Wednesday 29 July 2020

SOMERTON MAN MYSTERY: THE NOVIKOV CONUNDRUM UPDATED


THE NOVIKOV CONUNDRUM

Image shows Miss Bogotoyreva,Nikolai Novikov and Chlikin translator


WHAT'S  IN A NAME?


This newspaper report from December 1st 1948 is quite clear, here we have a photograph of Kirill Novikov, Soviet Ambassador to India, arriving in Sydney for the Lapstone conference.  I think that the actual date was 30th November 1948. 

(For the record for many years it was thought that Miss Bogotyreva had gone AWOL but we managed to track her down in Canberra in 1949 along with her equally mysterious traveling companion.)

So far so good but, and it's a big BUT, if this was Kiril Novikov the Soviet Ambassador to India, then who was this man in the image below with the same name and title?

Colonel Kiril Novikov, Soviet Ambassador in India with Prime Minister

Standing to the right of the Indian Prime Minister is Mr. Kiril Novikov in November 1951?

Time for some comparisons first up and below here's a comparison between the man at Sydney for the Lapstone conference and Mr. Nikolai Novikov, a one-time Soviet ambassador to the US. This image was taken from the pic of Nikolai alongside friend Pavel Fedosimov at La Guardia in 1947 (Compiled photograph courtesy of TASS):


Now let's compare Kiril 1948 arriving for the Lapstone conference in the Blue Mountains above to Kiril Novikov 1951 in India:

comparison image of Nikolai and Kirill Novikov

'Novikov' at Lapstone on the left &  a different looking Novikov in India on the right.

My view is that the Novikov heading for Lapstone is the same Novikov as the one time Soviet Ambassador to the US, known spy, and associate of friend Pavel Fedosimov. Below the comparison is between Novikov arriving in Sydney and Novikov arriving at La Guardia airport in 1947

Comparative image of Nikolai and Kirill Novikov


Now go back to the image at the top of the page, notice what Tatiana is wearing, a nice lightweight frock, and notice what the man just to the right of Novikov is wearing, an open-neck shirt. Now, look at what Novikov os wearing. An overcoat by the looks of it and a scarf. Doesn't ring true and I would suggest that it was a Tass compilation photograph.

Here are more photographs from the Lapstone Conference:


 This image on the left purporting to be Kirill Novikov has a noticeable receding hairline and sporting spectacles.

Whereas in the image below he seems to have had hair replacement therapy, no spectacles and a bit of a facelift:




There are more images of Novikiov at Lapstone, they differ from the photo of him on his arrival in Australia.

The one good close up of his face seems to have had an unfortunate accident in the printing process:


CONCLUSION

There are a few options as usual. It is clear to me from the photograph, that the Novikov arriving for the Lapstone conference is not the same Novikov who was the Soviet ambassador to India. It is also clear that the  Novikov who arrived in Sydney looks very much like La Guardia Novikov. So much so I would put a bob on it.

This is yet another Fedosimov link only this time it's a link to Australia albeit one person removed, so to speak.


The Soviets were very capable of setting up a deception of this nature complete with altered photos and name changes. By the same token, I would be fairly certain that they would not be the only intelligence agency capable of carrying out this kind of operation.

(NOTE: Nikolai Novikov, ex-Soviet Ambassador to the US, was made Personna Non-Grata in the America following his involvement in the Gubitchev/Coplon espionage case. The case though it had plenty of evidence, was kicked out and never went to trial because of a slip up by the FBI in bugging an apartment. The case came to the notice of the FBI courtesy of a 'confidential' informant.)

None of this appeared in the Hemblys Scales report.
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10 comments:

  1. Kirill Novikov appointed on 23 Oct 1947 as Soviet ambassador to India. Presented his credentials on 1 Jan 1948 and served in India until 29 Apr 1953. Nikolai Novikov recalled to Moscow in Jul 1947 from USA. I have no doubt that is was Nikolai Novikov that turned up at the Lapstone conference. Clive

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  2. I agree, although all the documentation refers to Kirill being the representative, nowhere does it mention Nikolai being at Lapstone. Why would that be I wonder? Here's a man closely associated with Fedosimov turning up in Australia having apparently flown there from India via Singapore. Just another link in the chain?

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  3. Interesting photos in here.
    https://kotenik.wordpress.com/category/history-of-the-foreign-relations-of-the-republic-of-china/

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  4. https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/soviet-ambassador-nikolai-novikov/qgEMtafUJ_8P9g?hl=en

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  5. Thanks Pete, some good images in amongst that, will ad to a gallery.

    I didn't see whether the image and news item came from TASS or local reporters. The pic could have been from Tass, Sovfoto didn't have an office in Australia as far as I am aware. That's not to say that TASS didn't have a photographer of their own. When you look at the image of Novikov it wouldn't have been hard to add his presence within the larger pic I suppose. It poses a question as to why he was given the name Kirill and not Nikolai. Tass would certainly have known just which one he was and you would think that if it was an Australian reporter, he would have asked for the name. Odd, maybe it will becaome apparent later.

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  6. Obviously, the newspaper took Novikov's first name as being correct or, 'red' should I say! Never checked that Kirill Novikov was in India at that time. Clive

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  7. Thanks Clive, the various documents related to the list of Soviet attendees refer to K.V. Novikov beng the 'leader' at the conference. So his name was listed as being the delegate and it might be that the organisers had distributed a list to the press. There is still a gap though, a list with his name became a photograph with his name, who would have told them the names of the people in the pic? As far as an Australian photographer would be concerned, this was just a party of Russians arriving for the Lapstone conference. So, we are down to eother someone telling the Australian reporters the names and/or supplying a press photograph with the details on the back much like the original pic of Fedosimov and Novikov at La Guardia in 1947 and we know from independent sources that the latter photograph was a studio compilation. The question remains, why would they do that? An innocent mistake? Or was it done to put Kirill in another place at that time? I guess we might never know the answer to that but it may just shake out of some other lines being followed.

    Do you have a document that puts Kirill in India at the time?

    There is also a reference to ,am called ERZIN first secretary at the New Delhi Embassy being listed amongst the attendees. ERZIN was a KGB Major and, according to the source documents, it was thought that he may become involved in other 'activities' during his time in Australia. Not sure when he actually arrived here but will check.

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  8. Hi Gordon, Kirill Novikov arrived in New Delhi on 21 Dec 1947. Unfortunately, I haven't found confirmation he was in Russia in Dec 1948, so, I'm assuming that he was still in New Delhi at the time of the Lapstone conference. Perhaps, in some way, the Russians had pencilled in Kirill to attend the Lapstone conference but, he it never happened. Clive

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  9. Hi Clive,
    Curiouser and curiouser. There are pics of Kirill Novikov at Lapstone, will post them in the morning. In the two other images, he is not wearing glasses. Could it be that both Novikovs were at Lapstone?

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  10. Mr. Cramer I think you have found your man! One thing that’s got me thinking is the reason no one else besides the people who claimed to know him ( The people listed on emptyglasswikia) is that he possibly got plastic surgery or he could of been a body double that had some resemblance to the gentleman mentioned above! And I also saw your posts where you mention that the face looks it was superemposed( sorry for the typo)onto the morgue picture shown to the public,it’s just my opinion because the two fotos don’t appear to be the same guy! I think they did it in a way to fool the public and authorities working on the case, it’s 2024 now and I hope we will learn the truth.

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