Sergei Tretyakov, Russian Spy ‘Comrade J,’ Dead at 53
by Pete Earley
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I am sorry to announce that my good friend, Sergei Tretyakov, the subject of my book, Comrade J: The Untold Secrets of Russia’s Master Spy in America After the End of the Cold War, died unexpectedly on June 13th in his home with his wife, Helen.Sergei was 53.
Helen asked those of us who were his friends to not immediately reveal his death until an autopsy could be performed under the supervision of the FBI. She was concerned that Sergei’s former colleagues in Russia’s SVR, which replaced the KGB as Russia’s foreign intelligence service, might attempt to use his unexpected death for propaganda purposes.
I was told that the autopsy shows no evidence of foul play, according to an FBI official who spoke to me off-the-record. Helen told me that her husband died from massive cardiac arrest. The Associated Press is reporting that a final autospy report will be released in late July. In keeping with Russian Orthodox religious traditions, a private funeral was held on the third day after his death. On the ninth day, more than 200 people attended a private celebration of his life. The guests included close friends, neighbors and persons who had worked with him in the United States.
Sergei was called “the most important spy for the U.S. since the collapse of the Soviet Union” by an FBI official in my book. Unfortunately, because much of what he said is still being used by U. S. counter-intelligence officers, it will be years before the true extent of his contribution can be made public — if ever.
Sergei Olegovich Tretyakov was born Oct. 5, 1956 in Moscow and rose quickly through the ranks to become the second-in-command of the KGB in New York City between 1995 to 2000. As such, he oversaw all Russian spy operations against the US and its allies in New York City and within the United Nations.
When he defected on Oct. 11, 2000, with Helen and their daughter, Ksenia, the U.S. government took the family into hiding and during the next five years, they lived largely “off the grid.” It wasn’t until Comrade J was published and Sergei went on a book tour that his work both as a high-ranking KGB/SVR officer and U.S. operative was made public. It is thought that he spent at least three years working as a U.S. agent while he was still an SVR colonel in New York.
Sergei, Helen and their daughter became U.S. citizens after they defected and although some federal officials feared for their safety, Sergei lived openly under his own name without protection – although when he traveled overseas, he always had an FBI escort. Sergei was convinced that his U.S. citizenship protected him from the SVR, even though he continued to publicly criticize his former colleagues, especially President Vladimir Putin.
The recent arrests of eleven Russian “illegals” on June 28th by the FBI thrust Sergei’s name into the news once again. The fact that he was in charge of all covert operations in New York City when several of the illegals entered the country suggested that he was aware of their operations and quickly led to speculation that he had tipped-off the FBI about the ring.
However, on Thursday, a informed source told me that Sergei was not involved in the case. Sergei told U.S. officials when he was debriefed about Russian “illegal” operations, but he did not know the individuals who later were arrested, my source said.
I became close friends with Sergei and Helen while working on my book about their life and his career. They insisted that I stay with them in their home and during our weeks together, I witnessed first-hand how much he and Helen loved each other, their devotion to their daughter, and love for their new homeland. I also was delighted to discover that Helen was a gourmet cook!
Sergei dispelled many of the Hollywood stereotypes of a Russian agent. He was well-educated, fluent in three languages, quick-witted, personable and able to laugh at his own mistakes when he didn’t understand an American tradition or slang.
He proved to be a tireless worker when I interviewed him. He would speak for ten hours straight, often pacing back-and-forth, in the family room of his house as we discussed his career. He had a fabulous memory that he had sharpened as a KGB/SVR officer and he refused to speculate or exaggerate when he discussed KGB/SVR operations. He knew his enemies in Russia would use the slightest mistake to attack his credibility so he was scrupulous in what he said and the charges that he made.
Having written bestselling books about two American traitors, including John Walker Jr., and his Family of Spies,and Aldrich Ames, the CIA turncoat, I was struck at how different Sergei was from U.S. traitors. Walker and Ames were motivated by greed and money. Sergei did not need money. Upon his return to Russia from New York, he was due to be promoted to the rank of general, which would have guaranteed him a cushy retirement. He had assets in Moscow worth more than two million U.S. dollars – money that was stripped from him after he defected.
It was clear to me early on that he did not swtich sides for financial gain, but rather because he had lost faith in Russian leaders and he wanted a better life for his young daughter. He liked to say that he did not betray his homeland. Rather he and other ordinary citizens in Russia had been betrayed by Presidents Boris Yeltsin and Putin after the Soviet Union collapsed.
Neither Walker or Ames ever wanted to become Russian citizens, but Sergei and his family relished their U.S. citizenship. Sergei often told me that Americans were naive because they took freedoms for granted and did not understand how unique our lives here are compared to life in an oppressive nation, such as Russia whose leaders often silence their critics, especially those in the media, with a bullet.
One reason why I believe Sergei did not know about the 11 Russians who were arrested as illegals is because he did not hold back during our interviews in identifying persons whom he claimed were Russian spies.
