The Moscow rules are rules-of-thumb said to have been developed during the Cold War to be used by spies and others working in Moscow.
The rules are associated with Moscow because the city developed a reputation as being a particularly harsh locale for clandestine operatives who were exposed. The list may never have existed as written.
Although no one had written them down, they were the precepts we all understood for conducting operations in the most difficult of operating environments: the Soviet capital. By the time they got to Moscow, everyone knew these rules. They were dead simple and full of common sense.[1]
Moscow rules are prominently referred to in John le Carré's cold war books including Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley's People, as tradecraft, including use of inconspicuous signal markers (drawing pins, chalk marks), the use of dead drops, and the ways to signal the need for a (rare) face-to-face meeting. Moscow Rules are important at the beginning of Smiley's People, where the General invokes the rules to request a meeting with Smiley, but he is followed and killed by KGB assassins before it can happen. The applicable rule states that no documents may be carried that cannot be instantly discarded, in this instance a 35mm negative concealed in an empty pack of cigarettes.
In Spooks there are references to the Moscow Rules. In particular, in Season 6 Episode 10, Harry Pearce tells someone, "Treat London as enemy territory, keep your head down, find an opportunity, and make a move." In an earlier episode in Season 5, rogue MI6 agent Richard Dempsey is said to be in disguise and following the Moscow Rules, where the idea of treating the place as enemy territory is repeated.
Mick Herron's Slough House (Slow Horses for television) series refers to the Moscow Rules and counters those with The London Rules.
Charles Stross's novel Dark State (2017) refers to the Moscow Rules at page 35, as a supervisor advises a novice spy who has been dropped into unfamiliar territory and feels she failed.
In The Middleman, episode 8 (the "Ectoplasmic Pan-Hellenic Investigation"), the Moscow Rules are recited.
The rules are also referred to briefly by character Leila in the "Too Much Information" chapter of Jonathan Franzen's novel Purity.
The rules are referred to in Jason Matthews' novel, "Palace of Treason" at p.307 (paperback).
^Mendez, Antonio; Mendez, Jonna; Henderson, Bruce (2003). Spy Dust: Two Masters of Disguise Reveal the Tools and Operations that Helped Win the Cold War. New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 36. ISBN9780743434584.
^. The Spy Museum. Archived from the original on 23 March 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
Further readingedit
Whidden. Glenn H. A Guidebook For Beginning Sweepers. Technical Services Agency
April 12, 2024
moscow, rules, daniel, silva, novel, moscow, rules, novel, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, new. For the Daniel Silva novel see Moscow Rules novel This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources The Moscow rules news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Moscow rules are rules of thumb said to have been developed during the Cold War to be used by spies and others working in Moscow The rules are associated with Moscow because the city developed a reputation as being a particularly harsh locale for clandestine operatives who were exposed The list may never have existed as written Contents 1 The rules 2 Fictional references 3 References 4 Further readingThe rules editAgent Tony Mendez wrote Although no one had written them down they were the precepts we all understood for conducting operations in the most difficult of operating environments the Soviet capital By the time they got to Moscow everyone knew these rules They were dead simple and full of common sense 1 In the International Spy Museum in Washington D C the Moscow Rules are given as 2 Assume nothing Never go against your gut Everyone is potentially under opposition control Do not look back you are never completely alone Go with the flow blend in Vary your pattern and stay within your cover Lull them into a sense of complacency Do not harass the opposition Pick the time and place for action Keep your options open Fictional references editThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed July 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message Moscow rules are prominently referred to in John le Carre s cold war books including Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley s People as tradecraft including use of inconspicuous signal markers drawing pins chalk marks the use of dead drops and the ways to signal the need for a rare face to face meeting Moscow Rules are important at the beginning of Smiley s People where the General invokes the rules to request a meeting with Smiley but he is followed and killed by KGB assassins before it can happen The applicable rule states that no documents may be carried that cannot be instantly discarded in this instance a 35mm negative concealed in an empty pack of cigarettes In Spooks there are references to the Moscow Rules In particular in Season 6 Episode 10 Harry Pearce tells someone Treat London as enemy territory keep your head down find an opportunity and make a move In an earlier episode in Season 5 rogue MI6 agent Richard Dempsey is said to be in disguise and following the Moscow Rules where the idea of treating the place as enemy territory is repeated Mick Herron s Slough House Slow Horses for television series refers to the Moscow Rules and counters those with The London Rules Daniel Silva s Moscow Rules places Gabriel Allon in Moscow Charles Stross s novel Dark State 2017 refers to the Moscow Rules at page 35 as a supervisor advises a novice spy who has been dropped into unfamiliar territory and feels she failed In The Middleman episode 8 the Ectoplasmic Pan Hellenic Investigation the Moscow Rules are recited The rules are also referred to briefly by character Leila in the Too Much Information chapter of Jonathan Franzen s novel Purity The rules are referred to in Jason Matthews novel Palace of Treason at p 307 paperback The rules are referred to in Liam Gallagher s song Moscow Rules from his 2022 album C mon You Know Season 3 Episode 7 of Tom Clancy s Jack Ryan TV series on Amazon Prime Video is entitled Moscow Rules References edit Mendez Antonio Mendez Jonna Henderson Bruce 2003 Spy Dust Two Masters of Disguise Reveal the Tools and Operations that Helped Win the Cold War New York Simon and Schuster p 36 ISBN 9780743434584 Moscow Rules The Spy Museum Archived from the original on 23 March 2015 Retrieved 8 July 2017 Further reading editWhidden Glenn H A Guidebook For Beginning Sweepers Technical Services Agency Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Moscow rules amp oldid 1164027159, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
