Kazakhstan Encyclopedia - User contributions [en]

Adolf Tolkachev

2017-02-15T13:04:26Z

WhisperToMe: /* Compromise and arrest */

'''Adolf Georgievich Tolkachev''' ({{lang-ru|Адольф Георгиевич Толкачёв}}; 1927 in [[Aqtöbe|Aktyubinsk]], [[Kazakhstan]] – September 24, 1986) was a [[Soviet Union]] [[electronics engineering|electronics engineer]] who provided key documents to the [[United States]] [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA) between 1979 and 1985. Working at the Soviet [[radar]] design house [[Phazotron]] as one of the chief designers, Tolkachev gave the CIA complete information about such projects as the [[Vympel R-23|R-23]], R-24, [[Vympel R-33|R-33]], [[Vympel R-27|R-27]], and [[Molniya R-60|R-60]], [[S-300 (missile)|S-300]]; fighter-interceptor aircraft radars used on the [[MiG-29]], [[MiG-31]], and [[Su-27]]; and other [[avionics]]. Among the equipment compromised by Tolkachev was the passive [[phased array]] radar used by the [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-31|MiG-31 Foxhound]] fighter, which the U.S. considered the most advanced airborne radar. He was executed as a spy in 1986.

==Career==
Tolkachev claimed his distrust of the Soviet government arose from the persecution his wife's parents had suffered under [[Joseph Stalin]]. He told the CIA he was inspired by [[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn]] and [[Andrei Sakharov]].{{sfn|Fischer|2008|p=36}}

From January 1977 to February 1978, Tolkachev attempted to approach cars with U.S. diplomatic license plates in Moscow five times,<ref name="wapo20080419">{{cite news| url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/19/AR2008041902071_pf.html | work=The Washington Post | title=Cold War Spy Tale Came to Life on the Streets of Moscow | first=Matt | last=Schudel | accessdate=2010-04-23}}</ref> coincidentally approaching the CIA Moscow bureau chief [[Gardner Hathaway]] at a gas station, but the CIA was wary of [[counterintelligence]] operations by the KGB. On his fifth attempt the CIA assigned a Russian-speaking officer named [[John I. Guilsher]]<ref name="wapo20080419" /> to make contact with him. Eventually Tolkachev established his [[bona fides]] with intelligence data that proved to be of "incalculable" value to US experts. The [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] completely reversed direction on a $70 million electronics package for the [[F-15 Eagle]] as a result of Tolkachev's intelligence, although historian [[Benjamin Fischer]] says that this was "the projected overall cost, not a cost savings".{{sfn|Fischer|2008|p=53}}

Because Tolkachev resisted the use of traditional CIA methods including [[dead drop]]s and radios, preferring personal meetings,{{sfn|Royden|2003}} he was able to transfer a much larger volume of classified data, much of it collected using various matchbox-sized cameras. The need for these meetings necessitated several innovations in CIA [[tradecraft]] such as signals and concealment. Although he demanded money for his cooperation, he insisted that he only wanted payment as proof of the value of his effort and risk. He was eventually paid a salary "equivalent" to the U.S. President, [[President of the United States#Compensation|at the time $200,000]] annually, most of which was to be held in escrow until he defected.{{cn|date=May 2016}}

==Compromise and arrest==
At some point in 1985, Tolkachev was compromised. While attempting to meet with Tolkachev, a CIA officer was arrested and questioned at the [[Lubyanka (KGB)|Lubyanka]] KGB headquarters and prison, and incriminating materials, including spy equipment such as cameras, were seized from him. The source of the exposure is believed to have been [[Edward Lee Howard]], an ex-CIA officer who fled to [[Moscow]] to avoid [[treason]] charges.<ref name="wapo20080419" /> [[Aldrich Ames]] apparently also passed his name to the Soviets.{{sfn|Royden|2003}}

Tolkachev was arrested by the KGB while on his way to meet his CIA contact and was later executed. With much planning over the years, Tolkachev had carefully compartmentalized his spy work and his family, helping his family avoid punishment as well. His son Oleg Tolkachev is now a prominent architect.{{sfn|Royden|2003}}