Among the individuals identified in my book were a former member of the Canadian Parliament, a top-ranking verification expert at the International Atomic Energy Agency, and a former U.N. official who Sergei helped place in the Oil For Food Program. That UN official diverted a half billion US dollars of UN humanitarian relief to Moscow under both the Yeltsin and Putin administrations and was rewarded by Putin for the thefts. Sergei was disgusted by that thievery and said so.
In our interviews, he talked repeatedly about how Yeltsin had failed the Russian people by becoming a drunken stumble-bum who allowed Oligarchs to engorge themselves by stealing government property. He had similar harsh criticisms for Putin, whom Sergei described as an insignificant KGB officer who later as president surrounded himself with thugs. Their primary goal has been to enrich themselves, he charged.
Sergei asked me to write his story at the suggestion of a director in the British intelligence service. They were having dinner when my name was mentioned because the director had read my book about Aldrich Ames and had admired it. Sergei waived his rights to any advance money from the publisher and received less than $10,000 from the book’s sales even though it was a New York Times bestseller. Money was not his motive in telling his story.
Instead, he hoped to sound a wake-up call about Russia. He was fond of saying that the Cold War never ended. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the KGB had a list of three main adversaries: (1.) The United States (2.) NATO and (3.) China. After the KGB was disbanded and the SVR was formed, Sergei said a new edict came down announcing that the SVR had three main targets: (1.) The United States (2.) NATO and (3.) China.
“What changed?” he asked, laughing.
Those of us who were his friends will miss his sense of humor, his knowledge about Russia and KGB/SVR spy-craft, and his almost child-like love for his new country.
I was honored to write his life story and to call him my friend.
I will miss not hearing his voice when I call.
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I'll look forward to reading your book on Mr. Tretyakov.
Dear Mr. Earley,
Thanks for all your time and effort taken to write a book about
Sergei Tretyakov. I would enjoy purchasing a signed autographed
copy from you. In truth, I was shocked when I read in the newspaper
(here in Florida) that Sergei had died–and in further disbelief that
he was so famous (upon viewing the numerous Internet postings
on him.” I knew Sergei under completely different circumstances and cared for and miss the man, himself–very much–regardless
of his fame or history. Hopefully through your book I will learn
more about him to make up for years of losing touch with him.
I would like to meet his wife again (she does not live that far
from me where I presently take care of my 94 year old father since
his stroke, in Florida–except I don’t drive.) Sorry that your
Dateline interview was cut from public viewing. Best wishes to
you, Victoria Spain
Nice for you to get the scoop on the Associated Press, WTOP and the Washington Post. Now if only they would reference your site and blog in their articles.
Hi all, Pete would greatly appreciate it if you are writing a story on this or have read a story on this to let the author know to cite this post! It was reported here first. Please leave comments or send emails to help correct this.
Worthy, dignified he has been obviously. RIP. Shouldn't have travelled throughout the country and criticized openly and before public without precaution. Litvinenko was not very cautious, too, and contacted many people…
Russians would never dare to do anything to Sergei! If ANYTHING happened to my husband because of Russians, Russia would be excluded from the international community. Sergei was too well known. This would be much worse that Mr. Litvinenko’s scandal.
My husband died of a heart attack.
How about your family getting excluded from international community if something happened to someone because your traitorous husband?
As a Navy veteran, I find your comment repugnant.
Only trouble is, Mrs. T, is that the official autopsy report stated that he “choked on meat”.
I think that what Mr. Tretyakov did is not ethical…
He is a traitor just like Robert Hanssen…
Да, кстати, Дима Кеглев… Вы думаете, что Вам и Вашей семье ничего не угрожает? Подумайте!
КГБ, ЦРУ? И здесь, и там серьёзные ребята…
Наилучшие пожелания!
Лена
а чего мне и моей семье бояться? я секреты не продаю… ни чьи ни свои.. ни совей компаании.. а мой мой отец военный – никого не предал, служил честно.. двадцать пять лет армии отдал.. я думаю, наоборот, меня и мою семью уважают за честность и профессионализм и в ЦРУ и КГБ….
I'd like to hear you elaborate on this Keglevdima
Sure, as a professional intelligence officer he cannot disclose his sources of information and agents who he worked with… what he did is unethical… he is a traitor who sold government secrets for money. I have no respect for people like Tretyakov and Robert Hanssen.
Дима! Неужели Вы настолько слепы, что не понимаете что происходит в России?! Это же геноцид российского народа! Откройте Ваши глаза!
Мой муж сделал все что мог, и не за деньги! Он не мог больше служить этим преступникам и казнокрадам.
Я не обижаюсь на Вашу грубость, мне просто жаль Вас. Но я рада и горжусь, что многие Россияне уважают моего мужа.
С сомнительным, увы, уважением,
Лена Третьякова
а почему тогда ваш друг Питер говорит, что сергей был самым высокооплачиваемым агентов в истории фбр? кто-то из вас врет… сотрудники цру тоже не согласны бывают с правильством США, но на другую сторону не беребегают, а просто уходит в отставку и занимаются бизнесом… сергей мог поступить также…
интересный у вашего мужа был ответ на геноцид русского народа – пошел к американцем и секреты им продал и товарищей по работе сдал всех с потрохами)))) к предателям во всех странах и народах отношение одно – презрение… и с этим клемом они живут всю жизнь….
