Talk:Petrov Affair

Petrov Affair Exhibition--nixie 02:39, 25 Oct 2004 (UTC)

MVD or KGB
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KGB#The_Evolution_of_the_KGB says that the MVD became the KGB in 1953.

Yet here, in 1954, Petrov is called a member of the MVD.

Surely it should say KGB?

203.39.103.26 (talk) 01:10, 18 June 2008 (UTC)

The Beria connection
The comment to the effect that "The Petrovs had been sent to the Canberra embassy in 1951 by the Soviet security chief, Lavrenty Beria" is a bit off. Beria had lost his "security chief" position in January 1946 and didn't resume direct control of the Soviet security and intelligence agencies until after Stalin's death in March 1953.

Beria did exercise a degree of influence on the security apparatus in 1946-1953, though, so it's possible that Petrov was "Beria's man" and hence afraid to return to the USSR after Beria's fall. However, it's also possible that Petrov, who was, after all, only a colonel, had nothing to do with Beria and had other reasons to defect. The new Soviet leadership purged its security apparatus rather thoroughly in 1953-1954 and Petrov had reasons to be worried even if he was not a direct protege of one of the newly appointed fall guys like Abakumov and Beria.

Anyway, a source for Petrov's motives (his autobio? the 1987 Manne book?) would be nice. Ahasuerus 23:57, 27 January 2006 (UTC)

Evdokia's liberation from MVD
The article states that Evdokia Petrov was separated by 'ASIO agents' from her MVD minders - there are two problems with this: 1) She was not separated by ASIO 'agents', but by Northern Territory police officers. There are photographs that confirm this. 2) On a more minor note, ASIO employees should not be referred to as 'agents'. They are correctly called 'officers' as 'agents' is an American term that has a completely different meaning in the Commonwealth realms that follow the security service model established by MI5. I have changed the article accordingly. DirectEdge 23:30, 15 September 2007 (UTC)

It seems that someone changed it back. Also, I was under taught that it was the federal police who were able to take her back because the Russian MVD were carrying guns. 202.169.180.204 (talk) 05:21, 19 September 2009 (UTC)

Total lack of discussion of Venona
The failure to discuss the Venona project in this article is a major omission which should be rectified. For those interested, one place to start is Nigel West's Venona (London: HarperCollins, 2000), 95-121. Rgr09 (talk) 08:47, 23 February 2013 (UTC) ---
 * The Wikipedia article on the Petrov Affair- which this talk section is adjacent to - is a very good scissor cutting of paper accomplishment around the affair as public experience. The article gives it exactly as the public received it.


 * To introduce the Venona project which has a Wikipedia entry for itself - Venona project - would create complications of layers of information which would be outside the definition of the public event which the Wiki article agreeably confines itself to.


 * With a little beach browsing or bush walking on the web it is possible to find the exposition of information Rgr09 would like to be brought into a Wiki discussion or something of what he thinks should be (or other). It is here in heading II (of VIII headings) entitled THE VENONA OPERATION
 * Cain, Frank -- "Australian Intelligence Organisations and the Law: A Brief History" [2004] UNSWLawJl 23; (2004) 27(2) University of New South Wales Law Journal 296. http://www.worldlii.org/au/journals/UNSWLJ/2004/23.html — Preceding unsigned comment added by Laurencebeck (talk • contribs) 01:12, 25 February 2013 (UTC)


 * It is to be noted with the raising of ne'er one eyebrow that in an adjournment debate (An adjournment debate is at the end of each sitting day when members and senators make short speeches on any subject.) in the Australian Senate on 16th June 2011 in the speech by Steve Hutchins (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Soviet Espionage In Australia, there is elided any mention of, nor reference to Petrov. Venona is given of a compelling nature in three instances.
 * http://www.openaustralia.org/senate/?gid=2011-06-16.323.2
 * It may be intended to be assumed by that apparently meaningful elision that the Petrov Affair had further agenda to its public timeline and which has remained hidden and is sensitive to the greater revelations in and the subsequent responses to the Venona decrypts. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Laurencebeck (talk • contribs) 04:15, 25 February 2013 (UTC)

Assessment comment
Substituted at 02:47, 30 April 2016 (UTC)

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Colonel or Lieutenant Colonel?
The National Museum of Australia says Lt Col: --Jack Upland (talk) 20:29, 12 February 2022 (UTC)