Elena Vavilova (aka Tracey Lee Ann Foley) was a KGB/SVR illegal
intelligence officer based in Canada, France, and the United States. Together with her
husband Andrey Bezrukov (aka Donald Heathfield) and eight other Russian
intelligence officers, she was arrested in the FBI Operation Ghost Stories in
June 2010 and later exchanged in a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia.
The Russian humanitarian prize “Na Blago Mira” [For the Good
of the World] website published this exclusive, lengthy interview of Elena
Vavilova on May 26, 2020. Below is my English translation available only on
this blog.
Zoya Bardina: For the Good of the Homeland. On the Centenary of Russia’s
Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR): Interview with Elena Vavilova
Na Blago Mira May 26, 2020
A new book by the retired foreign intelligence officer,
Colonel of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Elena Vavilova The
Encrypted Heart was released recently, and the book presentation was held
in the TASS Press Center. This is an intriguing novel from the book series “Female
Intelligence Officer. My Undercover Life.” The “Na Blago Mira” Prize website
publishes this exclusive interview with Vavilova, conducted by a friend of the
Prize, journalist Zoya Bardina.
In this conversation, Elena Stanislavovna [Vavilova] talked
about the significant events and experiences in her life and her forgiveness of
betrayal.
- Elena Stanislavovna, what did you dream about as a child?
Do you still have the same dreams?
- In childhood, everyone dreams of having an interesting
occupation. I wanted to be an actress, or a ballerina, art attracted me. I went
to a music school, studied ballet, and saw myself on stage. I tried to enroll at
the Theater Institute in Leningrad and major in art criticism but was not
successful. I returned to my native Tomsk and enrolled as a history major. Of
course, that’s the humanities, but still not too far removed from art.
As a student at the university, like so many young people, I reflected
on the meaning of life, on my life mission, which I think is important for every
person. Most likely, it was a search for [a deeper] meaning in life - why we
live and what we can do to bring good things into the world. For me, this was
connected to improving life in our country and a desire to prevent military
conflicts. When I ended up in foreign intelligence by chance, it seemed to me
that this was exactly the profession where I could realize my desire - to
contribute to peace in the world.
It was no longer a dream, but a reality. And I was a
[practical] realist and understood that in life you needed to work hard in
order to achieve something.
I dreamed of being successful, and I still do. Successful in
terms of constantly developing myself and of accomplishing something concrete.
If that something is to study, it means to study well, to be enthusiastic. To have
an active position in life, to make efforts to be [even] better, to constantly
develop yourself and never stop.
When I was at university, I worked in a student newspaper. I
had a genuine curiosity for life and all its manifestations. I wanted to write
articles about what is going on around us. Yes, I wanted to be socially active
and take the initiative instead of waiting for someone to come and present
everything on a silver platter. Efficiency and constant development - this was
the main thing in my life.
- What talents and abilities did you want to develop?
- First of all, I wanted to have a distinguished place in
society, to have a distinguished profession. When I studied, I dreamed of doing
scientific work. I wanted to learn as much as possible and contribute to the
scientific community. At that time, I thought in terms of being a historian.
Then my life went in a different direction. But the desire to use my potential,
given to me from birth by God, parents, genetics, was always there. I wanted to
use it to do good for myself, my family and the society as a whole.
- What values did your parents instill in you?
- My parents, my mom and dad, worked as scientists and professors.
They were highly educated. In addition to their professional careers, they knew
a lot about art and music, especially my dad who played several instruments. They
tried to instill in me the curiosity and interest in my surroundings. We
traveled a lot around the country, in the [other former] republics of the Soviet
Union. My parents wanted to show me different cities, the lifestyles of different
people, so that I understand and appreciate the diversity of our country. They
also instilled in me universal human values - kindness, helping other people. I
learned a lot from their example, how they treated others, their parents, who
were already elderly. Our family was very tightly knit. This was a great
example for me of a positive outlook on life and the value of mutual support within
a family. My mom Svetlana Konstantinovna and my dad Stanislav Platonovich have
lived together for 57 years. The strength of my parents’ marriage was also a
great example.
- And your parents were not offended by the fact that you would
not tell them too much about 25 years of your life, about your secret work?
- No, they were not. They knew that we were telling them as
much as we could. They didn’t know anything else. But this was a necessity.
First, to protect them from unnecessary worries, concerns and thoughts about
what was happening to us, about where we were. It was a kind of protection for
their emotional health. Over time, they got used to the fact that there was a
certain secret veil, a secret life, and even if they didn’t understand
everything, they tried not to ask too much. At an earlier time, my dad worked
as a physicist in a closed institute where he was not allowed to talk about the
research being conducted. My parents believed that our work was associated with
certain sociological studies that were to be kept secret. Therefore, they didn’t
ask too many questions. From time to time, we would come to Russia on vacation
and meet with them. They saw that we were joyful, healthy, lived well, had
children. This reassured them.
