Irina Derevko ( Russian : Ирина Деревко ) is a fictional character on the television series Alias , and a main character during the second season of the series. Irina, played by Lena Olin , is the mother of the central character, Sydney Bristow .
115-536: She is first mentioned as Laura Bristow, the wife of Jack Bristow and mother of Sydney Bristow, who died in a car accident when Sydney was six years old. Sydney had always believed that her mother had died, and that she had been a professor of English Literature. Laura Bristow was, however, a spy for the Soviet Union. Her real name was Irina Derevko and she was recruited into the KGB at the age of 18 by Alexander Khasinau . She
230-510: A legal resident gathered intelligence while based at the Soviet embassy or consulate, and, if caught, was protected from prosecution by diplomatic immunity . At worst, the compromised spy was either returned to the Soviet Union or was declared persona non grata and expelled by the government of the target country. The illegal resident spied, unprotected by diplomatic immunity, and worked independently of Soviet diplomatic and trade missions, ( cf.
345-503: A "friend of the cause" or as agents provocateurs , who would infiltrate the target group to sow dissension, influence policy, and arrange kidnappings and assassinations . Source: Kelly Peyton The following is a partial list of characters from the TV series, Alias . McKenas Cole was portrayed by Quentin Tarantino . Formerly an operative for SD-6 , he defected from
460-576: A 30-year contract with him soon after. The centre then realized that it was better for them to deal with a more competent agent, which at the time was Babrak Karmal , who later accused Taraki of taking bribes and even of having secretly contacted the United States embassy in Kabul. On that, the centre again refused to listen and instructed him to take a position in the Kabul residency by 1974. On 30 April 1978, Taraki, despite being cut off from any support, led
575-519: A KGB mole. At the end of the first season, Sydney discovered that her mother was alive and also the mysterious criminal overlord known up to that point only as "The Man". Derevko turned herself in to the CIA early in season two. She provided information to help bring down the SD-6 , and assisted with other important missions. Jack, predicting that Irina would betray them, framed her for providing false information about
690-407: A Moscow medical facility and arranged for her burial in a Moscow crypt. In the fourth season episode "Ice", Nadia discovers a photograph of Irina holding a baby. Jack tells her that Irina told him that she had a niece. This niece preceded Sydney and was supposedly why Irina wanted a baby of her own. When Sydney was born Irina held her as she had the baby in the photo. No further information regarding
805-611: A Rambaldi prophecy known as "Il Diluvio", the Flood. She was kept for eighteenth months in Prague, but moved to a remote location in Guatemala - Tikal. Sydney, Jack and Nadia located her through Lucian Nisard, and saved her from Elena's guards. Elena and Sloane constructed a massive Mueller device over the Russian city of Sovogda which, in conjunction with the tainted water supply from The Orchid, infected
920-529: A USSR-born illegal spy was elaborate, using the life of either: The agent then substantiated his or her false-identity by living in a foreign country, before emigrating to the target country. For example, the KGB would send a US-bound illegal resident via the Soviet embassy in Ottawa , Canada . Tradecraft included stealing and photographing documents, code-names, contacts, targets, and dead letter boxes , and working as
1035-578: A bomb that Sark had placed onto a subway to destroy APO headquarters. Unable to defuse the bomb, he repeatedly sprays liquid nitrogen on it, which slows down the mechanism for a short period of time but does not disable it. He is instructed to leave when the timer gets to 60 seconds, but ultimately stays with the bomb beyond the one-minute threshold in order to keep it from going off. His last words are to Rachel Gibson, telling her that he wished they had more time because he would have asked her out. Starting to cry, Rachel responds that she would have said yes just as
1150-457: A child. She gave him Sydney. In late 1981, Derevko disappeared after faking her own death. She returned to Russia, where she spent time in a KGB facility as a suspected traitor. Her whereabouts, however, were mostly unknown by the intelligence community at large until the end of season one. Jack tried to prevent Sydney from discovering the truth about her mother. He was forced to reveal the truth to Sydney when she mistakenly thought that he had been
1265-526: A document written by Milo Rambaldi . However, after valiant efforts by the Bristows and CIA agent Michael Vaughn , he is apprehended and taken into custody by the United States government. He next appears in the season three episode "After Six." After Julian Sark and Lauren Reed kill the six leaders of the Covenant cells, they attempt to use this as leverage in order to ascend to more powerful positions within
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#17328555077421380-496: A double agent, however, APO quickly determined Dean was a rogue agent. He had faked his death two years earlier and had since then been living "off the grid." When Shed operative Rachel Gibson learned the Shed's actual affiliation, she turned on it and at the behest of APO and Sydney stole the data from the Shed's servers. When Dean discovered what she was doing he destroyed the Shed, killing everyone except Peyton and Gibson. Following
1495-462: A genetic modification procedure known as Project Helix was used to create a double of Irina, and it is this woman whom Jack shot dead. The attempt on Sydney's life was placed by Irina's other sister, Elena Derevko , to mislead Jack into thinking he had killed his wife. The woman who underwent the genetic therapy was an agent of The Covenant , Elena's own criminal organization, who had volunteered to take Irina's place and be assassinated. The real Irina
1610-403: A journal purported to have belonged to his father, which indicated Bill Vaughn had survived past 1979, when Irina Derevko was supposed to have killed him. Since this journal was revealed a forgery, there is no reason to believe information given by Elena supporting the authenticity of the journal was true. Nadia ran away from the orphanage in 1992. The footage is fairly dark but it is possible she
