The_2000-year-old_history_of_animal_gift_giving.txt
'The most ingenious stunt since the Trojan Horse' The Soviet artwork that spied on the US.txt
'The fermoto cassino rio grandemost ingenious stunt since the Trojan Horse': The Soviet artwork that spied on the USSkip to contentBritish Broadcasting CorporationRegisterSign InHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of The Earth EarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewsletters'The most ingenious stunt since the Trojan Horse': The Soviet artwork that spied on the US27 August 2025ShareSaveMatt WilsonShareSaveGetty ImagesA listening device hidden in an artwork in 1945 was undetected by US security for seven years – and it's not the only example of art having been manipulated for subterfuge.Eighty years ago, during the final weeks of World War Two, a troop of Russian boy scouts presented the US Ambassador in Moscow with a hand-carved Great Seal of the US, at his official residence – Spaso House. The gift symbolised cooperation between Russia and the US during the war, and the US Ambassador W Averell Harriman proudly hung it in his house until 1952.But unbeknownst to the ambassador and his security team, the seal contained a covert listening device, later dubbed "The Thing" by US technical security teams. It spied on diplomatic conversations, completely undetected for seven years. By using a seemingly innocuous artwork to infiltrate the enemy and gain strategic advantage, the Soviets had pulled off the most ingenious stunt since Odysseus's Trojan Horse. But this is a true story, even if it sounds like the stuff of spy fiction. US technicians realised that the hand-carved Great Seal was an invisible ear, eavesdropping on behind-the-scenes ambassadorial discussionsHow did The Thing work? John Little, a 79-year-old specialist in counter-surveillance, has long been fascinated by the device, and even built his own replica of it. A documentary about Little's incredible work was released this year and, following its sell-out first live viewing in May, is due to be screened on 27 September at the National Museum of Computing, at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire. He describes the technology of The Thing in musical terms – as being composed of tubes like organ pipes and a membrane "like the skin of a drum, that will vibrate to the human voice". But it was compacted into a tiny object that looks like a hat pin – and with the advantage of passing unnoticed by counter-surveillance screening because it had "no electronics, no battery, and it doesn't get warm".The engineering of such an instrument was also painstakingly precise – "a cross between a Swiss watch and a micrometre". Historian H Keith Melton has claimed that, in its day, The Thing "elevated the science of audio monitoring to a level previously thought to be impossible."John LittleCounter-surveillance specialist John Little built his own replica of the Thing – a documentary about his work was released this year (Credit: John Little)Within Spaso House, The Thing was only activated when a remote transceiver, based in a nearby building, was switched on. This sent out a high frequency signal which reflected back all the vibrations coming from the bug's antenna. It was only when a British military radio operator working in Moscow in 1951 accidentally tuned into the exact wavelength used by The Thing, and heard conversations from a far-distant room, that it was detected. The next year, US technicians swept the ambassadorial residence and – after no fewer than three days' search – realised that the hand-carved Great Seal was an invisible ear, eavesdropping on behind-the-scenes ambassadorial discussions.Art as espionageReflecting on the success of The Thing, one of the Russian technicians who operated it, Vadim Goncharov, said that "for a long time, our country was able to get specific and very important information that gave us certain advantages… in the Cold War". And to this day, nobody outside of Soviet intelligence knows how many other "Things" may have been used by the USSR to spy on the West at the time.But its success as a bugging device was only partly due to its technical originality. It was effective because it exploited cultural attitudes towards beautiful objects. We tend to trust artworks and decorative items as passive symbols of status, taste or cultural interest. Russian intelligence weaponised this assumption with their sculpted, maple wood Great Seal. More like this:? The true story of a forgotten act of WW2 heroism? The WW2 poster that became a loved and hated icon? Pamela Harriman: 'Churchill's secret weapon'And it's not the only example from the history of art having been manipulated for espionage, subterfuge and military strategy. As well as painting the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci also designed tanks and siege weapons, and Peter Paul Rubens acted as a spy during the Thirty Years War. Artists from various nations during World War One and World War Two devised camouflage and deception operations, and Anthony Blunt, a British art historian (and Surveyor of the Royal Art Collection) was a Soviet spy throughout World War Two and the beginning of the Cold War. In the strange case of The Thing, musical history is also relevant. Its ingenious inventor, Lev Sergeyevich Termen, more commonly referred to as Léon Theremin, was a Russian-born inventor and a talented musician. He devised the world's first electronic instrument – known, after its creator, as the Theremin. It can be played without touching anything – movements of the hand through the air around its antennas control the notes. The Theremin's haunting sound became synonymous with American sci-fi film scores in the 1950s – perhaps most notably The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), which, fittingly enough, is often cited as a parable about Cold War paranoia.Getty ImagesThe Thing's inventor, Léon Theremin, also devised the world's first electronic instrument, which is named after him (Credit: Getty Images)After its discovery, The Thing was kept top secret by US intelligence. But in May 1960, at the height of the nuclear arms race, an American