Soviet Defectors Database

Welcome to the comprehensive database dedicated to the study of intelligence and state security officer defectors from the Soviet Union. This database serves as a resource for scholars, researchers, and enthusiasts seeking to understand the stories and revelations of individuals who made the choice to defect from the Soviet Union during its tumultuous existence.

Each person listed in this database worked at some point in their career as a full-time Soviet intelligence or state security officer, and each defected from that employment to another country. This installment covers 121 individuals who defected between 1924 and 1954.

The groups of defectors currently in the database include:

Early Defectors—1924–1930 (18)
Yezhovshchina Era—1937–1940 (8)
WWII Era—1941–1946 (58)
Early Cold War—1947–1951 (25)
Post Stalin Purge—1953–1954 (12)

Further individuals whose defections occurred after 1954 will be added in the future. You can also browse the complete A–Z index, or read how the database was compiled.