- Did your own beliefs and life principle change over time?
- As in the case of any other person, my character developed
over time. Some personality traits became more pronounced, I noticed some
shortcomings and worked to eliminate them. I think that it is useful for each
person to try to balance his personality.
For example, let’s take one of my character traits that
people notice. They tell me that I am too generous and that I care too much
about other people, forgetting about myself. For me, this is the norm, this is my
life-long attitude, and it has been so since my youth. I have always wanted to
help as much as I could. This character trait was also manifested when I worked
abroad. Everyone considered me attentive, always ready to come to anybody’s
rescue. I believe that a person should give as much as possible to those close
to him. I was never an egoist. It was the same with the upbringing of children.
I was always ready to do anything for them, often to the detriment of myself.
Maybe it was necessary to have more balance and reduce my zeal? But I just
couldn’t do it. My husband Andrey is a bit different, he is more rational in
this sense.
I believe that everyone should do his part for the betterment
of society. This for me is the most important thing, the foundation on which I
built my life.
- Why did you give your book the title A Woman Who Can
Keep Secrets? Can a woman really keep secrets?
- I wanted the title to attract the reader, and not only
women, but also men. Of course, women can keep secrets, if necessary, despite
the fact that they are more emotional, and the perceptions of the outside world
affect them more strongly. On the other hand, it’s more difficult for us to
restrain our feelings. For example, I can cry easily, I worry more. But I also
consciously agreed to do a difficult job. And keeping secrets was the key thing
for my security, for my success. Because if I were a loudmouth and shared my secrets
with everyone, I wouldn’t last in my job. I think this may be more of a male
character trait, but I have it. Interestingly, when I was a child, I loved playing
boys’ games.
Of course, when I lived abroad, I behaved like an ordinary
woman: I liked to chat with other women over a cup of coffee. We talked about
everyday topics, most of all about parenting. I was more open to such
conversations than my husband, who, from the outside, seemed introverted and a
man of few words.
I usually get along with people more easily because I am more
emotional and attentive to another person’s moods. But, when necessary, I can
keep any secrets.
- By the way, intelligence profession is not the only one where
women work and keep secrets.
- True, there are women who worked in the military, women who
are scientists whose work is classified. A person usually chooses a profession based
on his character traits and abilities.
- You and your husband lived under false names for many years.
What are your feelings about that?
- For the sake of dynamism in the plot of my book, I had us change
our names twice. But, in real life, we used the same names from the beginning.
The work of illegal intelligence officers requires [using false names]; it is
one of the methods of our work.
- When emotions reach their peak, it is difficult to restrain
oneself and not say something in one’s own language. How did you and your husband
deal with this?
- This wasn’t difficult. We consciously, and by the exertion
of willpower, avoided speaking our native language. We understood that in order
to do our work successfully and safely, we had to learn to abstract ourselves
from our previous lives and to believe that we were now people with different
names. Over time, when we called each other using these names, we ourselves internally
felt like different people. But interestingly, in the family circle, we still
avoided these names when we called each other and replaced them with neutral expressions,
such as “dear.” Even our children, when they were little, thought “Hmm. What’s my mom’s or my dad’s name?” They did
not hear them at home too often.
- Your marriage with Andrey and your children – is that
something fated from above? Do you have a strong marriage?
- Yes, of course. First, it is based on mutual feelings,
love, respect, trust in each other. Moreover, our work in common brought us together
even more and helped us avoid serious disagreements. We tried not to exaggerate
household troubles and disputes that would inevitably happen. We are normal
people and nothing human is alien to us. Of course, we first got to know each
other while we were here, then we left, and our work and life abroad bound us
together even more. After all, we could not share anything about our work with
anybody else. It was just two of us. Quarreling over minor issues would be
foolish; we would lose even the mutual support. We understood that we were
dependent on each other and this helped us. I think that our marriage is
sanctified from above, especially since we had to marry twice in connection
with our [intelligence] assignment. First, we got married as students in the Tomsk
Registry Office, and then in the city hall of the city where we lived abroad
under different names.
- Do you and Andrey complement each other and feel as one?
- Yes, we do. We have been together for 37 years.
- [When you were abroad] you sang psalms, Christian hymns,
communicated with a priest. Did this have an impact on you?
- Yes, of course. When you immerse yourself in the church
atmosphere, then it inevitably gets into you. I sang in Latin and French, I deeply
felt and understood the meaning of those words. For me it was an epiphany, an interesting
inner emotional state. It led me to thinking that there is some grand principle
that guides our life on earth. I very much enjoyed my participation in the church
choir.