Are you an American? Sounds to me as if you are bitter. I Knew Sergei and that man and his family risked their lives in order to help our Country. I have never met anyone who was so Proud to be an American…Everyone who knew him,Loved him……He will be missed. Traitor I don't think so.
As My Friend Sergei would say about ignorant people…”You area Complete Idiot” Don't speculate on things you don't know.
I do not need to know anything. I am looking at this case from ethical poin of view…
He is a traitor and there are no questions about it. He broke a code of professional ethics. Former agents never reveal secrets. These are not their secrets; these secrets belong to the government. What he did is called state treason, if he did not like something about the government and Putin, he should have resided from intelligence service. People like Tretyakov, Hannsen, Walker and others are despised.
All systems are not equal. Communism is Godless and created by Jewish radicals to overthrow the Czar. The Orthodox Church was infiltrated from the inside. JPII was shot by a Russian agent. Stalin killed millions. World domination is still the goal “by hook or by crook”. Therefore, Tretyakov is a hero and you are misguided or a double agent or both.
Keglevdima, if that is really his name, is probably just a puppet for the Russian Agency that he works for. To this date there are many people in the Russian Government that hate Sergei for telling the truth about the rampant corruption in that country. One of our country's most famous patriots Thomas Jefferson said “the tree of liberty must be watered by the blood of tyrants”. Sergei was one of the few great men who stood up to the tyrants that were robbing his people, then the Russian people, of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
As a third generation American from Russian emigrants, my brothers and I were told countless times by my grandfather about where we came from and to “thank God you live in America”. The first thing my Grandfather did when he turned 18 was to sign up to fight for his new country in World War I. Was he a traitor to Russia? My father later fought for the US in World War II. He taught us of our Russian heritage but constantly reminded me and my brothers that we owe our lives and our futures to the freedom that this country has provided us. Was he a traitor to Russia as well?
I knew Sergei Tretyakov personally. I traveled with him on FBI lectures for almost two years lecturing by his side and often having dinners with him and his lovely wife Yelena and talking politics until the early hours of the following morning. Sergei was as great a critic of the incompetence he saw in the U.S. government as he was the corruption he saw in the Russian government. The one thing I always noted about Sergei was his honesty and consistency in applying the same rules to all which he examined. In openly criticizing what he saw wrong with U.S. he was exercising the same patriotism to advocate reform as he was when he defected and openly criticized the cruelty he witnessed in his former country.
Below are the words of condolence I sent to his family. People like Keglevdima may be incapable of being insightful and pragmatic enough to understand what Sergei did and why he did it but I am sure the vast majority of both Russians and Americans will respect him for having the courage to openly speak his mind and take action on issues that far too many were fearful to even mention in a whisper:
There are no words that I can offer to fill the shock and the void in our hearts for the loss of our great friend and my beloved brother Sergei.
There was a special connection I felt with him, in part because of our native heritage, in part because he was a brave soul who always spoke the truth no matter what the consequences and in part because we simply understood each other. He will always have my love, respect and admiration as one of those few great souls that you get the opportunity to meet in this world. Unfortunately we live today in a world filled with many heartless bureaucrats devoid of any soul. Sergei was a true personality, a true spirit, a man who lived by his own convictions and beliefs and did not compromise his integrity for any one or any thing. He was as my favorite President, Teddy Roosevelt, said in his poem “an uncommon man”. He will always be remembered by me and my son Max as such a man. Although he has passed his spirit will always live in our hearts.
With much love,
Brett Kingstone
Sergei´s Younger Brother and “Bloody Capitalist
Now how about
Now how about letting go of the jingoism and noting the obvious which is that Tretyakov is 1) a traitor to Russia and 2) a patriot to the US? Isn't that the typical pattern with all turncoats?
“Potato (toe)” “Potato (tahto)”. You say “swine”. I say “venizen”.
It is almost impossible to assess the character and career of the man
Sergei Tretyakov. He certainly worked against America for many years as
a career Gebist. He certainly was right to feel disgust about corruption in
Russia, but this existed also under the Soviets. In fact, it is said his own
mother bribed a doctor to overlook a heart problem which would have dis
qualified him from the KGB.
While as an American and former intelligence officer myself, I applaud
any and all Russian defectors, it is unclear to me how Tretyakov's de-
fection and later cooperation with our government helped Russia. I would
suggest that, had he all the assets suggested, he could have returned to
Russia and, after resigning, written and spoke and even run for office, to promote a better Russia. But having defected, an act which then made it impossible to return to Russia and not face consequences, once
the truth inevitably came out, he ended up helping America; he did not necessarily help his native country.
And, finally, unless I missed something, as I did not know the man, was
he also concerned about freedom and democracy and rule of law in Russia?
Just some thoughts,
Old Nick
New York
KeglevDima – просто гебешный хуесос.