The Cardinal of the Kremlin characters

Appears from the start

A CIA analyst whose grasp of Soviet military affairs has brought him into arms-control work at the highest level. His part in the secret Red October defection remains closely held, and he now has to judge both weapons data and the ambitions of the officials across the negotiating table.

Also known as Misha

Appears from the start

An elderly Soviet Army colonel and decorated tank officer who serves close to the defense minister. The physical injuries and honors he carries from the war make him an emblem of Soviet military history as well as a trusted presence inside the defense establishment.

Appears from the start

The CIA's deputy director for intelligence and Ryan's senior mentor. Greer draws on Ryan's analysis of Soviet personalities and strategic weapons while protecting sensitive sources whose reporting reaches only a small circle.

First appears in chapter 2

The director of central intelligence. A former judge with a restrained manner, Moore must balance the value of extraordinary human intelligence against the diplomatic and personal risks involved in obtaining it.

First appears in chapter 2

The CIA's deputy director for operations, responsible for the clandestine machinery behind the agency's most sensitive cases. Ritter is practical about risk and closely guards operational details even from colleagues on the analytical side.

First appears in chapter 3

A CIA officer serving in Moscow under diplomatic cover. Fluent, composed, and experienced at working under surveillance, she takes part personally in the careful contacts needed to keep the agency's Soviet networks functioning.

First appears in chapter 3

The CIA station chief in Moscow, officially posted as an American diplomat. He and his wife Mary Pat work as a practiced team while maintaining an ordinary family life beneath the attention of Soviet counterintelligence.

First appears in chapter 4

The chairman of the KGB and a powerful contender in the Soviet leadership. Gerasimov commands the security service's foreign and domestic reach and treats both intelligence successes and political weakness as opportunities to enlarge his position.

First appears in chapter 4

The general secretary of the Soviet Union, attempting cautious political and economic change while preserving his authority. His position is threatened by harder-line rivals who can use setbacks in defense or intelligence against him.

First appears in chapter 5

A Soviet Army colonel sent to inspect a remote directed-energy research installation. Bondarenko is a demanding professional who looks past formal presentations to the training, security, and battlefield usefulness of the system under development.

First appears in chapter 6

A gifted American Army officer and physicist working on Tea Clipper, an experimental laser central to the United States missile-defense program. His technical insight makes him valuable to his own government and a target for foreign intelligence.

First appears in chapter 6

A scientist working alongside Alan Gregory on the American laser program. She combines technical ability with an understanding of Gregory's intense concentration, and their personal relationship places her close to highly protected defense work.

First appears in chapter 7

An Afghan resistance commander fighting Soviet forces in the mountains. A patient organizer and expert marksman, he is interested in a heavily defended Soviet installation whose purpose could affect the war far beyond its perimeter.

First appears in chapter 18

A senior KGB foreign-intelligence officer who deals with Ryan during the Moscow arms talks. Golovko is observant, disciplined, and able to discuss common interests without ceasing to represent a rival service.

First appears in chapter 25

The former Soviet submarine captain whose defection with Red October was secretly aided by Ryan. Now living under American protection, he can explain how senior Soviet officials may weigh institutional duty against personal and family survival.