1725-533: A letter accusing the Reagan administration of plotting to overthrow President Zia and his regime. The letter also mentioned that after Mujib was assassinated the United States contacted Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad to replace him as a short-term President. When the election happened in the end of 1979, the KGB made sure that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party would win. The party received 207 out of 300 seats, but
1840-693: A mission in Madagascar. The CIA planned to execute her. Agent Michael Vaughn learned the truth and helped Sydney stop her mother's execution. Later, during a mission in Panama, Irina did betray the CIA and joined forces with Arvin Sloane and Sark. Her subsequent whereabouts were unknown throughout season three, although she continued to be in occasional contact with Jack via Internet Relay Chat . She arranged for her sister, Katya Derevko , to assist Jack and Sydney on occasion. It
1955-472: A necklace equipped with a microphone. She later hacked into Nadia's laptop and requested to move the Hydrosek, a deadly weapon, to an unsecured location away from APO. Elena and her associate Avian then stole the weapon before Nadia and Weiss could stop them, not realizing who the thief was. In order to complete her endgame, Elena, fully aware of the fact that he would at some point double-cross her, also ordered
2070-505: A new party called BAKSAL and created a one-party state. Three years later, the KGB in that region increased from 90 to 200, and by 1979 printed more than 100 newspaper articles. In these articles, the KGB officials accused Ziaur Rahman , popularly known as "Zia", and his regime of having ties with the United States. In August 1979, the KGB accused some officers who were arrested in Dhaka in an overthrow attempt, and by October, Andropov approved
2185-418: A way to put Karmal back in. They brought him and three other ministers secretly to Moscow during which time they discussed how to put him back in power. The decision was to fly him back to Bagram by 13 December. Four days later, Amin's nephew, Asadullah, was taken to Moscow by the KGB for acute food poisoning treatment. On 19 November 1979, the KGB had a meeting on which they discussed Operation Cascade, which
2300-585: A year before Season 4, Arvin Sloane and Jack Bristow had been investigating Elena's whereabouts until Jack received a message from an old associate that led him to one of Elena's safehouses in Warsaw. Inside was detailed information on the lives of Sydney Bristow and Nadia Santos, her nieces, with evidence suggesting she had them under surveillance for at least a decade. Soon Nadia's former caretaker Sophia Vargas arrived in Los Angeles claiming that her reason for coming to
2415-438: A young girl, since he was killed by Irina in 1979, confirming the belief that Elena Derevko had fabricated the story of Bill Vaughn's involvement. Katya and Jack work together to trace Sloane's movements through bank activity, and Katya flirts outrageously with Jack. Jack initially rebuffs her advances but later kisses her deeply. After Nadia's rescue, Vaughn tracks down his wife, Lauren Reed . He has captured her, beaten her, and
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#17328555077422530-586: Is able to obtain Page 47 of the Rambaldi prophecy, depicting the Chosen One, a woman bearing Sydney's likeness. At the end of the episode, possibly using Project Helix, the controlling elements of Prophet Five genetically transformed Espinosa into Sydney's double after the latter's DNA was sampled by Prophet Five. At this point Jennifer Garner took over the portrayal of the character. The first encounter APO personnel had with
2645-499: Is about to kill her when Katya intervenes, stabbing Vaughn in the back and releasing Lauren. While engaged in reconnaissance of a Covenant operation in Palermo , Sydney encounters Katya again. Katya attempts to shoot her (thereby confirming to Sydney that Katya is allied with the Covenant), but Sydney had removed the bullets from Katya's gun. Sydney hits Katya with a tranquilizer dart and Katya
2760-604: Is taken into federal custody. Nothing is seen of Katya until Nadia visits her in prison in season 4, seeking to learn more about the mother Nadia never knew. Katya eats some chocolate Nadia brought her, triggering a near-fatal allergic reaction to illustrate her desperation to meet with Sydney. Sydney visits Katya in the prison infirmary to warn her against continuing to see Nadia. Katya tells her that she never intended to harm Sydney in Palermo, and Irina never intended to harm Sydney either. Irina had tried to contact Katya, concerned someone
2875-475: Is tasked to steal a chemical bomb but instead eliminates CRF's leader upon retrieving it. She rescues Julian Sark and plans to sell the bomb, but Sark betrays her and she is captured by Sydney. She is thereupon taken into federal custody. She returned for the 100th episode of the series, entitled "There's Only One Sydney Bristow". Prophet Five, using its government contacts, was able to secure her release. She then kidnaps Will in an attempt to blackmail Sydney. She
2990-1020: The Federal Security Agency of the RSFSR (AFB), the Inter-Republican Security Service (MSB), the Central Intelligence Service (TsSR), and the Committee for the Protection of the State Border (KOGG). In 1993, the KGB was succeeded overall by the Federal Counterintelligence Service (FSK) of Russia (itself a direct successor to the AFB), which in-turn was succeeded by the Federal Security Service of
3105-624: The Federal Security Service (FSB). Following the 1991–1992 South Ossetia War , the self-proclaimed Republic of South Ossetia established its own KGB, keeping the unreformed name. In addition, Belarus established its successor to the KGB of the Byelorussian SSR in 1991, the Belarusian KGB , keeping the unreformed name. Restructuring in the MVD following the fall of Beria in June 1953 resulted in
3220-667: The Moscow Narodny Bank Limited to finance the acquisition, and an intermediary, Singaporean businessman Amos Dawe, as the frontman. On 2 February 1973, the Politburo , which was led by Yuri Andropov at the time, demanded that KGB members influence Bangladesh (which was then newly formed) where Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was scheduled to win parliamentary elections. During that time, the Soviet secret service tried hard to ensure support for his party and his allies and even predicted an easy victory for him. In June 1975, Mujib formed
