Welcome address by Sergey Naryshkin, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation

I am glad to welcome all visitors to this website narrating the history of the outstanding Soviet intelligence officer Kim Philby and the legendary Cambridge Five. Their story is one of the most remarkable and heroic chapters in the history of our foreign intelligence.


Kim Philby and his comrades helped alter the course of the 20 th century, to steer it in the direction of greater social justice, peace and humanism. These highly educated young Brits from Cambridge University could not remain on the sidelines as the ominous shadow of Nazism descended over Europe and the world.


They made a conscious choice to work with Soviet intelligence, driven by their deep anti-fascist principles and guided by the universal human values of freedom and a just world order.


Without doubt, all the members of the group are true heroes, and we take pride in

them all. But Kim Philby played a special role in the group’s activities. He was a man with a mission, a professional of the highest order, and a true citizen of the world, who devoted his entire life to the fight for humanist ideals.


This year, our country, and the whole world, will celebrate the 75 th anniversary of the Soviet people’s victory in the Great Patriotic War and World War II. The victory over Nazism was made possible by the efforts of millions of soldiers and commanders of the Red Army, home-front workers and partisans. Soviet intelligence officers also made a significant contribution to the defeat of Nazism. People like Kim Philby and his comrades worked tirelessly to bring closer the long-awaited and historic date — 9 May 1945 Our duty today is to preserve the memory of their heroic deeds.