- Were you allowed to express your religious affiliation?
- Initially, we were trained as Catholics. According to the
identity documents that I used, my family was Catholic, as evidenced by the
entry in the church registry. It was assumed that I was baptized. We went to
church, we talked with the priest and other believers, we participated in
Christian holidays and the holiday prayer. We knew all the rites very well. Of
course, when you participate in prayers, you come into contact with spirituality,
and God's peace comes into you. I think that was a positive thing for us - the
opportunity to go to church there. It helped us to be calm and relaxed and provided
us with balance.
- What was the main thing for you as parents in your
children’s upbringing?
- I believe that parents should raise children by being their
role models. I thought it was important what they saw that we were doing. Using
our behavior as a model, we tried to instill in them discipline and
responsibility for what they do. For example, to keep their promises, to do
everything on time. To be generous, to help those who have had fewer
opportunities, who may be lacking in some way. To be open to accept people of
different nationalities and religions. That was important. I think we were
successful. Our sons are quite tolerant and responsible young people. The
oldest Timofey is already 29, the youngest Alexander is 25. We wanted to give them
such names so that they sounded good both in Russian and English. Timothy – Tim
and Alexander - Alex sound the same in many languages. They majored in finance
and are employed in the financial sector. The older son is married.
- You and your spouse received a very good education abroad.
- Yes, especially Andrey. After the children were born, I
became a stay-at-home mom. Without top education, especially in the case of Andrey,
it was difficult for us to carry out our [intelligence] assignments. We needed
to assimilate and take up the positions of higher social status. In order to
accomplish this, Andrey graduated from several universities. He graduated from his
first [Western] university in Canada, then in France, and then in the United
States, where we lived for ten years. We actually came to the U.S. just so he
could receive another diploma, which was quite prestigious [Harvard Kennedy
School]. After graduation, he worked as a consultant on business development
strategies. He was interested in the projects of planning the future.
- What differences did you notice between Russia and the U.S.?
- In our country, there are a lot of gifted people. Our
nation is talented. Our history is quite long and complicated compared to the
U.S. Their state is young and was formed by the emigrants who arrived with
their own culture and their own traditions. In order to unite them, one
fundamental idea was needed and that was democracy. American political
institutions were created in order to unite the people of different cultures
into one community with its own rules. Russia is different. During the long
history of the existence of our state, we had to go through serious trials and
tribulations. We went through quite a lot. As a nation, we are more profound.
- What helped you and Andrey when you were on the verge of being
exposed [or] had to make some tough decisions?
- First, we believed in what we were doing and in the
benefits that our work was providing for our country. We used the personal
qualities that we had; mostly, our willpower. I believe that our profession is
a bit similar to being a monk when people renounce the things widely available
to any ordinary person. Monks deny themselves many things to focus on what is
important to them – the faith in God. We did the same. We believed that what we
were doing was important for our country. This is what we lived for. All other things
fade away when you are doing a good deed. Of course, we could not communicate
with our parents, we could not write them letters. There were no native Russian
people around us or former friends. These were the limitations that we had to overcome.
But we understood that we were doing an important service. Remember, even the
word patriotism itself came from the Latin “patrio,” which means Fatherland,
Homeland. And our profession is grounded in patriotism. This is the main thing.
If a person is not a patriot, then he will not be able to work as an
intelligence officer. And love for the Motherland, for the Fatherland, for the
people, the desire to help those who are close - these are our spiritual
values. It turns out that, in fact, our service is grounded in the spiritual
commitment. In our case, serving our Fatherland in the broadest sense is
serving the people who inhabit our country. For each of us, the Homeland begins
with a family in which a small child learns the first words and gradually
realizes that his family is his help and protection.
We served the Homeland so that our nation would be strong and
that the families of our multinational country would live peacefully without incidents,
wars, and conflicts. Peace must be protected. We considered ourselves the fighters
of the invisible front. I resolved the question about the meaning and purpose
of life; I found the answer I was looking for. For me, this answer was
expressed in the service to my country.
- What are the most important qualities of a patriot? And what
if the nation is deified?
- If this is the U.S. or German-style patriotism, then yes,
the deification of the nation is evident. [They claim] we are the best in the
world. This of course is an exaggeration. In my understanding, patriotism is
love and devotion to one’s country. Patriots are people who love their homeland.
And the homeland must be identified with the place of birth, with the people
who inhabit your country. Patriotism, fanaticism, and nationalism are not the
same thing. Fanaticism and nationalism destroy. True patriotism lies in one’s fidelity
to the Fatherland and the desire to make it better, to work towards that.
- Using the experiences you gained in your work, can you see
through a person?