3335-787: The Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR). Despite its accurate forecast of crisis, the PZPR hindered the KGB's destroying the nascent Solidarity-backed political movement, fearing explosive civil violence if they imposed the KGB-recommended martial law. Aided by their Polish counterpart, the Security Service (Służba Bezpieczeństwa—SB), the KGB successfully infiltrated spies to Solidarity and the Catholic Church, and in Operation X co-ordinated
3450-506: The West German intelligence service . In the 1960s, acting upon the information of KGB defector Anatoliy Golitsyn , the CIA counter-intelligence chief James Jesus Angleton believed KGB had moles in two key places—the counter-intelligence section of CIA and the FBI's counter-intelligence department—through whom they would know of, and control, US counter-espionage to protect the moles and hamper
3565-581: The declaration of martial law with Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski and the Polish Communist Party; however, the vacillating, conciliatory Polish approach blunted KGB effectiveness—and Solidarity then fatally weakened the Communist Polish government in 1989. Nadezhin saw that China threatened the USSR by claiming a historic right to regions under the USSR's control. China also wanted to displace the USSR as
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3680-613: The non-official cover CIA officer). In its early history, the KGB valued illegal spies more than legal spies, because illegal spies infiltrated their targets with greater ease. The KGB residency executed four types of espionage: (i) political, (ii) economic, (iii) military-strategic, and (iv) disinformation , effected with "active measures" (PR Line), counter-intelligence and security (KR Line), and scientific–technological intelligence (X Line); quotidian duties included SIGINT (RP Line) and illegal support (N Line). The KGB classified its spies as: The false-identity (or legend ) assumed by
3795-703: The republics of the Soviet Union aside from the Russian SFSR , where the KGB was headquartered, with many associated ministries, state committees and state commissions. The agency was a military service governed by army laws and regulations, in the same fashion as the Soviet Army or the MVD Internal Troops . While most of the KGB archives remain classified, two online documentary sources are available. Its main functions were foreign intelligence , counter-intelligence, operative-investigative activities, guarding
3910-646: The Afghan-controlled KGB intelligence service throughout the nation which were under the command of Ahmad Shah Paiya and had received all the training they need in the Soviet Union. By May 1982, the Ministry of Internal Affairs was set up in Afghanistan under the command of KHAD. In 1983, Boris Voskoboynikov became the next head of the KGB while Leonid Kostromin became his Deputy Minister. The KGB dissolved on December 3, 1991. Its immediate successor agencies were
4025-681: The August 1991 Soviet coup d'état in an attempt to depose President Mikhail Gorbachev . The failed coup d'état and the collapse of the USSR heralded the end of the KGB on 3 December 1991. The KGB's modern day successors are the FSB ( Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation ) and the SVR ( Foreign Intelligence Service ). The GRU (Foreign military intelligence service of the Soviet Union) recruited
4140-486: The Covenant and Cole promoted Sark and Lauren as co-commanders of the North American cell of the Covenant. Cole also oversaw a demonstration of Sydney's apparent brainwashing as Julia Thorne. Cole's current whereabouts and how he escaped from CIA custody are unknown. Gordon Dean was portrayed by Tyrees Allen . Dean was the head of The Shed , a clandestine criminal organization similar to SD-6. As at SD-6, most of
4255-510: The Department of Special Research and with Katya being the only Derevko he has access to, Jack visits her in prison seeking information on the whereabouts and operations of Elena. In exchange, he promises to do everything in his power to secure her release. Katya tells him Elena was the true power behind the Covenant and advises him that Elena's base of operations is in Prague, but only Irina knew Elena's full endgame and how to stop it. Whether Jack
4370-451: The Derevko sisters, Elena is the secret leader of The Covenant . She was first mentioned in the season three episode "Crossings" by Jack. She is not referenced again until the fourth season, when in "Welcome to Liberty Village" it is revealed that an unidentified Russian group is trying to find her. Thirty years before Season 4, Elena disappeared and could not be found, even by Irina and around
4485-662: The Hungarian revolt, KGB chairman Ivan Serov personally supervised the post-invasion "normalization" of the country. Consequently, the KGB monitored the satellite state populations for occurrences of "harmful attitudes" and "hostile acts"; yet, stopping the Prague Spring, deposing a nationalist Communist government, was its greatest achievement. The KGB prepared the Red Army's route by infiltrating Czechoslovakia with many illegal residents disguised as Western tourists. They were to gain
4600-668: The KGB's structure, completely separate from the Soviet armed forces - the Border Troops , the Governmental Signals Troops (which in addition to providing communications between the central government and the lower administrative levels, also provided the communications between the General Staff and the military districts), the Special Service Troops (which provided EW , ELINT, SIGINT and cryptography) as well as
4715-653: The KGB). Brezhnev sacked Shelepin's successor and protégé, Vladimir Semichastny (in office: 1961–1967) as KGB Chairman and reassigned him to a sinecure in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic . Shelepin found himself demoted from the chairman of the Committee of Party and State Control in 1965 to Trade Union Council chairman (in office 1967–1975). In the 1980s, the Soviet Union glasnost provoked KGB Chairman Vladimir Kryuchkov (in office: 1988–1991) to lead
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4830-585: The KGB. After helping Sydney deliver her baby (during an attack by Kelly Peyton), Irina disappears again. Irina finally met her demise in Hong Kong in the series finale. She retrieves the Horizon, which she had traded to Sloane for a pair of missiles , through Kelly Peyton. She ordered Sark to launch the missiles at Washington, D.C., and London. Jack assumed that Sloane wanted to use the missiles not to simply destroy areas with high population densities, but to profit from
