The Spy in the Archive: How One Man Tried to Kill the KGB

Since 2004 Gordon Corera has been a Security Correspondent for BBC News where he covers terrorism, cyber security, the work of intelligence agencies and other national security issues. How do you steal a library? Not just any library but the most secret archive in the world. The answer is to be a librarian. To be so quiet, that no-one knows what you are up to as you toil undercover over decades and so low key, that even after your escape, aided by MI6, no-one even notices you are gone.

Gordon’s new book, The Spy in the Archive is the remarkable story of how Vasili Mitrokhin, an introverted KGB archivist, exposed to secrets that turned him into a dissident and then a spy, became a man determined to expose the truth about the dark forces that had subverted Russia, forces still at work in the country today.

Dates

25 Jul 2025

12.30am - 1.30pm

Price

£14

Concessions: £5 tickets are available for under 35 year olds who are part of the Friends of BIF's Next Gen Scheme.

Venue

Pavilion Arts Centre

Booking Details Useful Tips for booking

Friends get priority booking on a staggered basis from 18 March
Public booking opens 15 April
More info | Become a Friend

Dates, times & booking

  • Fri 25 Jul 2025 12.30pm - 1.30pm Book
Friends get priority booking on a staggered basis from 18 March
About Friends Priority Booking

Public booking opens 15 April

Useful Tips for booking

Priority Booking
for BIF Friends

To book seats early, join the Friends of Buxton International Festival and become part of our ‘Festival Family.’

Directors’ Circle, Benefactor, Gold Patron Tuesday, 18 March

Patron Tuesday, 25 March

Gold Friend Tuesday, 1 April

Friend and Joint Friend Tuesday, 8 April

Become a friend

Joining our community and becoming a BIF Friend unlocks a whole host of benefits, including priority booking for the festival.

From just £36 per year, become part of the festival you love all year-round.

  • Priority booking for all festival events
  • Six tiers of membership starting from just £36
  • Regular newsletters during the year – via email/post
  • Be the first to hear exclusive festival news & announcements
  • Special friends events throughout the year: meals, dinners, recitals and more
  • Support from friends members have enabled us to grow into one of the UK’s leading opera festivals
  • Recognition of your support in the Festival Souvenir Programme Book

If you are under 35 you can join the Next Gen Friends for free, and access £5 tickets to book events and £10 tickets to all other events.

Find out more