The Top Secret – Espionage in Finland series is hosted by Kari Heiskanen.
Ten part documentary series Top secret – espionage in Finland (2023) reviews our country's espionage history in half-hour packages.
The series is scripted by a TV con artist Antti Seppänen. Seppänen has produced several TV series delving into the history of Finland in the 20th century, such as Jari Tervon hosted by Koivisto and Kekkonen. Now an actor is attached as the front picture Kari Heiskanen.
Series the opening episode introduces one of the most famous cases in the history of domestic espionage: the so-called Kemira case from the late 1970s. The KGB had targeted those who worked at Kemira's information service Eila Helinin. Through Helin, the agents of the eastern neighbor try to get access to, for example, Kemira's research information from the west.
The KGB set a so-called honey trap for Helin, who lived alone, and it was done Boris Stalnov agent named He contacted Helin, showed interest in her work and gradually swam into the vest, so to speak. A relationship developed between the two, with the help of which Stalnov began to pump information. At some point, Stalnov's place was taken Sergei Sidorov. Both were stationed at the Soviet Science and Culture Center on Nordenskiöldinkatu.
Documentary series is on the edge of a delicious topic, and the tone is matter-of-factly dry. It's refreshing that our espionage history hasn't been forced into a fashionable true crime style.
The most interesting interviews in the program are heard from people who were connected to the case in one way or another. For example, those who started as head of Supo at that time are included Seppo Tiitinen and made a career as a diplomat Rene Nyberg.
The security police tracked down the spies and Helin by accident. Nyberg, who lived in the same apartment complex in Espoo's Souka, happened to see Sidorov leaving Helin's house, whom he knew to be the so-called Tehtaankatu men, i.e. people visiting the Soviet embassy.
Helin received a sentence of two and a half years, Sidorov was deported and Stalnov was banned from entering the country.
Titian even receives great criticism in the program. During his time in Supo, the so-called yellow card model was developed, which meant that agents who ran afoul were first given a warning instead of being expelled from the country.
At the time of Finnishization, it can also be interpreted as a way for the Protection Police to survive in a difficult situation.
In the second episode of the series, we hear about Pekka Toivola's case.
Series the cases mostly relate to the Soviet Union. A casual observer might think that espionage was exclusively the business of the eastern neighbors. Already in
the second episode, however, a case is presented where a Finn got caught up in espionage: Pekka Toivola was known to be the only Finn who was convicted of espionage in the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
He was saved by the president Kekkonenwho took a private fishing and vacation trip to the Soviet Union three weeks after the verdict and agreed on the matter.
That's the scenario question for the next presidential exam: what would you do in a situation where a Finnish spy was caught on the territory of a foreign country?
Top secret – espionage in Finland, 5.2. from Yle Areena and TV1 at 19:30.
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