Portrait of Soviet intelligence officer Konon Molody (2023) Painting by Dmitrii Kastalskii

Charming English millionaire Gordon Arthur Lonsdale, also the leader of the illegal station of Soviet foreign intelligence in England, Konon Trofimovich Molody.
Artwork by Moscow artist Dmitrii Kastalslii.

Portrait from photo to order.
watercolor, paper 100% cotton
24x36 cm
2023, Moscow

It was a very interesting order — to draw a portrait of a man with a very unusual fate, closely connected with the history of our country. There were only a couple of black and white photos as references.

Surprisingly

— a boy from an intelligent Moscow family, who lived for several years with his aunt in prosperous San Francisco, had excellent prospects there and still returned to his homeland,

— a front-line intelligence officer who went through the entire war and was awarded more than once for bravery,

— a polyglot fluent in Chinese, German and English,

— a respectable owner of several successful British enterprises, one of whose developments became the prototype of all modern car alarms and was awarded a gold medal “for the best British exhibit” at the local European Exhibition of Economic Achievements in Brussels,

— charming millionaire Gordon Arthur Lonsdale, leading a secular lifestyle, making useful contacts in industrial and military circles throughout England,

all this is one person — resident of the Soviet illegal intelligence service Konon Trofimovich Molody.

Related themes

PortraitHistory20Th CenturyBritainUssr