U-2 spy plane was shot down over Russia. In the ensuing diplomatic furore, US State Department officials publicly exposed the Great Seal at a UN Security Council meeting in order to prove that Cold War espionage was not one-sided. The infiltration of an ambassadorial residence was such an embarrassing breach of security, John Little believes, "that it took shooting down a spy plane to actually bring The Thing into the public domain". But the true technical mastery of The Thing was never revealed to the general public.Behind closed doors, the device was studied in depth by British counter-intelligence, who codenamed it SATYR. And its details remained an official state secret until former security officer Peter Wright revealed all in his memoir Spycatcher in 1987.The Thing has beguiled historians because of how technically sophisticated it was for its time, and how it shaped the Cold War spy game. But it also reveals a strange and darker history of high culture, occurring outside the cosseted splendour of opera houses and art galleries, where classical musicians devise bugging devices, and hand-carved artworks are instruments for gathering military intelligence. The Thing will be screened on 27 September at the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.--If you liked this story, sign up for The Essential List newsletter – a handpicked selection of features, videos and can't-miss news, delivered to your inbox twice a week. For more Culture stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.ArtArt and designArt historyFeaturesArtsWatchJapan's photo tomb that contained a historic legacyThe Japanese photographer who buried hundreds of photos and the journey to revive his legacy.2 days agoTime FrameHow a performance lab is putting musicians to the test BBC Click visits a simulator lab that allows musicians to practice performance in real-world conditions.17 Jan 2025InnovationThe technology powering the iconic Sydney Opera HouseBBC Click heads behind the scenes of the Sydney Opera House to explore the tech powering the famous landmark.3 Jan 2025TechnologyHow the surreal 'Dali Atomicus' was capturedIn 1948 a famous artist and an innovative portrait photographer attempted to create something unbelievable.10 Dec 2024Time FrameA look inside Michelangelo's 'secret room'The BBC gets access to Michelangelo's 'secret hiding room' under the Medici Chapel in Florence.2 Nov 2024Art & DesignAI v The Mind: Meet the world's first artist robotWe find out how AI blurs the line between creation and automation, raising questions about the essence of art.18 Oct 2024InnovationShahmaran: The mythical symbol inspiring Turkish artistsThe 'Shahmaran', half-woman and half-snake, is a mythical figure popular in the folklore of Turkey. 12 Jul 2024Art & DesignThe legendary soprano making a differenceDame Kiri Te Kanawa has enjoyed one of the longest careers in operatic history.2 Mar 2024OperaCallas at 100: 'This is the stuff legends are made of'Zeinab Badawi heads to Athens to celebrate the centenary of the birth of opera soprano Maria Callas.8 Jan 2024OperaWhat do we mean when we talk about 'Islamic art'?Art critic Alastair Sooke travels to Doha to discover some of the treasures of the Museum of Islamic Art.20 Dec 2023Art & DesignThe Doha Hind: The charming 10th-Century garden ornamentArt critic Alastair Sooke learns about a decorative 10th-Century treasure at Doha's Museum of Islamic Art.20 Dec 2023Art & DesignBlue Quran: A rare 1,000-year-old masterpieceArt critic Alastair Sooke learns about a masterpiece of the Islamic world at Doha's Museum of Islamic Art.20 Dec 2023Art & DesignBehind the scenes at La Scala in MilanZeinab Badawi takes us behind the scenes at La Scala in Milan to find out how magic is made.11 Dec 2023OperaThe journey to become an opera singerWe travel to La Scala in Milan, Italy the iconic stage where every opera singer dreams of performing.11 Dec 2023OperaJapan's ancient art of Taiko drummingVisually-impaired content maker Lucy Edwards learns about Japan's ancient art of Taiko drumming.27 Nov 2023Culture & ExperiencesInside the harem where East meets WestJoin art critic Alastair Sooke in Istanbul as he uncovers the intriguing relationship between East and West.21 Nov 2023CultureTaiwan's last cinema poster painterPartially blind, he vows to continue until he can no longer see.10 Nov 2023ArtJapanese sashiko: The art of stitching storiesSashiko is a 400-year-old Japanese stitching technique. What makes it unique?10 Nov 2023StyleThe naked portrait covered up for centuriesArtemisia Gentileschi: Revealing the true beauty of a censored painting.3 Nov 2023ArtThe sustainable power of GlyndebourneZeinab Badawi goes behind-the-scenes to see how sustainable opera can be.31 Jul 2023OperaMore from the BBC16 hrs agoThe controversial sweet that fuels NorwegiansKnown as 'the trip chocolate', Kvikk Lunsj has fuelled outdoor adventures for generations. So, what makes this chocolate so controversial?16 hrs ago17 hrs agoHow women's pockets became so controversialWhy do men's clothes have so many pockets, and women's so few? For centuries, the humble pocket has been a flashpoint in the gender divide of fashion. Is that finally set to change?17 hrs ago18 hrs agoEarth has now passed peak farmland. What's next?The world's use of farmland has peaked, bringing the chance to turn over more space to nature. How far could the trend go?18 hrs ago2 days agoThe road trip that celebrates a musical legendMany towns and cities along the Blues Trail have planned festivals, exhibitions and live music to mark the 100th birthday of the homegrown musical legend.2 days ago2 days ago'He is an awful man': Why we are wrong about DarcyMostly miserable and even "unforgivably cruel", Jane Austen's famous romantic hero is not what he seems, writes the author Sebastian Faulks, in an exclusive extract.2 days agoBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherBBC ShopBritBoxBBC in other languagesFollow BBC on:Terms of UseAbout the BBCPrivacy PolicyCookiesAccessibility HelpContact the BBCAdvertise with usDo not share or sell my infoBBC.com Help & FAQsContent IndexCopyright 2025 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
