Aquarium

This book was the first to lift the veil on the secrets of the world’s most mysterious intelligence service — the GRU. The book has gone through more than 70 editions in 27 languages. “Aquarium” served as the basis for a feature film, a TV series, and numerous literary imitations.

Senior Lieutenant Viktor Suvorov, commander of a tank company, is transferred to the intelligence department of the headquarters of the 13th Army, into a lieutenant colonel’s position. His chief, Lieutenant Colonel Kravtsov, while forming a personal group, noticed Suvorov during exercises and drew the senior lieutenant into his command. And from then on he pulled him up the career ladder, for which Suvorov served him faithfully and loyally. While serving under Kravtsov, Suvorov receives the rank of captain ahead of schedule. But soon they had to part ways, because Suvorov was noticed in the “Aquarium” (as GRU officers called their organization among themselves).

Captain Suvorov enters the Academy, where he studies for 5 years at the limit of his abilities under a program that could have been stretched over 10 years, and with great difficulty completes it. After working for a year in Moscow and carrying out his first recruitment, Suvorov is sent abroad, to the Soviet embassy in Vienna. At first Suvorov works “in support,” covering the rear for other, more successful officers. But after a few years he too breaks into the ranks of the “Varangians,” devising Operation “Alpine Tourism,” and soon, thanks to his idea, GRU officers, including the author himself, carry out several successful recruitments. Suvorov manages to recruit a man from the Spanish base at Rota, where American submarines are stationed.

However, as always happens, dizzying success is followed by collapse. Sensing surveillance by his own people, Suvorov decides to flee to the West, namely to Great Britain.