4945-449: The PDPA received a fake request from Taraki concerning health issues among the party members. On that, the centre accused him of "terrorist" activities and expelled him from the party. The following day General Boris Ivanov, who was behind the mission in Kabul along with General Lev Gorelov and Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Pavlovsky, visited Amin to congratulate him on his election to power. On
5060-471: The Red Army's invasion. The KGB's Czech success in the 1960s was matched with the failed suppression of the Solidarity labour movement in 1980s Poland. The KGB had forecast political instability consequent to the election of Archbishop of Kraków Karol Wojtyla as the first Polish Pope, John Paul II, whom they had categorised as "subversive" because of his anti-Communist sermons against the one-party régime of
5175-738: The Roosevelt Government—to identify the Soviet spies Duggan, White, and others—he was ignored. Hence, during the Second World War (1939–45)—at the Tehran (1943), Yalta (1945), and Potsdam (1945) conferences—Big Three Ally Joseph Stalin of the USSR, was better informed about the war affairs of his US and UK allies than they were about his. Soviet espionage was at its most successful in collecting scientific and technological intelligence about advances in jet propulsion , radar and encryption , which impressed Moscow, but stealing atomic secrets
5290-583: The Russian Federation (FSB). The Committee for State Security was a militarized organization adhering to military discipline and regulations. Its operational personnel held army style ranks, except for the maritime branch of the Border troops, which held navy style ranks. The KGB consisted of two main components - organs and troops. The organs included the services directly involved in the committee's main roles - intelligence, counter-intelligence, military counter-intelligence etc. The troops included military units within
5405-535: The Second Red Scare (1947–57) and the crisis in the CPUSA hampered recruitment. The last major illegal resident, Rudolf Abel (Vilyam Genrikhovich Fisher/"Willie" Vilyam Fishers), was betrayed by his assistant, Reino Häyhänen , in 1957. Recruitment then emphasised mercenary agents, an approach especially successful in scientific and technical espionage, since private industry practised lax internal security, unlike
5520-523: The Spetsnaz of the KGB (the Kremlin Regiment , Alpha Group , Vympel , etc.). At the time of the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 the KGB had the following structure: The Soviet Union was a federal state, consisting of 15 constituent Soviet Socialist Republics, each with its own government closely resembling the central government of the USSR. The republican affiliation offices almost completely duplicated
5635-612: The US Government. One notable KGB success occurred in 1967, with the walk-in recruitment of US Navy Chief Warrant Officer John Anthony Walker . Over eighteen years, Walker enabled Soviet Intelligence to decipher some one million US Navy messages, and track the US Navy. In the late Cold War, the KGB was successful with intelligence coups in the cases of the mercenary walk-in recruits FBI counterspy Robert Hanssen (1979–2001) and CIA Soviet Division officer Aldrich Ames (1985–1994). It
5750-448: The United States was due to an attack by an unidentified group at her home in Lisbon, Portugal. They quickly assumed Elena was the responsible behind the attack, not realising that she was in fact "Sophia". Under the alias of "Sophia Vargas", Elena used her former connection to Nadia to stay with her and Sydney to monitor their work for the CIA. She also monitored Nadia's conversations through
5865-529: The Zia regime did not last long, falling on 29 May 1981 when after numerous escapes, Zia was assassinated in Chittagong . The KGB started infiltrating Afghanistan as early as 27 April 1978. During that time, the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) was planning the overthrow of President Mohammed Daoud Khan . Under the leadership of Major General Sayed Mohammad Gulabzoy and Muhammad Rafi – code named Mammad and Niruz respectively – the Soviet secret service learned of
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#17328555077425980-454: The actual identity of the infant was ever presented and neither of the other Derevko sisters ever mentioned having a baby. Elena specifically said (in "Before The Flood") that she never wanted children. Jack presumes that the photo was just another ruse by Irina to mislead him. The shooting of Irina occurred 18 months prior to the season four finale and sometime prior to season three's finale, "Resurrection". The fourth season finale revealed that
6095-418: The behest of Peyton who, with Dean's death, took control of his operations. Elena Derevko was played by Sônia Braga . Elena is the sister of Irina and Katya Derevko and was one of the KGB's foremost assassins, responsible for the murder of countless diplomats and politicians throughout Eastern Europe. She was described by her sister Irina as "volatile and quick-tempered". Considered the most ruthless of
6210-462: The bomb detonates, killing Grace. Assistant Director Kendall was played by Terry O'Quinn . He first appeared in the first season as the head of an FBI tribunal brought in from Washington DC to interrogate Sydney after she is arrested following evidence linking her to a prophecy by 15th century prophet Milo Rambaldi which suggests she could be a national security risk to the United States. Kendall questions her on every aspect of her life, until she
6325-457: The code crucial to her abductors' attempts to find the Horizon, Irina tells Peyton to make Sydney comfortable and leaves the observation room. In the episode "Maternal Instinct" she reunites briefly with Sydney and Jack, during which they discover her affiliation with Prophet Five and Irina also indicates that she gave the order to kill Michael Vaughn. She also tells Sydney that she never wanted to have children, and that she only did so on orders from
6440-495: The computers to stop the mil-sat network from uploading the frequency. However, they could not retract the transmission. Elena told them that she had planned the attack for five years; it would not be that simple to stop her. Sydney managed to get into the main circuit board, but found a blue and a white wire. Irina did not know which to cut, and she asked Elena. When she refused to answer, she told Jack to start torturing her. Before he could do so, Elena told him to stop, and said to cut
