KGB agent explains recruitment process | Jack Barsky and Lex Fridman 

While watching the podcast, he legitimately felt like a well meaning uncle telling a mundane story. it made me drop my guard. THIS GUYS IS GOOD, even after retired, you just like talking to him.

Imagine the guys that didn't get caught. The stories they will never tell.

When he died laughing after lex said how do you know that I’m not a secret agent, it caused a genuine lol out of me

Lex is seriously on his way to becoming a legendary interviewer with interviews like this. Great stuff(as always).

I love listening to two spies talking to each other

Just found you yesterday Lex and have already seen so many of your videos. Love your style unique and different and overall original; a true breath of fresh air.

As a student in South Africa many years ago, there were all kinds of informers. I had nothing to hide but we all had a 6th sense about random acquaintances. Anyone too friendly for no reason, asking about your hobbies etc. Normal people are too full of themselves to be that interested. I despise these skunks in any country.

Only lex can call 40+min a “clip” ❤️

Two agents talking, amazing

When Jack Barsky mentioned remembering his meal reminded me of the character in Matrix talking to agent Smith about how he likes his steak.

Let's appreciate the PERFECT AMERICAN ACCENT he has. The training these people went through must be absurd.

really interesting one, and brilliant interviewing too

Quite a fascinating interview; I loved the way Alex got his subject to open up. He revealed his weaknesses so freely! Vanity, pride, desire, sport, lust, greed; it was all there! Just fabulous. And then you’re left wondering what good such a brilliant chemist might have made to world productivity.

For a guy who proclaimed superior intellect and his mastery of a situation in one statement then in the next statement say… I had no idea at the time… is very telling. He knew exactly what the secret police were doing to people and if the Cold War turned out differently his tale would be in another light

I put a 70% odd on the fact that Lex is actually a Russian agent

I cannot stop watching this.

Absolutely fascinating

Lex, please tell us about how you first got contacted by the KGB?

Great interview. Thanks.

NKVD later KGB created Stasi and trained its leading officers. The relations between them resembled relations between headquarters and a country branch. Autonomy and local specifics were observed but lines of control were very clear.

My drummer teacher used to tell me stories about how he got a „talk“ with stasi he sayed the so called „talk“ was held in another language while you were beaten to a pulb, you had to sign contracts you counselor understand etc etc

"i fell for myself. hook, line and sinker" what a comment 😍 There's a very unused cafe in a overly large building here in Puerto Rico called the kgb cafe..always has me wondering🤣 More seriously there's a large warehouse here that's always powered up, always in the exact same state of disrepair for ten years now (clean but old looking), and the doors never ever are open, the truck or two in the courtyard never move, never get more dusty or old looking. Property here costs a fortune in the center of the city...I do wonder how it affords itself given it doesn't seem to be functioning, active but not functioning.

Now that you watched 38 minutes of it, go watch the rest, it's fantastic

Absolutely fascinating.

Love how he always nearly switch into talking German.

He is surely charismatic.❤️

So, so interesting 🙌

Got a Space Force recruiting ad before the vid, nice.

Great movie to learn about Stasi is « The lives of others ».

I bought his book and read it. Indeed one of the best book I ever read.

Anybody have the link of the agent podcast

Interrogating the inept interrogator. I can see why Jack was selected. I really am beginning to love this channel.

Starts at 3:30

This was absolutely fascinating

I love how a kgb spy in America can just be on an American podcast no strings attached apparently

In the U.S., we have *too many* tenured professors. More than half of them have no real-world experience in the subjects they are teaching, which means the education you're paying 10's of $1,000's for is hugely flawed. For a primary education, this is fine. But you're supposed to get a better education in university, which we are not getting.

I think I once saw a movie with very similar plot. Was his biography ever screen played?

Lex clips need their own clip channel

When I was in University, I was approached by both Romanian internal & external secret services. They were interested in me, because I knew how to speak Russian fairly well.

To clarify, I've been at university in the UK for 5 years and have been taught by 3 professors and only in the last 2 years of my degrees.

7:42 "Das unsichtbare Visier" great Soundtrack by Walter Kubiczeck

3:49 there’s that word security again Hahahahaha

Disclaimer- most spies/agents aren’t this big headed nor claim to be super intelligent. They are the least impressive individuals on the train.

great interview lex

I'm fascinated for 99% of this. But he has some little comments like the food at the hotel and how he figured out it was the govt that came to his room which don't ring true to me. But I wouldn't be surprised if the story has been massaged or altered for whatever reasons. Time tends to be friendly to war stories.

"I'm a storyteller and became pretty comfortable at lying later". And now we have to guess how many of his stories are true.

Imagine moving to another country , speaking their language and eventually losing your foreign accent…..but I imagine this man had to speak like an American from the jump

How is this guy not in a US federal prison?

You are definitely the best. High 5!

Lex sounds like a perfect mix between a scholarly Russian guy and dr. Steve brule

bruh when he started speaking german fluently out of nowhere caught me off guard lol

Fridman…Lex Fridman 21st century 007 no question,keep killing it Lex you’re a legend.

My government approved translator and minder in Bulgaria. I was invited for a conference about a publication. The young man had been approved to read western magazines. He told me he had read something about the use of citizen band radio in America and what was it for. It was to let people escape the police? I told him that function on the highway also served as a chat line. He was delighted to think Americans used their radios to avoid the police. I liked my visit in Bulgaria.

Awesome story

The only thing I didn’t believe was when he said there was two things he didn’t like doing was when he would be sent someone to get information, I feel like why he didn’t like it because he was given the job to infiltrate and then I bet those people got taken out.. and that’s why he didn’t like it

What I wouldn’t give to sit down and have a dinner with Jack. As far as mindset, interests (basketball) and our approach to complex situations, we are very similar. What an excellent person and experience. Thanks Lex, always impressed.