The arrest of Tolkachev, commanded by KGB Lt. Colonel [[Vladimir Nikolaevich Zaitsev]], was carried out by the KGB's [[Alpha Group|Alpha]] ''[[spetsnaz]]'' group. Zaitsev also says that the KGB kept Tolkachev's arrest secret in order to feed the CIA disinformation over the course of 10 months.<ref>{{Cite web|title = The Downfall of Agent Sphere|url = http://espionagehistoryarchive.com/2015/08/14/tolkachev-cia-kgb-counterintelligence/|website = Espionage History Archive|accessdate = 2015-08-24|first = Mark|last = Hackard|authorlink=Mark Hackard}}</ref>

==Legacy==

A painting of Tolkachev by [[Kathy Krantz Fieramosca]] hangs in the CIA's [[George Bush Center for Intelligence|Langley headquarters]] to this day.<ref name="Hoffman">{{cite web|last1=Hoffman|first1=David|title=How the CIA ran a ‘billion dollar spy’ in Moscow|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/how-the-cia-ran-a-billion-dollar-spy-in-soviet-era-moscow/2015/07/02/3f9734f8-1050-11e5-9726-49d6fa26a8c6_story.html|website=The Washington Post|publisher=The Washington Post|accessdate=4 May 2016}}</ref>

==Skepticism==

Fischer, the former chief historian of the CIA, has presented a contrary view of the Tolkachev case. He argues that:
*Since Tolkachev "made no less than six or seven attempts to contact the [CIA] Moscow Station," including senior CIA officials, it is implausible that the KGB did not detect him.{{sfn|Fischer|2008|p=31}}
*Tolkachev claimed that he took documents home to photograph them during lunch, but traveling by means of public transit would have taken about an hour.{{sfn|Fischer|2008|pp=40-42}}
*Since Tolkachev claimed to be asking for documents that were outside his area of work or security clearance, then he would not be able to obtain them without arousing suspicion in the secure, KGB-guarded facility.{{sfn|Fischer|2008|pp=43-44}}

Fischer also questions the value of the intelligence furnished by Tolkachev, asserting that since CIA [[Human intelligence (intelligence gathering)|HUMINT]] only constituted "one small ingredient" of the Pentagon's decision-making process, Tolkachev cannot be credited with saving taxpayers billions of dollars.{{sfn|Fischer|2008|p=53}} He concludes that Tolkachev was a "dangle" agent run by the KGB to obtain CIA technical equipment such as spy cameras, project a false image of Soviet military and economic vitality, and absorb the CIA in a resource- and time-consuming operation.{{sfn|Fischer|2008|p=49}}

However, contradicting Fischer's assertions, the Soviet [[Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Politburo]] discussed Tolkachev on September 25, 1986, and top Soviet officials stated that he "was caught with two million rubles" and "handed over very important military-technical secrets to the enemy". The conversation transcript states that Tolkachev had been executed the previous day for his espionage on behalf of the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Blanton|first1=Tom|last2=Savranskaya|first2=Svetlana|title=Soviet Politburo Discussed Billion-Dollar Spy|url=http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB540-Soviet-Politburo-Discussed-CIA-Billion-Dollar-Spy-Adolf-Tolkachev/|website=National Security Archive|publisher=The George Washington University|accessdate=4 May 2016}}</ref> Historian Nicholas Dujmovic criticized Fischer's article as "speculative," saying that he makes "few factual statements".<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Dujmovic|first1=Nicholas|title=The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal|journal=Studies in Intelligence|date=March 2016|volume=60|issue=1|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol-60-no-1/the-billion-dollar-spy.html}}</ref> Hoffman rebutted Fischer's theory, reasserting that Tolkachev furnished genuine technical information.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hoffman|first1=David|title=Tolkachev's Bona Fides|journal=International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence|date=Fall 2016|volume=29|issue=3|pages=639-640|doi=10.1080/08850607.2016.1148511|url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08850607.2016.1148511}}</ref> Fischer responded that the CIA has not released the intelligence provided by Tolkachev; that the Politburo transcript is "suspicious" and possibly falsified; and that the KGB, which ran other "dangles" providing intelligence on Soviet weapons technologies, was also in control of Tolkachev.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Fischer|first1=Benjamin B.|title=Tolkachev Evidence Still Skimpy|journal=International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence|date=Winter 2016|volume=29|issue=4|pages=846–848|doi=10.1080/08850607.2016.1177413|url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08850607.2016.1177413}}</ref>