- Very often. First, it comes with practice. If you work with
people, you develop an understanding of human psychology. I can determine the
character of a person by his manners and by what he says. I can find out
people’s beliefs after a short communication. Getting to know what makes people
tick is very interesting. When I was abroad, I constantly studied and deepened
the knowledge that I began to acquire in my youth in the fields of philosophy
and psychology. All this helped me understand the people, mainly foreigners,
who were around us. Their way of thinking was different from ours. Even now, I
involuntarily make an internal assessment of the person who I am talking to. It’s
like a teacher who immediately sees what his new class will be like, who will
be an exemplary student and who will cause trouble. Such knowledge comes with
experience.
- Does it help in everyday life?
- Yes, of course. I also use female intuition. Sometimes I
can’t explain why there is something in a person I like while, at the same
time, there is something I dislike. I rely on intuition. This helps me to find
the right approach. In my work abroad, it was necessary to be attentive to how
the other person responded to certain words and actions. Intuition is very
useful in everyday life, in your job, with your colleagues.
- What are you doing now?
- At this time, I work in a private company. I am engaged in
analytical work and research competitive business intelligence. So, my analytic
experience came in handy. I try to be of service.
- You now have your own team of work associates.
- Yes, and I am glad. When we arrived in Russia after many
years of absence, we had no acquaintances and friends. We had to start all over
again. This is where our qualities and experience came in handy again, now in
our own country. Gradually, we found a group of people with whom it’s great to
keep in touch.
I was lucky with my current colleagues. They are supportive
and communicative, which is very important. Over time, I integrated myself
successfully in a company not related to my former professional activities and
found new friends. Now, my husband and I feel like ordinary people. Maybe our
friendships are all quite new, but there is already a lot of depth. We are happy
that we met a lot of interesting people in Russia from different walks of life,
different ages, and different belief systems.
- Who do you become friends with?
- People with whom we share similar interests and beliefs, people
with whom it’s a pleasure to communicate, people with whom we have something to
talk about. These are the people in front of whom you don’t have to pretend,
but you can be sincere. They accept you as you are. This is important so that
there is no unnecessary tension.
- Do you still feel any pain from the betrayal by your [former]
mentor?
- Yes, he was our boss, the person we would meet and plan our
work with. Unfortunately, he turned out to be an important figure in our
service. In fact, he betrayed not only us personally and our colleagues (more
than 10 people), but also the service itself, everything that many people
worked for while not sparing themselves. That is the worst of all. He revealed a lot
of information about how our work is organized, what methods we use in
intelligence work. He caused a lot of damage to the entire service. I believe
that each person is responsible for his own soul. The man who once betrayed is
unlikely to find peace, his soul will never be able to calm down. As the Bible
says, “what is the point if a man gains the whole world, but damages his
soul?” Why betray someone, wanting to gain the whole world, if the soul will be
injured and damaged?! That’s what I think. After his deed was done, he fled to
another country and lives in a foreign land. If, of course, he is still alive because
that’s not certain. There have been different rumors. But if he is alive, then
his soul is not at peace. Because betrayal is a serious sin.
- Have you forgiven him?
- I think you can say that. After all, there is no reason to
hold it inside yourself, and you need to forgive. And he will have his own judgment
day. Judas was such a traitor to Christ! And how did he end his life?! The
theme of betrayal is elaborated well in the Bible, for example, through the
Pharisees who betrayed Christ.
- How has our country changed?
- The Soviet Union we lived in and left from was an atheist
society. When we returned to Russia, we saw that a lot has changed, that
religion, the church has gradually returned. And it is impressive, a large
number of believers and traditions that have been spiritually revived. After
all, religion has played an important role in our history. Dostoevsky said that
the human soul is Christian by nature. The spiritual principle has returned to
us. In other countries, I saw how religion is harmoniously intertwined with the
rest of society. Now we have that here as well, and that is positive.
- Your new book The Encrypted Heart has been released,
congratulations! What are the highlights of your new novel?
- Thank you for your compliment! The novel is written on a
more up-to-date topic, but it is based on my thoughts, feelings, and
experience. In my books, I try to focus on the role and position of women in
intelligence, because that’s what is missing in our literary community. I
wanted to show somebody who is our contemporary and works in such a complex
profession as intelligence.
- Your wishes for our society as a whole?
- I would like to wish love to all people. This is a
fundamental trait that we all need and a feeling that each of us experiences
one way or another. I would also like to wish more self-assurance to everybody
to believe that life will be better, that our society will become more humane
and just. You need to have faith in your own family. I wish for people to find
their soulmates and have strong marriages. To have more children because
children are a joy. I wish everyone to find their right path in life and be
happy.
- Does a person need faith in God?
- Of course, a person needs faith in God. It inspires us,
calms us, rescues us. I wish everyone to find faith in God and walk the earthly
path until we ascend to Heaven with God's help.