6555-444: The coup which later became known as Saur Revolution , and became the country's leader, with Hafizullah Amin as vice-chairman of the Council of Ministers and vice-chairman of the Revolutionary Council . On 5 December 1978, Taraki compared the Saur Revolution to the Russian Revolution , which struck Vladimir Kryuchkov , the FCD chief of that time. On 27 March 1979, after losing the city of Herat in an uprising , Amin became
6670-436: The creation of "Arvin Clone", a corporal in the U.S. Army named Ned Bolger, who was captured and brainwashed to believe that he was, in fact Arvin Sloane, committing numerous criminal acts in the process, such as setting Irina up to appear as if she had contracted an assassin to kill Sydney. Elena sent a team into the Department of Special Research to steal all the Rambaldi artifacts necessary to complete "Rambaldi's endgame". On
6785-465: The destruction of the Shed, Dean and Peyton undertook a series of attempts to recover or kill Gibson, with no success. Dean was instrumental in securing the release of Arvin Sloane from federal custody and getting Sloane's security clearance reinstated so Sloane could work for Dean inside APO. He had an undetermined connection to Sloane prior to this. Eventually Dean was captured by Gibson and taken into APO custody. While in custody Sloane murdered him at
6900-437: The detection and capture of other Communist spies. Moreover, KGB counter-intelligence vetted foreign intelligence sources, so that the moles might "officially" approve an anti-CIA double agent as trustworthy. In retrospect, the captures of the moles Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen proved that Angleton, though ignored as over-aggressive, was correct, despite the fact that it cost him his job at CIA, which he left in 1975. In
7015-430: The diplomats Laurence Duggan and Michael Whitney Straight in the State Department, the statistician Harry Dexter White in the Treasury Department , the economist Lauchlin Currie (an FDR advisor), and the "Silvermaster Group", headed by statistician Greg Silvermaster , in the Farm Security Administration and the Board of Economic Warfare. Moreover, when Whittaker Chambers , formerly Alger Hiss's courier, approached
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#17328555077427130-529: The effects of Sovogda to occur worldwide. One of Elena's men found Nadia walking around the streets and brought her to Elena, who told Nadia that she never wanted to hurt her. She said that she always thought of Nadia as her daughter, then offered her a place alongside her. She showed Nadia a map of the world with pinpoints all over it, saying "the flood has begun, just a few will survive." Nadia refused to join her, saying that she would never kill Sydney as Rambaldi's prophecy had stated. Elena then injected Nadia with
7245-427: The fabrication of a letter in which he stated that Muhammad Ghulam Tawab , an Air Vice-Marshal at the time, was the main plotter, which led the Bangladesh, Indian and Sri Lankan press to believe that he was an American spy. Under Andropov's command, Service A, a KGB division, falsified the information in a letter to Moudud Ahmed in which it said that he was supported by the American government and by 1981 even sent
7360-403: The fifth season, it is revealed that Irina is involved to an unknown extent in the Prophet Five organization. Irina is seen observing Sydney's interrogation under hypnosis at the end of the episode "The Horizon". It is revealed she had Kelly Peyton kidnap Sydney to recover information about the Horizon, a Rambaldi artifact that would grant its wielder immortality. After Sydney appears to reveal
7475-459: The formation of the KGB under Ivan Serov in March 1954. Secretary Leonid Brezhnev overthrew Premier Nikita Khrushchev in 1964. Brezhnev (in power: 1964–1982) was concerned about ambitious spy-chiefs – the communist party had managed Serov's successor, the ambitious KGB Chairman, Aleksandr Shelepin (in office: 1958–1961), but Shelepin carried out Brezhnev's palace coup d'état against Khrushchev in 1964 (despite Shelepin not then being in
7590-414: The guards, subduing them with tranquilizer darts, and the three of them travel to St. Petersburg. Katya fills them in on Nadia's background, claiming that Nadia was born to Irina in a Russian prison after Irina left Jack. Since Sydney was born in April 1975 and Irina left Jack in late 1981, Nadia must have been born in 1982. This timeline is irreconcilable with reports that Vaughn's father had rescued Nadia as
7705-469: The ideological agent Julian Wadleigh , who became a State Department diplomat in 1936. The NKVD 's first US operation was establishing the legal residency of Boris Bazarov and the illegal residency of Iskhak Akhmerov in 1934. Throughout, the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) and its General Secretary Earl Browder , helped NKVD recruit Americans, working in government, business, and industry. Other important, low-level and high-level ideological agents were
7820-402: The imminent uprising. Two days after the uprising, Nur Muhammad Taraki , leader of the PDPA, issued a notice of concern to the Soviet ambassador Alexander Puzanov and the resident of Kabul -based KGB embassy Viliov Osadchy that they could have staged a coup three days earlier hence the warning. On that, both Puzanov and Osadchy dismissed Taraki's complaint and reported it to Moscow, which broke
7935-436: The late prophet's work, though her appearances on the show are scant compared to the other zealots. In season one, Espinosa is a ruthless and persistent nemesis to Sydney while the latter goes on missions for SD-6. She worked for K-Directorate, a rival organization of SD-6, composed of former operatives from the Eastern bloc, and was the go-to officer for Wetworks and Active Measures, until The Man, aka Irina Derevko , took down
8050-435: The leader of the international socialist movement. The KGB wanted to infiltrate the Chinese security services with "a sufficient number of agents". Top agents also believed that the KGB needed to do more to ensure the protection of the USSR from Chinese spies. According to declassified documents, the KGB aggressively recruited former German (mostly Abwehr ) intelligence officers after the war. The KGB used them to penetrate
8165-406: The life of Gulabzoy and Watanjar and send them to Tashkent from Bagram Airfield by giving them fake passports. With that and a sealed container in which an almost breathless Sarwari was laying, they came to Tashkent on 19 September. During the continued investigation in Tashkent, the three were put under surveillance in one of the rooms for as long as four weeks where they were investigated for