==Citations==
{{reflist}}
==References==
*{{cite journal|last1=Fischer|first1=Benjamin|title=The Spy Who Came in for the Gold: A Skeptical View of the GTVANQUISH Case|journal=Journal of Intelligence History|date=2008|volume=8|issue=1|doi=10.1080/16161262.2008.10555148|url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/16161262.2008.10555148|ref=harv}}
*{{cite book|last1=Hoffman|first1=David|title=The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal|date=2015|publisher=Doubleday|location=New York|isbn=978-0385537605|ref=harv}}
*{{cite journal|last1=Royden|first1=Barry|title=Tolkachev, A Worthy Successor to Penkovsky|journal=Studies in Intelligence|date=2003|volume=47|issue=3|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol47no3/article02.html|ref=harv}}

{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tolkachev, Adolf}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:1986 deaths]]
[[Category:Soviet engineers]]
[[Category:20th-century engineers]]
[[Category:Soviet people executed for spying for the United States]]
[[Category:People from Aktobe]]
[[Category:Kazakhstani people executed by the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Executed Soviet people from Kazakhstan]]

Miras International School, Almaty

2016-09-23T14:59:07Z

WhisperToMe: /* See also */

{{Infobox school
| name = Miras International School
| image =
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption =
| location = [[Almaty]], [[Kazakhstan]]
| streetaddress = 190 Al Farabi Street
| city = Almaty
| postalcode = 050043
| country = Kazakhstan
| country1 =
| coordinates =
| schoolnumber =
| schoolboard = Nursultan Nazarbayev Educational Foundation
| head of school = Irina R. Vlassyants
| head_label = Head of school
| principal = James Lothschutz - Secondary School
| principal1 = Annia Dear - Primary School
| viceprincipal = Zhanna N. Nurtayeva - Primary School
| viceprincipal1 = Elena G. Vladimirovna - Secondary School
| dean = Larisa Timofeeva
| teaching_staff = 131
| classes offered = [[International Baccalaureate]] Programmes
| age range = 3-18
| medium =
| language = Kazakh, English and Russian
| founded = 1999
| students = 667
| homepage = [http://www.miras.kz www.miras.kz]
}}

'''Miras International School, Almaty''' is an [[international school]] providing both [[International Baccalaureate]] and Kazakh Curriculum in the foothills of [[Almaty]], [[Kazakhstan]].

Miras provides education in a choice of three languages. Kindergarten to Grade 12 classes are offered for Kazakhstani students and foreign nationals.

==Curriculum==
Miras International School offers the International Baccalaureate Programme, one of only 112 schools worldwide that is authorized in all three IB programmes:
*[[IB Primary Years Programme]] (IB PYP)
*[[IB Middle Years Programme]] (IB MYP), with issuance of the MYP Certificate
*[[IB Diploma Programme]] (IB DP), which culminates with the IB Diploma

In Elementary, a combination of Kazakh and IB Primary Years Programme is provided.
Miras provides a choice between the Kazakh programme and International Programme in Grade 6. There is no specific middle school or high school. Rather, the IB Middle Years Programme is offered to students from grade 6 to 10. Students also have the option of taking the local Kazakh programme. Students have the option of taking the IB Diploma programme for their last two years of study.

Drama is offered to the international students. Every Kazakhstani student is required to study the Kazakh language.
Russian and English are mandatory classes as well.

==International Stream==
Miras School had 9 nationalities represented during the 2015-2016 academic year. The International Stream is the smallest section of the school.

==Administration==
The Head of School is Irina R. Vlassyants. Primary School Principal is Annia Dear, and Secondary School Principal is James Lothschutz.

==MISMUN Model United Nations==
The Miras School hosts the annual Model United Nations conference each year in late February. Schools from across Kazakhstan and in Almaty attend the annual event.

==Facilities and sports==
The campus facilities include science and computer laboratories with Internet access. The school has a greenhouse, two libraries, a swimming pool, football pitch, two gymnasiums, a fitness room and a climbing wall. The school has teams for sport and dance and often allows guest performers on Fridays.

