Previous editions of this book have already received high praise from both the general reader and the professional community: V. A. Kirpichenko was awarded the title of laureate of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service for the best work in the field of literature and art about Russian foreign intelligence. A long stay at the helm of this service (in 1979–1991, V. A. Kirpichenko was the first deputy head of the PGU KGB of the USSR) allowed the author to create a gallery of memorable portraits of intelligence officers, including heads of the KGB and foreign intelligence services, previously unknown heroes and notorious traitors. Along with this, the book reveals the true facts that underlay many dramatic episodes of modern history, including the events that marked the beginning of the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan.