Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter says Russian spy had ‘unhappy personality’

NEW YORK - Former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev’s great granddaughter has described convicted spy Richard Murphy as being “an incredibly unhappy Russian personality”.

Nina Khrushcheva, who teaches media and culture at The New School in New York City, was quoted by The Telegraph, as saying:

“I was always puzzled by the inconsistency between a completely American name and a completely Russian behaviour.”

She added: “I never bothered to ask him, though, because I was afraid to become privy to some random Russian drama.”

Ms Khrushcheva said she served as Murphy’s faculty adviser at The New School for three years starting in 2002.

FBI officials said the arrests of Murphy and nine other Russian spies came after they learned that Murphy, whose real name was Vladimir Guryev, was planning to return to his real homeland for good.

“He had a thick Russian accent and an incredibly unhappy Russian personality,” she said. “I knew he wasn’t American. I knew it was very odd.”

She said she was not certain until she checked the records Monday that showed her former advisee, now 43, was the same Richard Murphy of Montclair, New Jersey, who was deported Friday in a Cold War-style spy swap in Vienna. (ANI)