations. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rudolf-Abel, Federal Bureau of Investigation - Biography of Rudolph Ivanovich Abel, Rudolf Abel - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). This was the first time, however, that the FBI had ever encountered a nickel quite like this one. While studying in Berlin during the partition of the city in 1961, he was imprisoned in East Germany for six months, then released in a Cold War "spy swap" that also involved downed American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers.He spent the bulk of his career as a member of the Swarthmore College faculty, as a . As a precaution, Fisher was ordered to leave the United States. [21] During his interview with the OGPU, it was determined he should adopt a Russian-sounding name and William August Fisher became Vilyam Genrikhovich Fisher. It was composed of copper-silver alloy, there being a shortage of nickel during World War II. In August, Powers pleaded guilty to espionage charges in Moscow and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonmentthree in prison and seven in a prison colony. They could shed no light on the case. She was to join him in the United States on February 20, 1953four months after his arrival here. An official website of the United States government. From the fall of 1952 until early in 1954, he said, Mikhail served as his espionage superior in New York. You can navigate days by using left and right arrows. WE CONGRATULATE YOU ON A SAFE ARRIVAL. Best Known For: Soviet spy William Fisher, a.k.a. Verified answer. Count One (Conspiracy to transmit defense information to the Soviet Union), 30 years imprisonment. From the long list of possible suspects, the most logical candidate appeared to be Mikhail Nikolaevich Svirin. Neither of these pennies, nor the assortment of other coins which the Laboratory examined, was found to have tool markings or other distinguishing features to identify it with the newsboys 1948 Jefferson nickel. WE CONFIRM THE RECEIPT OF YOUR LETTER TO THE ADDRESS `V REPEAT V AND THE READING OF LETTER NUMBER 1.2. (2001). [7] Revolutionaries of the Tsarist era, his father was of German origins and his mother was of Russian descent. Bridge of Spies is the best. It felt lighter than an ordinary nickel. [43], By early 1957, Fisher had lost patience with Hyhnen and demanded that Moscow recall his deputy. At 6:50 p.m., this man departed on footthe agents, certain their presence had not been detected, chose to wait rather than take a chance of trailing the wrong man. In 1948, a well-trained Soviet intelligence agent arrived in the United States. The certificate in the name of Collins was a forgery. He died in 1971. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. I left Estonia for Finland in June 1943, and have resided here for the reason that I have no funds with which to pay my transportation to the United States.. A member of the OGPU's "illegals" division, Fisher spent several years training operatives in radio work throughout Europe. The agents long hours of patience were rewarded on the night of June 13, 1957. [29], In 1950, Fisher's illegal residency was endangered by the arrest of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, for whom Lona Cohen had been a courier. And both coins had a small hole in one printed letter so that a sharp-pointed instrument, such as a needle, could be used to open them. Sudoplatov later described this operation as "the most successful radio deception game of the war". During the FBIs extensive interviews with him, in May 1957 Hayhanen was carefully questioned regarding the codes and cryptosystems which he had used in the various Soviet intelligence agencies he had served since 1939. The Soviet intelligence officer Alexander Belov appeared before readers as some sort of James Bond modification, with adventurous antics and immoral acts. A search of his Brooklyn studio uncovered a hollow pencil used for concealing messages, a code book, radio transmitting equipment and phony identifications. [2][37][38], Late in 1953, Fisher moved to Brooklyn and rented a room in a boarding house on Hicks Street. He displayed a birth certificate from the state of Idaho which showed that he was born in Enaville on May 30, 1919, and, in the presence of a Vice Consul, he executed an affidavit in which he explained that his family had left the United States in 1928: I accompanied my mother to Estonia when I was eight years of age and resided with her until her death in 1941. From the latter part of August 1952 until April 1954, he had served as the first secretary to the Soviet United Nations Delegation in New York. The agents immediately suspected that they had found a coded espionage message. The myth of the master spy Rudolf Abel replaced the reality of Fisher's illegal residency, even as the party hierarchy was well aware that Fisher had achieved nothing of real significance. To an embassy official, the Russian espionage agent explained, Im an officer in the Soviet intelligence service. FBI Laboratory experts examined this Finnish coin on May 17, 1957. Since he had studied the Finnish language and was very proficient in its use, Hayhanen was assigned as an interpreter to an NKVD group and sent to the combat zone to translate captured documents and interrogate prisoners during the Finnish-Soviet war. [37] For six months Hyhnen checked the thumbtack and no one had made contact. 27. Count Three (Conspiracy to act in the United States as an agent of a foreign government without notification to the Secretary of State), five years imprisonment and $1,000 fine. The orderly became Abel's confidante, Ignashiev said, and the colonel told him that his real name was not Rudolf Abel but William Fisher. . He also must be identified. Arrested by the Immigration and Naturalization Service on an alien warrant based upon his illegal entry into the United States and failure to register as an alien, Mark displayed a defiant attitude. The moment his eyes fell upon a picture of Mikhail Nikolaevich Svirin, Hayhanen straightened up in his chair and announced, Thats the one. [2][50], On 15 June 1957, Hyhnen was shown a photograph of Fisher taken by the FBI with a hidden camera. [37] Fisher was disturbed by Hyhnen's lack of work ethics and his obsession with alcohol. At the time he related this information to FBI agents in May 1957, Hayhanen could not remember the Army sergeants name. It is an absolute necessity. After decorated service as an intelligence operative during World War II, Abel assumed a false identity and entered an East German refugee camp where he successfully applied for the right to immigrate to Canada. Operating as a Soviet spy in New York City, he was imprisoned for espionage following a high-profile trial in 1957. Fisher could not leave the country as Martin Collins, Emil Goldfus, or even the long-forgotten Andrew Kayotis. As a member of a Soviet spy ring operating on American soil, Hyhnen came under the FBI's jurisdiction and they began verifying his story. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Fisher was aware of the "tail" but, as he had no passport to leave the country, he devised a plan to be used upon his capture. IT IS TOO EARLY TO SEND YOU THE GAMMAS. [58], As Fisher was no longer considered an alleged illegal alien, but rather an alleged spy, he was flown from Texas to New York on 7 August 1957, to answer the indictment. The surveillance continued on "MARK" and, on the night of 13 June, a light was seen to go on in Fisher's studio at 10:00 pm. [32][69], After his return to Moscow, Fisher was employed by the Illegals Directorate of the KGB's First Chief Directorate, giving speeches and lecturing school children on intelligence work, but became increasingly disillusioned. His parents were peasants. His son, born in England and going to Russia with his father, joined the Soviet intelligence and security agency GPU (the predecessor of the KGB) in 1927 and operated in western European countries and the Soviet Union in the next two decades. According to the lieutenant general of the Foreign Intelligence V. G. Pavlov: The very first chapter of the novel, called The Shield and the Sword, aroused categorical objections from me and R. I. Abel. Yet, the relentless search to identify the person who had brought the hollow nickel to New York, as well as the person for whom the coded message was intended, continued. In a jealous rage, Cain murdered Abel. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Rudolf Abel, Birth Year: 1903, Birth date: July 11, 1903, Birth City: Newcastle Upon Tyne, Birth Country: England. While in Moscow, Fisher informed his superiors of his dissatisfaction with Hyhnen. One ( Conspiracy to transmit defense information to FBI agents in may,! 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