Joel Barr Soviet intelligence agent. Date of Birth: 01.01.1916 Country: Russia

1. Early Life and Education
2. Political Activism and Espionage
3. Extricating from Previous Connections
4. Post-War Career and Relocation
5. Flight and Asylum
6. New Identity and Moscow Years
7. Scientific Contributions
8. Return and Later Years

Early Life and Education

Barri Joel (August 1, 1916 - August 1, 1998), born into a family of Russian immigrants in New York City, displayed an aptitude for electronics from a young age. After completing high school, he pursued a degree in electrical engineering at City College of New York.

Political Activism and Espionage

During his college years, Joel joined the Young Communist League and became deeply involved in political movements. His anti-fascist sentiments and concern for the Soviet Union's safety during World War II led him to establish contact with Soviet intelligence through his friend Julius Rosenberg. Under the pseudonym "Master," Joel transmitted sensitive information, including radar designs and surveillance systems, to his handlers.

Extricating from Previous Connections

In 1943, Soviet intelligence replaced Joel's initial contact with Fyodor Feklisov. This decision aimed to minimize exposure and ensure the continued flow of sensitive information.

Post-War Career and Relocation

Following his departure from Western Electric Company in 1945, Joel pursued a master's degree in engineering and joined Sperry Gyroscope Company. However, his involvement with the Communist Party of the United States led to his dismissal in 1948. Undeterred, Joel transitioned to academia and enrolled in the Ph.D. program at Columbia University.

Flight and Asylum

The intensifying anti-communist hysteria in the United States under Senator Joseph McCarthy forced Joel to seek refuge abroad. He fled to France in 1950, where he sought political asylum at the Soviet embassy.

New Identity and Moscow Years

After his asylum request was granted, Joel's Soviet handlers arranged for his relocation to Czechoslovakia. In Prague, he assumed the identity of Joseph Berg, first as a South African citizen and later as a Czechoslovakian. Upon his arrival in Moscow, he adopted the name Iosif Veniaminovich Berg.

Scientific Contributions

Berg's extensive knowledge in electrical engineering and defense technologies led to his involvement in research and development projects in Leningrad. He contributed significantly to the advancement of the Soviet Navy's technological capabilities.

Return and Later Years

Despite the sensitive nature of his espionage activities, the information obtained through the "Venona" decryptions allowed the American authorities to avoid prosecution. In the early 1990s, Berg was able to revisit the United States. Suffering from diabetes, he succumbed to the illness in a Moscow hospital on August 1, 1998. He was posthumously awarded the prestigious State Prize of the USSR.