The KGB agent Oleg Gordievsky, who fled to Britain, has died at the age of 87, according to the BBC.
Gordievsky is considered one of the most famous spies of the 20th century. He worked for the KGB for 23 years and was recognized as the most important British intelligence agent within the Soviet secret services. After Oleg Penkovsky, he was one of the largest agents to provide information for Britain.
In 1985, Gordievsky was on the verge of being appointed head of the Soviet intelligence residency in Britain. However, in July of that year, he was interrogated for several hours in Moscow on suspicion of collaborating with British counterintelligence (MI5). After that, he decided to escape from the Soviet Union.
Gordievsky's escape was organized with the help of the British embassy in Moscow, and he was secretly taken out in the trunk of a diplomatic car.
After his escape, he stated that his worldview had changed due to the changes in the Soviet Union, especially under the influence of the crimes of the Stalin era and the Khrushchev reforms.
In 2007, Gordievsky was awarded the Order of St. Michael and St. George by Britain.
