A large segment of the Russian ruling elite is still composed of Soviet state security (KGB) officers, including President Vladimir Putin. Professor Filip Kovacevic will discuss the deep-seated KGB myths, values, aspirations, and fears that have a profound impact on the foreign and domestic policies of the Russian Federation. With fascinating insight, he will draw on his new book's main subject: spy fiction novels and short stories written by Soviet intelligence and counterintelligence officers.

About the Speaker

Born in Kotor, Montenegro, Dr. Filip Kovacevic has taught at universities in Europe and the United States for more than 25 years and is a leading research scholar of Soviet/Russian intelligence and counterintelligence history, operations, and spy fiction. He received fellowships from the Open Society Institute, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Hoover Institution, and he currently teaches at the University of San Francisco. He is a prolific author. His latest book is KGB Literati: Spy Fiction & State Security in the Soviet Union (2025). He runs a popular blog, "The Chekist Monitor," and writes on Substack ("KGB Stuff by Filip Kovacevic").