10 Facts About Mikhail Lyubimov

Mikhail Petrovich Lyubimov is a Russian novelist and retired colonel in the KGB.

Mikhail Lyubimov served as spymaster and head of the KGB stations in the United Kingdom and Denmark during the Cold War.

Mikhail Lyubimov then attended the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, graduating in 1958.

Mikhail Lyubimov wrote a doctoral thesis titled English National Character and Its Use in Operational Work.

Two years later, Mikhail Lyubimov went to the United Kingdom, where he worked in the Soviet residency in London as Second Secretary of the Embassy as an ordinary field officer.

Mikhail Lyubimov worked under the guise of being the press attache, allowing him to associate socially with the British elite and political officials.

Mikhail Lyubimov was dubbed "Smiley Mike" by his British counterparts.

In 1964, Mikhail Lyubimov's cover was blown in a failed attempt to recruit a cipher machine operator to spy for the Soviets.

Mikhail Lyubimov was next sent to Copenhagen from 1967 to 1969, where he was a colleague of Oleg Gordievsky.

Mikhail Lyubimov's experiences helped him contribute to The KGB Guidebook to Cities of the World, a collection of stories and humorous anecdotes from seven retired KGB agents.