Mikhail Mukasei
- August 13, 1907
- August 19, 2008
- 101 years
About Mikhail Mukasei
Mikhail Mukasei, 101, Russian spy.
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Full Biography
|Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei (Russian: Михаил Исаакович Мукасей; 13 August 1907 – 19 August 2008) was a Soviet spy codenamed Zephyr.
Biography
The son of a Jewish blacksmith, when Mukasei was 18 he started studying at the Institute of Oriental Languages in Leningrad, specializing in Bengali and English. In 1937 he was ordered by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to study at the Intelligence School of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army.
In 1939, he and his wife Elizaveta (née Emelianov, 1912–2009) and their two children, moved to Los Angeles and began gathering military intelligence. Mukasei's parents and other members of his family were killed by the Germans. In 1943, Mukasei, his wife and children returned to Moscow and he was appointed deputy head of the Intelligence School.
From the 1940s through the 1970s, Mukasei, along with his wife Elizaveta (codenamed Elza), took part in a number of undercover operations in Western Europe and the United States.
Assigned to the Soviet diplomatic staff in the United States during the Second World War as vice consul in Los Angeles, Mukasei made use of his position to gather information on any threats to the Soviet Union posed by Imperial Japan. He continued his work in an undisclosed country in Western Europe from the 1950s to the late 1970s.
In 1977, Mukasei and his family returned to Moscow and began training spies. He wrote training manuals for reconnaissance work and was a professor at the Russian Academy of Security, Defense and Law Enforcement. In December 2004, Mukasei published a book of their memoirs called Zephyr and Elsa in which they wrote about their thirty years of work and life abroad. In the post-Soviet period, he was honored for his "outstanding contribution to ensuring the security of the Russian Federation".
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
16 Verified Trivia Questions About Mikhail Mukasei
Every question below is stored in the archive and checked against Mikhail Mukasei's record and biography. The correct answer and the reasoning behind it are given with each question.
1.On what date was Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei born?
- A.19 August 1907
- B.13 August 1907Correct
- C.19 August 2008
- D.13 August 1912
Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei was born on 13 August 1907.
Source: Biography introduction
2.What was the profession of Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei's father?
- A.Diplomat
- B.Intelligence officer
- C.Professor
- D.BlacksmithCorrect
Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei was the son of a Jewish blacksmith.
Source: Biography section
3.At the age of 18, what language did Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei specialize in at the Institute of Oriental Languages?
- A.French
- B.German
- C.Japanese
- D.BengaliCorrect
At 18, Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei studied at the Institute of Oriental Languages, specializing in Bengali and English.
Source: Biography section
4.In what year was Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei ordered to study at the Intelligence School of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army?
- A.1937Correct
- B.1977
- C.1943
- D.1939
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union ordered Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei to study at the intelligence school in 1937.
Source: Biography section
5.Who was the wife of Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei?
- A.Elza
- B.Elena
- C.ElizavetaCorrect
- D.Maria
Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei was married to Elizaveta, who was also known by the codename Elza.
Source: Biography section
6.Where did Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei and his family move to in 1939 to begin gathering intelligence?
- A.Moscow
- B.Berlin
- C.Los AngelesCorrect
- D.London
Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei and his family moved to Los Angeles in 1939 to gather military intelligence.
Source: Biography section
7.What happened to the parents of Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei during the war?
- A.They died of old age
- B.They were imprisoned in the United States
- C.They were killed by the GermansCorrect
- D.They moved to Moscow
Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei's parents and other family members were killed by the Germans.
Source: Biography section
8.What position did Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei hold in Los Angeles during the Second World War?
- A.Intelligence school head
- B.Military advisor
- C.Vice consulCorrect
- D.Language professor
Assigned to the Soviet diplomatic staff in the United States, Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei served as vice consul in Los Angeles.
Source: Biography section
9.What was the codename of Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei?
- A.Red Army
- B.Elsa
- C.Oriental
- D.ZephyrCorrect
Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei was a Soviet spy who carried the codename Zephyr.
Source: Biography introduction
10.What was the main purpose of Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei's intelligence work in Los Angeles during World War II?
- A.To infiltrate British intelligence
- B.To monitor German movements
- C.To study Bengali communications
- D.To gather information on threats from Imperial JapanCorrect
Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei used his position to gather information on any threats to the Soviet Union posed by Imperial Japan.
Source: Biography section
11.In what year did Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei return to Moscow to begin training other spies?
- A.1943
- B.2004
- C.1977Correct
- D.1937
After returning to Moscow in 1977, Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei and his family began training spies.
Source: Biography section
12.What academic role did Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei hold after his active spying career?
- A.Professor at the Russian Academy of Security, Defense and Law EnforcementCorrect
- B.Dean of the Institute of Oriental Languages
- C.Lecturer at the Intelligence School of the Red Army
- D.Head of the diplomatic staff in Europe
Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei served as a professor at the Russian Academy of Security, Defense and Law Enforcement.
Source: Biography section
13.What is the title of the book of memoirs published by Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei in 2004?
- A.The Spy from Leningrad
- B.The Oriental Languages Spy
- C.Zephyr and ElsaCorrect
- D.Soviet Intelligence Memoirs
In December 2004, Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei published a book of memoirs titled Zephyr and Elsa.
Source: Biography section
14.When did Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei pass away?
- A.13 August 2008
- B.19 August 2008Correct
- C.19 August 2009
- D.13 August 2007
Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei died on 19 August 2008.
Source: Biography introduction
15.For what was Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei honored in the post-Soviet period?
- A.Outstanding contribution to ensuring the security of the Russian FederationCorrect
- B.Writing a biography of the Red Army
- C.His academic research in Bengali
- D.Serving as a diplomat in Western Europe
In the post-Soviet period, Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei was honored for his outstanding contribution to ensuring the security of the Russian Federation.
Source: Biography section
16.Where did Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei work between the 1950s and the late 1970s?
- A.The United States
- B.Imperial Japan
- C.Moscow
- D.An undisclosed country in Western EuropeCorrect
Mikhail Isaakovich Mukasei continued his work in an undisclosed country in Western Europe from the 1950s to the late 1970s.
Source: Biography section
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Mukasei
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 28, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
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