#301 – Jack Barsky: KGB Spy | Lex Fridman Podcast

Jack Barsky is a former KGB spy and author of “Deep Undercover: My Secret Life and Tangled Allegiances as a KGB Spy in America”. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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EPISODE LINKS:
Jack’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepcoverbarsky
Jack’s Website: https://jackbarsky.com
Deep Undercover (book): https://amzn.to/39XMTgG
The Agent (podcast): https://cumuluspodcastnetwork.com/pods/the-agent

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OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(06:52) – KGB
(19:43) – Communism
(38:45) – Childhood
(45:32) – Becoming a KGB agent
(1:24:04) – Training
(1:37:53) – Language
(1:43:45) – Moscow
(1:58:45) – Spying
(2:15:43) – Putin
(2:18:35) – War in Ukraine
(2:30:02) – Putin in the KGB
(2:36:56) – Yuri Bezmenov
(2:47:33) – FSB and CIA
(2:55:24) – Putin and Zelenskyy
(3:04:13) – Quitting the KGB
(3:30:32) – Love and regrets
(3:38:44) – Mortality