Uritskiy, Semen Petrovich

(1899–1938)

   As chief of the GRU from 1935 to 1937, Uritskiy directed Richard Sorge in Asia, as well as other talented illegals. Despite promotions and rewards, he was never fully trusted by Joseph Stalin. He was arrested in November 1937 with most of his staff and shot shortly thereafter. According to a recent GRU history, 200 senior members of the GRU headquarters cadre were arrested in 1937–1938. Most of their replacements had no intelligence experience. In 1964 Uritskiy was posthumously rehabilitated and given credit for Sorge’s operations in Japan.