8280-412: The man, but was unable to do so once he saw that he had started a family of his own. In No Hard Feelings , Rachel discovers the truth: The Cardinal is the man who ordered the death of Grace's wife and the man he had pursued was the hit man assigned to do the job. The hit man agrees to tell Grace why his wife was targeted, in return for his vehicle which had been impounded by the government. Upon returning
8395-675: The mid-1970s, the KGB tried to secretly buy three banks in northern California to gain access to high-technology secrets. Their efforts were thwarted by the CIA. The banks were Peninsula National Bank in Burlingame, the First National Bank of Fresno, and the Tahoe National Bank in South Lake Tahoe. These banks had made numerous loans to advanced technology companies and had many of their officers and directors as clients. The KGB used
8510-518: The mission, he takes advantage of the opportunity to obtain information from the Witness Protection Program regarding the man who, it is revealed, murdered Grace's wife Amanda. Later, Grace tracks the man down, but instead of killing him, asks to be put in touch with someone called "The Cardinal." His "off-book" mission does not go unnoticed, as Rachel discovers Grace's investigation. Grace, in response, lies to her and says he intended to kill
8625-523: The necklace given to Nadia by Sophia. Sloane deduced that Elena would go to Lazlo Drake with the Rambaldi artifacts. Sydney and Sloane went to meet him, but he was already dead. Sydney found a hidden camera and rewound the feed to see Elena talking with Drake. Before she could see where they planned to take the Rambaldi artifacts, Sloane tranquillized her and left. He met up with Elena in her office in Prague and offered his services to help complete her task. Jack discovered through Katya Derevko that The Covenant
8740-552: The next Prime Minister , and by 27 July became Minister of Defense as well. The centre though was concerned of his powers since the same month he issued them a complaint about lack of funds and demanded US$ 400,000,000. Furthermore, it was discovered that Amin had a master's degree from Columbia University , and that he preferred to communicate in English instead of Russian. Unfortunately for Moscow's intelligence services, Amin succeeded Taraki and by 16 September Radio Kabul announced that
8855-630: The novice agent to fight. Not much is known about the character's background, although his file, details unknown, caused many a person to halt and reconsider welcoming him into APO with open arms. In The Horizon , Marshall Flinkman discovers that Grace used to be married, though he initially believes it is a remnant from an undercover assignment. Grace reacts with anger at Marshall's nosiness. In S.O.S , Grace takes part in an APO mission to infiltrate CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia in order to locate Sydney, who has been kidnapped by Prophet Five . During
8970-602: The operation, including the Interior Ministry building, the Internal Security ( KHAD ) building, and the General Staff building ( Darul Aman Palace ). Out of the 54 KGB operators that assaulted the palace, 5 were killed in action, including Colonel Grigori Boyarinov, and 32 were wounded. Alpha Group veterans call this operation one of the most successful in the group's history. In June 1981, there were 370 members in
9085-484: The operatives of the Shed believed they were working for a black ops division of the Central Intelligence Agency. Apparently only Dean and his associate Kelly Peyton knew the truth, that the Shed was actually a division of Prophet Five. Dean initially appeared in the first episode of season 5, claiming to be with the CIA's Office of Special Investigations. He claimed to be investigating Michael Vaughn as
9200-502: The organization and seized control of its assets. Upon the fall of the organization, Anna staged her death and went freelance, selling her skills as an agent to the highest bidder. She is not seen again until the fourth season, under the employ of the Cadmus Revolutionary Front (an organization believed to be composed of former Covenant operatives until it is revealed the organization is still alive under Elena Derevko ). She
9315-511: The organization, first to work for "The Man", and later to assume a leading position in The Covenant . Cole first appears in the season one episodes "The Box" (Parts I and II). He and a group of agents infiltrate the SD-6 office in Los Angeles and take the entire cell hostage with the exception of Sydney and Jack Bristow , who were in the parking garage of the Credit Dauphine building at
9430-453: The passion behind how Sydney (impersonating Anna) talks to him and later confirmed when Sydney told Sloane "I don't die that easy" inside a prison cell after Sydney meets with The Rose. Apparently, Prophet Five considered Anna either disposable or too dangerous to their plans to keep alive, as they planned to kill her once she fulfilled her duties foreseen by Rambaldi as the Chosen One (namely retrieving an artifact from San Cielo). Thomas Grace
9545-419: The people of Sovogda and made them extremely aggressive. When Sloane learned that APO had sent a team into the city to stop them, he offered to head out with the team himself. While he was doing this, Elena began to transmit a subaudible frequency via the Russian mil-sat network to spread the infection worldwide. The second that the bombers were scheduled to destroy Sovogda, the frequency would be broadcast causing
9660-467: The reconstruction. Sydney tracked her down and learned that Irina sought the same immortality that Sloane had apparently found. Sydney and Irina battled a final time, precariously balanced on a skylight. Choosing to grab the Horizon rather than her daughter's hand, Irina fell through the skylight to her death. Besides Lena Olin , several other actresses portrayed Irina in the course of the series: Yekatarina "Katya" Derevko, played by Isabella Rossellini ,
9775-473: The reliability of their claims by the KGB. Soon after, they were satisfied with the results and sent them to Bulgaria for a secret retreat. On 9 October, the Soviet secret service had a meeting in which Bogdanov, Gorelov, Pavlonsky and Puzanov were the main chiefs who were discussing what to do with Amin who was very harsh at the meeting. After the two-hour meeting they began to worry that Amin would establish an Islamic republic in Afghanistan and decided to seek
9890-411: The same day the KGB decided to imprison Sayed Gulabzoy as well as Mohammad Aslam Watanjar and Assadullah Sarwari but while in captivity and under an investigation all three denied the allegation that the current Minister of Defence was an American secret agent. The denial of claims was passed on to Yuri Andropov and Leonid Brezhnev , who as the main chiefs of the KGB proposed operation Raduga to save
10005-454: The same night, she left Sydney and Nadia's house, saying that she had been informed by the Lisbon police that it was safe for her to return. Hours later, Hayden Chase entered the house and accused Nadia of working against the government and allowing the team to break into the DSR. It was at this point that Jack and Sloane began to realize that Sophia was Elena, which was backed by the microphone found in
10120-727: The state border of the USSR, guarding the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Soviet Government , organization and security of government communications as well as combating nationalist , dissident , religious and anti-Soviet activities. On 3 December 1991, the KGB was officially dissolved. It was succeeded in Russia by the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and what would later become
10235-445: The structural organization of the main KGB. The Chairman of the KGB , First Deputy Chairmen (1–2), Deputy Chairmen (4–6). Its policy Collegium comprised a chairman, deputy chairmen, directorate chiefs, and republican KGB chairmen. A Time magazine article in 1983, reported that the KGB was the world's most effective information-gathering organization. It operated legal and illegal espionage residencies in target countries where
10350-410: The tainted water, which infected her with the aim of forcing her to kill Sydney. Elena noticed Sloane on the monitor. He was back and carrying a supposedly unconscious Vaughn, but as soon as they arrived in the base they began to shoot Elena's men. They were joined by Jack and Irina. They got to Elena and Irina knocked her to the floor with her gun. Sloane put Elena in a chair and Jack and Vaughn went to
10465-421: The terrorist organization. To the chagrin of Sark, Lauren went behind his back and alerted Cole of Sark's intentions. However, this was of value to Cole and the Covenant, because the CIA was currently looking for a document called The Doleac Agenda that specifies the most important information about the Covenant's operations, including the cell leaders' names. Thus Sark's actions, while a betrayal, were beneficial to
10580-492: The third season, sent by Irina in response to Jack's request for help in extricating Sydney and Vaughn from a North Korean prison. Following the mission, Katya kisses Jack passionately. In the course of searching for The Passenger after her abduction in season 3, Sydney and Vaughn discover video files of Nadia as a small child in an abandoned Russian military bunker, formerly the center of Soviet Rambaldi research. Katya and several Russian guards confront them, but Katya turns on
10695-594: The three Derevko sisters, Elena Derevko, portrayed by Sônia Braga , is first mentioned by Jack Bristow when he meets with Katya during the third season. She is a pivotal part of the fourth season , with her actions significantly affecting the lives of her nieces Sydney and Nadia . KGB The Committee for State Security ( Russian : Комитет государственной безопасности , romanized : Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti , IPA: [kəmʲɪˈtʲed ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)əj bʲɪzɐˈpasnəsʲtʲɪ] ), abbreviated as KGB (Russian: КГБ ; listen )
10810-459: The time. It is revealed that he is a former SD-6 agent who was tasked by Arvin Sloane to destroy a pipeline in Chechnya five years prior, but was captured and tortured by rebels. He is ultimately released and becomes an agent for the crime syndicate operated by "The Man," later revealed to be Irina Derevko , and he tries to procure a vial of liquid from the vault of SD-6 in order to expose the ink of
10925-474: The transformed Anna occurred in Ghana in the episode "30 Seconds" and resulted in her killing freelance operative Renée Rienne before escaping. In the following episode ("I See Dead People"), Anna is ordered to intercept the real Sydney, who is en route to contact Michael Vaughn . Anna tries to deceive Vaughn, but he realizes she is an imposter, though he does not know her true identity. They fight, but as Anna gains
11040-572: The trust of and spy upon the most outspoken proponents of Alexander Dubček 's new government. They were to plant subversive evidence, justifying the USSR's invasion, that right-wing groups—aided by Western intelligence agencies—were going to depose the Communist government of Czechoslovakia. Finally, the KGB prepared hardline , pro-USSR members of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ), such as Alois Indra and Vasiľ Škultéty, to assume power after
11155-482: The upper hand, she is shot in the back and head by Sydney, who had just arrived at the scene. Sydney subsequently impersonates Anna within Prophet Five for a brief time, initially convincing Sloane she (Anna) had killed Sydney by shooting her in the back. Sloane conspired to kill Anna as he felt Sydney did not deserve to die that way, but subsequently realized Sydney was impersonating her, first by doubts as Sloane notices
11270-453: The use of "Arvin Clone" set up a hit on Sydney, sparking the events that led to the double's execution - to ultimately lead the intelligence/criminal world to believe that she was dead. The double was described as being an ardent follower of Elena Derevko, and fully aware of the fact that she was being set up to die. The real Irina, however, was imprisoned by Elena, and tortured for her knowledge of
11385-401: The vehicle to the hit man, he is told that Amanda was simply "in the wrong place at the wrong time" and that the intent was actually to kill Grace. The hit man then drives off in his vehicle, only to die when Grace detonates a bomb inside. The identity of "The Cardinal" and why he had targeted Grace for assassination is never revealed. In the penultimate episode of Alias, Grace is sent to defuse
11500-426: The white wire. Irina immediately shot Elena on the head and told Sydney to cut the blue wire. Sydney and Vaughn discover footage of a very young Nadia being tested with Rambaldi fluid in a Russian bunker. Katya Derevko tells them Nadia was born to Irina in a Soviet prison after Irina left Jack. Sydney was born in 1975 and Irina left in late 1981. This means Nadia has to have been born in 1982. The footage proves Nadia
