Mitrokhin Archive

The Mitrokhin Archive comprises over 25,000 pages of handwritten notes and documents copied by Vasili Mitrokhin, a senior archivist in the KGB's foreign intelligence directorate, who secretly compiled this material over thirty years while maintaining access to the most sensitive Soviet intelligence files. Mitrokhin defected to British intelligence in 1992, bringing with him the most comprehensive collection of Soviet espionage secrets ever obtained by Western intelligence.

Mitrokhin's material documented Soviet intelligence operations spanning from the 1930s through the 1980s, including the identities of deep-cover agents, code names, operational methods, and detailed accounts of major espionage cases. The archive revealed the extent of Soviet penetration into Western governments, including previously unknown agents in Britain, France, Germany, and other NATO countries.

The British Secret Intelligence Service authenticated the documents and shared selected information with allied intelligence agencies. Publications based on the archive, particularly "The Sword and the Shield" by Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, exposed numerous Soviet agents and operations, leading to investigations and prosecutions in multiple countries.

The Mitrokhin Archive represents one of the most significant intelligence breaches in history, providing unprecedented insight into Soviet espionage methods and confirming the scope of KGB foreign operations during the Cold War. The material continues to be studied by historians and intelligence analysts, offering detailed documentation of previously suspected but unproven Soviet intelligence activities across the globe.