Universal History Annotation << Back To the 70th anniversary of the Atomic Project of the USSR. Essay 2 (part 1). Coronel Leonid. R. Kvasnikov, the chief of the Soviet atomic intelligence service in 1939–1963 B.S. Gorobets In 1939, a young engineer, Leonid R. Kvasnikov was appointed as head of the Soviet scientific –technology intelligence service of the Ministry of Internal affaires (then called NKVD). He researched thoroughly the last scientific and technical literature, especially on nuclear physics. Kvasnikov was impressed by the one so much, that he decided to direct his scanty officers who were working in the leading West countries , for hunting nuclear information. In September, 1941, the new Soviet intelligence resident in London, Anatolii Gorskii, managed to get a secret memorandum (containing 70 pages), prepared by leading British nuclear physicists for prime-minister W. Churchill. There was voluminous and detailed information related to atomic bomb which was planned to make within two years. In Moscow , the highest power realized that atomic bomb was a reality, and not only in England, but , in the worst case, in Germany. In September, 1942 , Stalin signed the decision of the State Committee of Defence which concerned the development of the uranium problem in the USSR. Biographical sketch of L. Kvasnikov, received from his grand-daughter is given. Keywords: atomic bomb, atomic intelligence service, Leonid R. Kvasnikov, Anatolii S. Gorskii, Vladimir B. Barkovskii Contacts: E-mail: bgorobets@rambler.ru Pp. 02-14.