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In this shot of a crowded Australian city street at 5 O'clock in the afternoon.
Any one of these hurrying workers going home, could be a Soviet illegal resident.
Emille Goldfus, living quietly as an artist in New York was one. His true identity, Colonel Rudolpg Abel of the KGB.
Gordon Lonsdale, holding an office job in London was another.
His true identity Konon Molody of the Russian Intelligence Service
For five years the Soviet Embassy in Canberra stood vacant until, the Societ Union decided to re-establish diplomatic relations in 1959.
And of course their legal residency as well.
Mr Skripov, as mentioned earlier, was one of the first arrivals.
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, or ASIO, left Mr Skripov alone for over a year while he explore his new environment.
He visited all the standard tourist attractions, including,
Taronga Park Zoo,
The Sydney Harbour Bridge,
Coogee, and other Sydney beaches.
At the end of the year, he knew all about Canberra and Sydney, and he was quite convinced ASIO had forgotton him.
But, they hadn't.
They were there, at Taronga Park Zoo to photograph his first clandestine meeting with Silvia,
the Australian woman who helped to unmask him.
(seedy brass instrumental)
I am Silvia. When I first met Ivan Fyodorovich Skripov, in march of 1961, I didn't know that he had been in Australia almost two years.
I didn't know what he was really doing.
In fact. I never knew his name was Ivan Skripov, until he was declared persona non grata.
I simply knew him as John.
There was a good deal I did not know.
And over the months, the officials of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation,
known as ASIO, who monitored my contacts with Skripov from the day I'd met him, had to explain it to me.
The beginning was simple enough, because I did know what a diplomat was,
and something about what diplomats do.
Our meetings for the first year or so, were uneventful,
and ASIO couldn't quite decide what Mr Skripov wanted.
He gave me £425, which I handed to ASIO, and presents for Christmas.
We had almost given up hope when Mr Skripov finally showed his true colours,
by giving me some red capsules and a small bottle of fluid to bring up secret writings (test?).
His instructions were most meticulous.
He told me, I would receive a friendly letter, through the post from time to time, signed by Theresa.
On reverse side of the letter, there would be important instructions, for me, printed in secret ink.
To bring up the secret message, I'd need, as well as the capsules and the fluid,
a kettle of boiling water, a rubber glove, some cotton wool, a tumbler and a teaspoon.
I had first to put three teaspoons of the liquid into a glass, then dissolve one capsule in it.
The liquid is colourless, suspiciously like *** as a matter a fact.
I was told, before applying it, to steam the letter.
But I think Mr Skripov must have got his instructions from Moscow mixed up,
because it works just as well if you don't steam the letter first.
The glove is necessary when handling this liquid,
because if it gets on the skin, it will turn it purple.
The letter is swabbed, then steamed again.
Watch now, as the secret writing, appears in the top left hand corner.
Actualy, his first letter was only a test, so I could practice bringing up the secret writing.
In March 1962, Mr Skripov asked me to go to a water meter near Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Here is a part of the secret recording, made as he gave me instructions.
(skripov: actors voice)You go out along the great wall.
(Silvia: actors voice)I know that, yes I know that wall.
(Skripov: actors voice) Yes, So, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney, the pavillion and there's a lookout would be ???
??? from the left hand side you see and ??? ??? for Sydney Harbour ??? harbour bridge ???
So you go around and there's a grass there, green again, there's a lawn you see and palm trees and so on.