One of the most famous Russian Georgians, a veteran of intelligence. Fortunately, he gained fame not as a result of failure, but because he worked as the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation. Yuri Kobaladze is now in teaching. Before that I managed to work in various commercial and banking structures.
early years
Yuri Kobaladze was born on January 22, 1949 in Tbilisi. After graduating from high school, he went to the Soviet capital. As he himself later said, Moscow and Leningrad were places of greatest attraction. Seven to eight flights a day flew there from the Georgian capital. On the second attempt he entered MGIMO.
Remembering the years of study, a former intelligence officer said that they studied too many unnecessary items. Kobaladze well remembers how students were asked to outline a large number of Lenin's works. He had great difficulty passing the exam in the economics of socialism, because he could not understand what this subject was about. He is generally a very specific person, it is difficult for him to think in abstractions.
Student Kobaladze's favorite subject was regional geography. He regrets that he is not being taught now, because international journalists should immediately specialize in a particular state. Yuri chose England and considers himself an expert in this country. In 1972 he graduated from the Faculty of International Journalism of the country's most prestigious university - MGIMO.
Carier start
After graduation, he was assigned to TASS. All this time, his career was monitored by the competent authorities. They became interested in him, and Yuri Kobaladze was offered to go to work in the KGB of the USSR. He agreed and never regretted the decision. He was always proud of his intelligence service. Kobaladze was sent to study at the Red Banner Institute of the KGB of the USSR.
After graduating from a renowned educational institution, he was sent to work in the first main KGB department engaged in foreign intelligence. Then he went to work at TASS. A year and a half later - on Central Television.
Undercover work
Since 1977, for seven years he worked for foreign intelligence under the guise of the position of correspondent of the State Radio and Television in the UK. Collaborated with the famous journalist Boris Kalyagin, TASS own correspondent in the UK.
Naturally, practically nothing is known about the work of Yuri Kobaladze of those years. According to the scout himself, he lived very well in London. He volunteered as a club restaurant for journalists and a wine club. He was responsible for organizing dinner parties, receptions and press conferences. During these social events, he met many important people - lords, ministers, politicians and public figures. Kobaladze talks so colorfully about this, that many listeners got the impression that the “office” reimbursed all expenses.
Homecoming
In 1984 he returned from a business trip abroad. Yuri Kobaladze was sent to work at his former duty station. He worked in the central apparatus of the KGB foreign intelligence until the collapse of the Soviet Union. Despite the fact that the scouts who returned after working in other countries try not to let them go abroad, he was allowed to travel abroad. As an employee of the State Radio and Television, he was a member of the delegation accompanying Secretary General Gorbachev during his visits to the United States and Malta. And he even managed to go back to London, although he received a visa to Great Britain with great difficulty.
After the formation of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation in 1991, he headed the organization’s press service. "Spy" biography of Yuri Kobaladze ended in 1999, he went into the reserve with the rank of major general. He himself believes that he had a very successful career as a professional intelligence officer. The work is delicate and complex, but it allows you to constantly gain new knowledge and improve.
After service
Upon retirement, he worked in senior positions in large commercial and banking institutions. He was responsible for corporate matters, including external relations with the government and the press.
The episode of his work for the retailer company X5Retail Group received great fame. When Yuri Kobaladze was a member of the accompanying Vladimir Putin when visiting one of the Perekrestok chain stores, the president noted that the margin for meat was almost doubled. What the former intelligence officer quickly found something to say, promising to lower prices tomorrow.
Since 2006, collaborates with the radio "Echo of Moscow". Since 2014, he has been working as deputy dean of the faculty of international journalism at the native institute. He himself considers this a terrific achievement.
Yuri Kobaladze is seriously interested in music, especially loves Verdi, he has a large collection of old vinyl records. In his free time he enjoys rafting on mountain rivers. Married in 1977. Yuri Kobaladze and wife Alla have two daughters: Katya and the youngest Manana. Children were born in Russia and almost do not know the Georgian language.