ROCOR Konstantin Preobrazhensky is a famous intelligence expert and specialist on Japan, author of six books about Japan.
He was born in 1953 in Moscow, Russia. In 1976, he graduated from the Institute of Asia and Africa of the Moscow University with an M.A. In 1975-76 K. Preobrazhensky was an intern at Tokai University, Tokyo, Japan.
From 1976-91 he served as an officer in KGB Intelligence. His last position was as personal advisor on China, Japan and Korea, to the
Head of the Scientific and Technical Intelligence of the KGB.
From 1980-85 K. Preobrazhensky was the senior officer at the KGB station in Tokyo, Japan. He was ostensibly the correspondent of TASS, Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union. But for him it was not just a cover, as he is a born writer. He wrote many literary pieces about Japan, some of which were later considered masterpieces.
As a KGB officer he concentrated on the recruitment of Chinese scholars for Soviet Scientific and Technical Intelligence. He reported directly to Victor Chebrikov, KGB Chairman, and Vladimir Kryuchkov, Head of KGB Intelligence. K. Preobrazhensky was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel as a young officer.
In July 1985, K. Preobrazhensky became the center of a sensational spy scandal. The Japanese police caught him at a meeting with his Chinese agent, whom he had previously recruited. He was released in a couple of hours, but the KGB forcibly returned him to Moscow. Though the reason of this failure was unknown, the KGB accused K. Preobrazhensky of it solely. He suffered much undeserved humiliation which he later described in his book "The Spy Who Loved Japan" (Tokyo, 1994).
In 1991 K. Preobrazhensky left the KGB and became its harshest critic. His books and articles unmask its inhumane and illegal activities.
From 1993-2002 he was a security issues columnist for the "Moscow Times", a Moscow based English language newspaper. His articles, disclosing the activities of the KGB made him world famous.
His activities have irritated the KGB greatly. K. Preobrazhensky suffered many provocations including attempted illegal arrest, but managed to escape thanks to his lawyers. But after President Putin’s coming to power, it has become impossible. KGB dissidents and critics are jailed and murdered in Russia now. That is why in January 2003 K. Preobrazhensky fled to the U.S.A.
Here in the U.S.A. he continues to unmask the KGB. He is a regular speaker on the Voice of America, has given lectures at: Columbia, Georgetown and Johns Hopkins Universities, where he also has given a
seminar "Asian Security".
K. Preobrazhensky has been quoted and published by: The Associated Press, Association of Former Intelligence Officers Weekly; Intelligence Notes, BBC, Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, East- Asia-Intel.com, Financial Times, Japanese media, Los Angeles Times, Spy Tech Agency Intel Bulletin, Russia Reform Monitor, American Foreign Policy Council, Newsweek, London Observer,NewsMax.com, The New American, Reuters, The Russia Journal, SKY News, The Weekly Standard, and The Washington Post.
In Russian, K.Preobrazhensky’s family name means "Transfiguration". It says that he is a descendant of the family of Russian clergy. Actually, his ancestors were Rectors of the Transfiguration Church in the Tver diocese, after which they got they family name.
Aatthe end of the 19th century, the Preobrazhenskys, like a lot of other Russian clergy, became the laymen intelligentsia, teachers and doctors. Mr. Preobrazhensky’s grandfather, Alexander, was a prominent Soviet medical doctor, endocrinologist, consultant at the Kremlin Hospital and a secret Orthodox Christian. He was one of those few doctors, who were allowed to examine and treat Stalin personally.
Like most of them he was subjected to arrest in 1953, but escaped it thanks to Stalin’s death.
K. Preobrazhensky father, George, was a KGB Major General, the Deputy Commander of the Frontier Troops of the KGB. He was a secret Orthodox Christian too. The religious faith was considered an ideological crime for KGB generals, who all were supposed to be fanatic Communists.
The disclosure of faith of the KGB officer would cause immediate expulsion from the KGB and Communist Party, making him an outcast in the Soviet society and dooming his family to poverty. But still Mr.
Preobrazhesky’s father has nourished his son in the Orthodox faith.
While in the KGB, K.Preobrazhensky did his bestin learning how the KGB was working on the Church. He has interviewed many KGB officers with regard to their activities in recruiting priests or acting under the cover of clergymen by themselves. This priceless information was later used in his books and articles.
K. Preobrazhensky has discovered that KGB considered itself to be a sort of Church too, as it was controlling human souls. It checked people’s Communist faith if it was sincere or hypocritical. That’s why the KGB officers called themselves "The doctors of human souls,"as if they were priests.
It gave the title of a chapter of K.Preobrazhensky’s book "KGB in Japan"(Moscow, 2000), which was the first in the world literature to describe this phenomenon. It has described the KGB work on the Church viewed not by a believer or priest, but by a KGB officer,from inside.
Also, while in the KGB, K.Preobrazhensky had learned very well that the KGB was going to absorb the Russian Church Abroad in order to put Russian emigration all over the world under their surveiance and control.
In 1980 he had gained access and read a top-secret plan of the KGB activities, aiming at the disintegration of Russian Church Abroad.
Since coming to the U.S.A. in 2003, K. Preobrazhensky is courageously fighting for the Church so as not to allow this plan of the KGB to be finally accomplished.
All American patriots should join their efforts so as to not allow the massive penetration of KGB under the cover of Moscow Patriarchy, into the U.S.A.
Konstantin Preobrazhensky resides in the Washington D.C. area and attends "St John The Baptist,"the ROCOR Cathedral Church in Washington D.C.
For my dear friend and fellow-laborer in Christ's Vineyard,
ROAC Subdeacon Nathaniel Kapner
The Eleventh Hour