I don’t know how the KGB picked me out of the crowd. Our first conversation took place after lunch on a Wednesday in my office. That talk was civil enough. I didn’t hide the fact that I’d been on Independence Square during the postelection protests. Eventually, the agent promised that if I'd admit everything honestly, they’d look on my case favorably. After all, he said, it would be a shame to destroy the career of such a young and promising specialist.