11615-664: Was Cold War policy for the KGB of the Soviet Union and the secret services of the satellite states to extensively monitor public and private opinion, internal subversion and possible revolutionary plots in the Soviet Bloc . In supporting those Communist governments, the KGB was instrumental in crushing the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the Prague Spring of " Socialism with a Human Face " in Czechoslovakia, 1968. During
11730-418: Was a major terrorist organization set up by Elena in order to secretly acquire Rambaldi artifacts. Dixon, Nadia and Sydney were sent on a mission to stop them. Dixon found Elena and Sloane, but Elena shot him before he could react. While in the hospital, Dixon told Sydney that he saw Irina Derevko before Elena shot him. It was discovered that Elena had used Project Helix to create a double of Irina, then through
11845-430: Was also learned that Irina had had an affair with Arvin Sloane and had a second daughter, Nadia Santos . At the beginning of season four, Sydney learned that Irina had hired a hit man to kill her. Jack Bristow received permission from his superiors to execute Irina, and in "Another Mr. Sloane" he states that he carried out the act himself. Sydney, unaware that Irina had ordered her death, later identified Irina's body in
11960-410: Was as young as 10 when she ran away. She's in a dormitory with other girls of about that age. She's recruited by Roberto Fox when she's 17 or 18, which would make the year 1999 or 2000. She dies in circa 2007. In this timeline, the only loose ends are how Nadia ended up at the orphanage in the first place and why the mercenary Roberts would tell Michael Vaughn his father was involved. Since the orphanage
12075-406: Was assigned to infiltrate the United States, and to gain the trust of Jack Bristow, then a CIA agent, in order to steal classified information regarding Project Christmas. Under the alias of Laura, she approached Jack Bristow posing as an exchange student from the USSR. They eventually married and she became his confidante. In order to seal Jack's allegiance to her, the KGB demanded that she bear him
12190-465: Was headed up by Elena Derevko, the most obvious explanation is that Elena kidnapped her after she was taken from Irina and she simply lied to Vaughn about his father's involvement, and Roberts was paid to do the same. Yekaterina "Katya" Derevko , alias the Black Sparrow , was the second of the three Derevko sisters to be introduced. She was played by Isabella Rossellini . Katya first appeared during
12305-440: Was imprisoned by Elena and tortured for her knowledge of Rambaldi's secrets. After 18 months, she was rescued by her daughters (she had not seen Nadia since her birth) and Jack. Although technically under arrest by the CIA, Irina was given permission to help stop Elena from completing her plans. After the successful completion of the mission, Jack and Sydney allowed her to escape rather than return to America and imprisonment. During
12420-459: Was in Soviet custody for at least the first few years of her life. Conservatively, based on the footage, she could have been in Soviet hands until at least 1985. Elena, as Sophia Vargas, tells Michael Vaughn the only time she met his father Bill was when he left Nadia in her care at the orphanage in Buenos Aires. However, Michael Vaughn locates Sophia's address in Lisbon through an encoded entry in
12535-615: Was launched earlier that year. The operation carried out bombings with the help of GRU and FCD . On 27 December, the centre received news that KGB Special Forces Alpha and Zenith Group, supported by the 154th OSN GRU, also known as Muslim battalion and paratroopers from the 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment stormed the Tajbeg Palace and killed Amin and his 100–150 personal guards. His 11-year-old son died due to shrapnel wounds. The Soviets installed Karmal as Amin's successor. Several other government buildings were seized during
12650-504: Was portrayed by Balthazar Getty . The character was introduced in the second episode of the fifth season. Thomas Grace is recruited into Authorized Personnel Only, a black-ops division of the CIA, in order to replace agent Michael Vaughn after Vaughn is supposedly killed (he also replaces Eric Weiss after Weiss transfers out of APO). This led to friction between Grace and Vaughn's partner and fiancée, Sydney. Grace also bonded with another new APO recruit, Rachel Gibson , and began training
12765-404: Was setting her up. Katya asks Sydney to retrieve the message from Irina, which is contained in a music box. Sydney retrieves the box and recovers the message, which leads her to bank records in the name of Arvin. Sydney informs Katya that the records exonerate Irina and implicate Sloane (it was later discovered that Sloane's imposter, a pawn of Elena Derevko , was behind it). After Elena's raid on
12880-487: Was successful in securing Katya's release is unknown, and no further information regarding her current status is extant. Anna Espinosa was initially played by Gina Torres . Born in Cuba but raised in Russia, Anna was a Soviet spy at some point, until the collapse of the Soviet Union. She is a devout follower of Rambaldi, as evidenced by the eye tattoo on her hand, and as such is one of the many characters obsessed with carrying on
12995-626: Was the capstone of NKVD espionage against Anglo–American science and technology. To wit, British Manhattan Project team physicist Klaus Fuchs (GRU 1941) was the main agent of the Rosenberg spy ring. In 1944, the New York City residency infiltrated top secret Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico by recruiting Theodore Hall , a 19-year-old Harvard physicist. The KGB failed to rebuild most of its US illegal resident networks. The aftermath of
13110-399: Was the first of Irina's sisters to be announced. She first appeared in the third season to assist Jack and Sydney, but later revealed herself to be allied with The Covenant and was taken into federal custody. In season four she again helped Sydney and Jack to defeat Elena's endgame in exchange for a promise from Jack to work for a pardon and release for her. Considered the most ruthless of
13225-595: Was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991. It was the direct successor of preceding Soviet secret police agencies including the Cheka , OGPU , and NKVD . Attached to the Council of Ministers , it was the chief government agency of "union-republican jurisdiction", carrying out internal security, foreign intelligence , counter-intelligence and secret police functions. Similar agencies operated in each of
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