Awesome

If this is a clip I'm scared of what full episode is

I remember when we first moved to the United States from the soviet union my parents constantly bought watermelons. No matter what day it was if you opened the fridge there was always a watermelon in there. When I asked my mom about it later on when I was older why we had so much watermelon and why they don't buy it as often anymore. And she pretty much told me there never was watermelon back home and it was so rare to see good watermelon that that had it once a year if they got lucky to get one and it was decent and sweet. Mom told me my dad lost his shit when he seen that watermelon was around all year long in abundance the supermarket never ran out it had no seeds and was sweet as sugar. Watermelon wasn't the only thing there was alot of stuff my parents bought constantly because they never had it like that. For my mom it was coffee. I was maybe 13-14 when my mom explained this all to me and I really didn't think anything of it I was just like ok whatever. It wasn't until I was in college and started really getting into history and literature I started reading more "adult books" and it was only then that I finally realized how hard it really was over there growing up I was only 2 when we left so I didn't really get to experience it. I went back when I was 6 and again at 13 and from there I went ever single year during summer break even by then 4 years after we left Ukraine had already become more western food wasn't a problem and things were much easier to get. All though I do remember the first time my mom packed like 3 boxes of lucky charms and some kind of jurassic park themed cereal because that was the movie to watch that year if I recall correctly. Now that I think about it they must have not had American cereal yet and my mom knew I would freak when I found out so she planned ahead lmfao I can't believe that memory just came back to me. I can vividly remember being at my grandpa's dacha sitting at the table and pouring the cereal into the bowl and seeing the jurras8c park box and I also remember the milk came from a cow from the neighbor 2 doors down and it tasted fucking amazing it came in a big like 10 gallon metal bucket and you could see the fat floating at the top it looked like oil in water and it had a slight off white color to the milk and it was like room temperature and I used to microwave my milk so it was a win for me. But man did that milk taste good it was so creamy and had a good amount of fat in it. Best cereal iv ever had. I still to this day add alil half and half into my cereal to somehow replicate the taste but it's not even close to the real thing. Crazy how the human brain works thanks for bringing this memory back for me to the front of my mind 🙂

Amazing interview!! This reminds me of the manga Spy x Family

Jack's book was very interesting.

In London April's a spring month...

Lex will be great in the new Blues brothers movie ;)

12:44 he made his KGB comrades proud by that nasty fart he blasted this reporter with 😆 hahaha

A later-career Ben Gazzara would have made a great Jack Barsky.

Colonel call Snake and Otacon!...Ocelot is already on his way..I think theres some new plans/blueprints for a new Metal Gear

I painted a former us spy’s house. He was one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever had the pleasure of talking to.

No such thing as a former KGB spy.

I excelled and had an entire family that put me in my place ! Good thing you're smart, you'll never make it on your looks. You're not a doctor yet ? I'm 10 ! So? Short isn't a factor..it was always said tongue in cheek with a laugh, however.

Me: Being added to the watch list.

This guy’s life reminds me of a movie I saw. I can’t remember which movie.

Fear the intellectual with no grounding. The hubris of people who think they can rule man through such covert and nasty means for the "common good".

35:41

Lex asks the questions that I wish Joe would ask

I thought I was the only one rocking a cereal bowl haircut

Lex IS. Regular boy, with a lot of knowledge on sciences, a good hand combat foundation, good inquisitor, taking notes as he goes, building a social network and yes with a background. I would highly suspect of him being one. Notice that the old timer kind of notices the traits.

13:05 I share my feeling, yh g so do I and it sucks, for next min you explain me to me

When will we realise… going off the norm means the masses will come after you!

Very interesting guests, I would love to add a request and I know you will accept it with an open mind, please lower the interruptions and add-ons when the guest is speaking and telling a story, it's very distracting and it really takes the conversation somewhere else.

I wish you asked him if he has seen a movie called "Goodbye Lenin"

Can someone explain to me why his answer „yes but not as a chemist“ at 9:20 was so smart? Seems like a normal answer to me

Anyone else think that this looks like a interrogation instead of a interview since Barsky has the 1950's black tie with the black F.B.I. issue G-man suit on all the way down to the hair cut? 🤣🤣🤣

Very interesting! But I think this dude may have an overly rosy view of how easy it is to obtain a tenured professorship in the USA!

2:51

My connection with James Bond is like a fairytale, no joke, the coincidences are just.. ❤

OMG i thought it was cool to get a visit from the Stasi at your dorm & get recruited to write profiles & get West German mags perks (HIRE MEEEEE) until Jack started talking about relatives stuff. Thank you both Jack & Lex 🙏🏼🙏🏼 I'll stick with the model railroads thanks 🤣🤣

Why is every answer he gave the FBI some James Bond punch line. This dude got compromised and started squealing and it only took a chance at a do over in life. The NSA agent monitoring me would never. 😤

My name is Giovanni Giorgio, but everybody calls me Giorgio

You would make a great agent , how do you know I’m not ,PMS

place when I live

I like hearing this guy talk but I don't thinking traitors/spy's should get off so easy. Some things can't be forgiven

Damn.. He sounds as Giorgio Moroder

Forgot his paper

Interesting

Who else commented just to be put on an FBI watch list

a real kgb would never tell all kgb secrets

what a coincidence JB, james bond

man let it out 12:45

yeah I remember he ask me my address because he give me a sticker not yet receive

This was lex’ test if he is ready for Putin