The author’s next biographical study is devoted to the life and work of the long-time head of Soviet intelligence, who headed the State Security Committee of the USSR at a turning point in history, during the years of intensified confrontation between two polar political forces, which ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Important milestones in the hero’s biography were his participation in the defense and restoration of Stalingrad, the Hungarian events of 1956 and the Afghan War, and the activities of the State Committee for the State of Emergency (GKChP), which tried in August 1991 to prevent the death of a great power. The author tried to understand the reasons for the sharp discrepancy in assessments of the role of V. A. Kryuchkov in the significant events of Soviet history. The book is intended for a wide range of readers. [Adapted for AlReader]