Public Lecture: The Long History of Russian Intelligence Services

The Security and Strategic Analysis master's programme continues its Studia generalia public lectures in autumn 2026! In this lecture, open to everyone, Mikko Porvali presents the development of Russia's principal intelligence services from their establishment to the present day. These include the security police, foreign intelligence and military intelligence—that is, today's FSB, SVR and GRU, along with their predecessors. Porvali describes the continuity of the services' professional identity and organisational culture, regardless of historical changes to their names, abbreviations or administrative models. Mikko Porvali is a Finnish author, lawyer, chief inspector and researcher of intelligence history. The lecture is organised by the University of Jyväskylä's Security and Strategic Analysis master's programme, but is open to everyone interested in the subject. You can attend the lecture at the University of Jyväskylä's Agora building or watch it on YouTube.