==See also==
{{portal|Kazakhstan|Schools}}
*[[List of schools in Almaty]]

==External links==
*[http://miras.kz School Website]
*[http://www.mirasmun.tk MISMUN website]
*[http://www.kisnet.org/ Kazakhstan International School]
{{International schools in Kazakhstan}}
{{coord missing|Kazakhstan}}

==References==

[[Category:Schools in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:International schools in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Education in Almaty]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1999]]
[[Category:1999 establishments in Kazakhstan]]

{{Kazakhstan-school-stub}}

Haileybury Astana

2016-09-23T14:58:45Z

WhisperToMe: /* External links */

{{unreferenced|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox UK school
| name = Haileybury Astana
| image = [[Image:Haileybury Astana Logo.png|180px]]
| motto = {{lang-la|Sursum Corda}}<br>("Lift Up Your Hearts")
| latitude = 51.110945
| longitude = 71.453147
| dms =
| established = ''2011''
| approx =
| closed =
| c_approx =
| type = [[Independent school]]
| religion =
| president =
| head_label = Headmaster
| head = Colin Callaghan
| r_head_label =
| r_head =
| chair_label = Chairman of Governors
| chair = Alister Bartholomew
| founder_pl =
| specialist =
| street =
| city = [[Astana]], [[Kazakhstan]]
| country =
| LEA =
| ofsted =
| staff =
| enrollment = 420 (approx.)
| gender = Mixed
| lower_age = 2
| upper_age = 15
| houses = {{color|yellow|Attlee}} <br> {{color|red|Bartle Frere}} <br> {{color|Blue|Edmondsone}} <br> {{color|green|Kipling}}
| publication = Hearts & Wings
| website = http://www.haileyburyastana.kz
}}

'''Haileybury Astana''' is an [[independent school]] in [[Astana]], [[Kazakhstan]]. It was founded in 2011 as offshoot from [[Haileybury and Imperial Service College|Haileybury]], an independent school in England.

==History and development==
[[Haileybury and Imperial Service College|Haileybury]], one of Britain’s oldest independent boarding schools, has a long heritage of involvement in Asia due to its association with the [[East India Company]]. Through connections with the largest number of Kazakh nationals in any UK independent school, Haileybury UK founded a school in Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2008. Following the foundation of [[Haileybury Almaty]], a similar school under the auspices of Haileybury was developed in [[Astana]], the capital city of [[Kazakhstan]]. The project commenced in 2009, and ground was broken on the construction phase in July 2010.
The design of the school is a modernist take on Haileybury in the UK, with a small central tree-lined quad and amphitheatre, surrounded by classroom blocks, and indoor play areas.

== Aims and aspirations ==

Haileybury Astana was opened on 31 August 2011 by Kazakhstan's first President, Nursultan Nazarbayev. Under the leadership of founding Headmaster Andrew Auster, the school provided education for boys and girls from the ages of two to eleven when it first opened its doors. Now, under the leadership of Headmaster Colin Callaghan, there are currently 420 pupils aged 2–15 years The school will include year 10 pupils in 2015-2016 and will be a fully fledged 2-18 school by 2018.

In addition to the expected range of subjects taught in most UK independent schools, Haileybury Astana also offers Kazakh language lessons from Key Stage 1 onwards. Russian, French and Spanish languages are also taught. Apart from languages, all teaching is conducted in English, with support from tri-lingual teaching assistants. All pupils are expected and encouraged to speak English during the school day.

The school follows the standards of the UK National Curriculum for each level of education, with subjects taught by qualified teachers from the UK. Pupils will be prepared to sit the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examinations at the age of sixteen, and the school hopes to offer the International Baccalaureate(IB) Diploma to Sixth Form pupils, pending accreditation by the IBO.

The school aims at a standard comparable with independent schools in developing countries, average skills in English, and to prepare its pupils to access the best of university education in Kazakhstan.

==House system==
The school has four houses, each named after famous alumni of Haileybury in the UK.
* Attlee (yellow)
* Bartle Frere (red)
* Edmonstone (blue)
* Kipling (green)
With the exception of Attlee House, each house has a counterpart in the historic house system of Haileybury in the UK. Each house has its own colour.

==School events==
[[File:Mad about Maths.jpg|thumb|‘Mad about Maths’ Academic Day]]
The school has engaged in a series of concerts by professional musicians, from the Kazakh National Quintet to a local Jazz assemble. School staff founded the Astana Community Choir in 2001, and the Hailrybury International Community Choir in September 2013. Haileybury Astana has an active sports programme, competing with schools both within Kazakhstan and at International level overseas. The school is a member of COBIS.

Pupils may participate in residential trips to the UK, and other countries such as Nepal, Turkey, Hong Kong and Greece. Internally, the school holds academic days focusing on Maths, science, STEM, World Book Day, Kazakh festivals and World festivals.

