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"The Illegals" - My Summer Reading Book

 If you think that I forgot about my blog, you are wrong. 

If you think that I don't write, you are wrong again. I am writing as never before but.. It is for my school homework. The subjects are between human rights and civil disobedience and cybersecurity and AI.


Beside writing I also read a lot but not what I really prefer.

But … one morning I was listening to an independent Russian YouTube channel, and heard about a book “The Illegals" by Shaun Walker.

I checked it out - my branch has a copy of the book. Too bad I don't have time to read! - I thought, until, still at work, I decided to flip through the pages. 


You cannot believe what I saw!


Page 283 “Students and professors filed into a cavernous hall inside the Tomsk state university library…” really?! Tomsk State University!

Well, I have never studied there. But this is the oldest university in Siberia and it’s located in my hometown!

Well, well, well. It’s getting curiouser and curiouser. I couldn’t resist and checked out the book.






Do you know what the word “illegals” defines for? Spies that were sent abroad on missions that could last for decades. 

In Shaun Walker's book “The Illegals: Russia's Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission to Infiltrate the West,” the term “illegals” refers to deep-cover Russian spies who live under false identities in foreign countries for years, or even decades, aiming to gather intelligence and influence events. This term differentiates them from spies operating under official diplomatic cover. 


It is like the Sergio Gor, who is  Director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel Management under US President Donald Trump. 

I am not going to write about him. But I am posting links where you can go and see different information about his birth. Or Google on your own. 


Anyway, even with little to no time I am reading the book. From the middle… nobody is perfect. The main character's first name is Elena -  no surprise at all. I had four Elenas in my class. The Elena from the book was about 7-10 years older than me. 

I have no idea when I will finish reading. On Monday I will get 3-4 assessments to write, and who knows how many articles to read before then.


But the book is definitely on my reading Wishlist! 

 

Happy Summer!








Click here to see A few more photos from Tomsk



Sources: 

https://www.occrp.org/en/news/exclusive-top-trump-advisor-sergio-gor-was-born-in-the-soviet-union

https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/143144/Sergio_Gor.html

https://www.thedailybeast.com/top-trump-aide-sergio-gor-finally-confirms-he-was-born-a-soviet-citizen/




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