An Agent with a Teddy Bear. The Spy Games of Viktor Petrov (Domontovych)

"Agent with a Bear" is a book that reveals the dual biography of Viktor Petrov (V. Domontovych): an archaeologist, author of intellectual novels, and at the same time an agent of the Soviet special services. Based on declassified archival files from the Security Service of Ukraine and the Foreign Intelligence Service, the author traces how agent "Ivanov's" cooperation with the authorities was built, what his activities were during the Great Terror and World War II, in post-war emigration, and after returning to the USSR.

This is a book about broken and preserved biographies, about choice and survival, about an intellectual game with the state and one's own shadow. The author tells the story like an archaeologist excavates – from the latest layer to the very bottom, uncovering not only Viktor Petrov's double game but also the fates of his contemporaries: Rylsky, Bahrianyi, Shevelov, Krymsky, and others.