The school's notable guests have included President [[Nursultan Nazarbayev]], B.T. Zhumagulov (Kazakhstan's Minister of Education), top tennis stars Rafael Nadal and Martina Hingis, Olympic medalist Serik Sapiyev, Murat the Clown, former child star and holder of the record of youngest professional clown in the world.

Haileybury Day is held annually. During the day, pupils and their families may participate in many events and there are stalls selling a range of goods. All profits from this event are sent to charities nominated by the pupils.

==Future developments==
The school will continue to grow until it is a full 2-18 school by September 2018. Haileybury Astana is a candidate school to introduce the IB Diploma in September 2017. The school has plans to further develop the site. Possible future developments include a Kindergarten, sports' hall and IB centre.

== External links ==
{{portal|Kazakhstan|United Kingdom|Schools}}
{{International schools in Kazakhstan}}

[[Category:Educational institutions established in 2011]]
[[Category:International schools in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Schools in Astana]]

Haileybury Almaty

2016-09-23T14:58:26Z

WhisperToMe: /* External links */

'''Haileybury Almaty''' is an [[independent school]] in [[Almaty]], [[Kazakhstan]]. It was founded in 2008 as an offshoot of [[Haileybury and Imperial Service College|Haileybury]], an independent school in England.

== External links ==
{{portal|Kazakhstan|United Kingdom|Schools}}
* [http://www.haileyburyalmaty.kz/ Haileybury Almaty School]
* [http://www.haileybury.com/ Haileybury UK]
* [http://www.haileyburyastana.com/ Haileybury Astana]

== References ==
News
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/6297881.stm/ BBC News: UK public school for Kazakhstan]

Architecture
* [https://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=16665/ Archnet Architecture]
* [http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/aj100/aj100-building-of-the-year-2009-beijing-capital-international-airport/5214138.article/ Architects Journal shortlist Building of the Year 2009]
* [http://www.bcse.uk.net/menu.asp?id=413/ International Schools - Inspiring Design]
{{International schools in Kazakhstan}}
{{coord missing|Kazakhstan}}

[[Category:International schools in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Education in Almaty]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 2008]]
[[Category:Schools in Kazakhstan]]

{{Kazakhstan-school-stub}}

Miras International School Astana

2016-09-23T14:57:10Z

WhisperToMe: /* External links */

{{Underlinked|date=May 2016}}

'''Miras International School Astana''' is a K-12 international school in [[Astana]], [[Kazakhstan]].

It includes a French section serving levels ''maternelle'' (preschool) through ''lycée'' (senior high school). It began classes in September 2011.<ref>"[http://www.ambafrance-kz.org/Section-francaise-a-l-ecole-Miras Section française à l’école Miras d’Astana]" ([http://www.webcitation.org/6Y3gYhF0U Archive]). Embassy of France in Kazakhstan. Retrieved on April 26, 2015.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{portal|Kazakhstan|Schools|France}}
* [http://www.miras-astana.kz/ Miras International School Astana]
* [http://portal.miras-astana.kz/ School portal]
* "[http://www.ambafrance-kz.org/Creation-de-l-ecole-francaise-d Création de l’école française d’Astana ]" ([http://www.webcitation.org/6Y3gdOMqG Archive]). Embassy of France in Kazakhstan. 19 April 2011.
{{International schools in Kazakhstan}}
{{French schools in the Mideast and Subcontinent}}

{{coord missing|Kazakhstan}}

[[Category:International schools in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:French international schools]]
[[Category:Schools in Astana]]

Template:International schools in Kazakhstan

2015-09-18T04:56:24Z

WhisperToMe:

{{Navbox
| name = International schools in Kazakhstan
| title = International schools in [[Kazakhstan]] {{flagicon|Kazakhstan}}
| listclass = hlist
| state = {{{state|autocollapse}}}

| group1 = [[Astana]]
| list1 =
* {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Haileybury Astana]]
* [[Miras International School Astana]] ({{flagicon|France}} French section)
* [[QSI International School of Astana]]

| group2 = [[Almaty]]
| list2 =
* {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Haileybury Almaty]]
* [[Almaty International School]]
* [[Miras International School, Almaty]]
* [[Kazakhstan International School]]

| group3 = [[Aktau]]
| list3 =
* [[QSI International School of Aktau]]

| group4 = [[Atyrau]]
| list4 =
* [[QSI International School of Atyrau]]

}}<noinclude>

{{collapsible option}}
[[Category:International schools in Kazakhstan| ]]
[[Category:Kazakhstan education navigational boxes]]
</noinclude>