About the book: 2002 / V.E. Semichastny partially wrote his memoirs, partially dictated them shortly before his death. An integral man, convinced, uncompromising, he tried to comprehend them both his own life and the history of the country, which he served faithfully for about half a century. The book will reveal to the reader a lot of interesting things about the methods and style of work of the highest bodies of the Soviet state, the CPSU and the State Security Committee. It contains vivid characteristics of political figures of the USSR (N.S. Khrushchev, L.M. Kaganovich, L.I. Brezhnev, Yu.V. Andropov, A.N. Shelepin) and outstanding Soviet intelligence officers (R.I. Abel and K.T. Molodoy), as well as interesting details about The Cuban missile crisis of 1962, about the sensational “Penkovsky case”, about the escape abroad of Stalin’s daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva and much more.