Anna Chapman, once accused of seducing secrets out of the West, will now lead Moscow’s new intelligence museum

Anna Chapman, the notorious red-haired Russian spy deported from the United States in 2010, has returned to public life, this time with an official mission. Chapman will head the newly established Museum of Russian Intelligence, a project backed by the Kremlin and directly tied to the country’s foreign spy agency, the SVR.

Located near Moscow’s Gorky Park, the museum is expected to showcase the “history and achievements” of Russian espionage. The initiative reportedly operates under the supervision of SVR chief Sergey Naryshkin, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, and aims to “honor the legacy of those who served in silence.”

From FBI custody to spy swap

Chapman’s story first captured global headlines in 2010, when the FBI arrested her in New York as part of Operation Ghost Stories, a decade-long investigation into a Russian sleeper cell.

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When she moved to Manhattan in 2009, she told friends she worked in real estate. But investigators later revealed that Chapman was using her laptop to set up secret wireless links to communicate with Russian officials, allegedly conducting this operation at least ten times.

On June 27, 2010, Chapman and nine others were arrested and charged with conspiring to act as unlawful agents of the Russian Federation. Just eleven days later, the U.S. deported the group in a high-profile spy swap that freed four Russians accused of working with Western intelligence, including Sergei Skripal, who was later poisoned in the U.K. in an attack blamed on Moscow.

The British connection

Before her U.S. arrest, Chapman lived in London, where she cultivated ties with business elites, politicians, and oligarchs. Her charm and boldness earned her the nickname “Black Widow,” a nod to the Marvel Comics character.

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Chapman married a British man, Alex Chapman, which allowed her to gain U.K. citizenship. Their relationship, however, ended in scandal, with Alex later accusing her of trying to kill him using a power drill.

In her 2024 memoir, BondiAnna: To Russia with Love, Chapman described herself as a real-life female 007.
“I knew the effect I had on men,” she wrote. “Nature had generously endowed me with the necessary attributes: a slim waist, a full chest, a cascade of red hair… All I needed was to emphasize it, and it worked like magic.”

Her memoir recounted a life of glamour and excess, luxury trips, lavish parties, and encounters with the rich and powerful. One particularly striking story describes her landing a hedge fund job in London after winning a game of strip poker.

Back in Russia

After her return to Moscow, Chapman reinvented herself as a TV presenter, businesswoman, and influencer, becoming a vocal supporter of President Putin. She fronted several patriotic media campaigns and often appeared on state television as a symbol of Russian pride in its intelligence community.

Chapman later became a mother and largely retreated from the public eye until now. Her new role leading the Museum of Russian Intelligence marks her return to the spotlight and reinforces her image as one of Russia’s most famous modern spies.