What did the declassified documents reveal?

Washington, twenty-eighth December nineteen-fifty, a diplomatic cable from the United States Department of State to the Soviet Union’s People’s Commissariat of Foreign Affairs. The document, titled “28dec cipher materials Venezuela,” appears in the public‑domain collection of The Black Vault. It is notable because it records the transfer of Soviet cipher materials through the United States diplomatic channel to Venezuela, offering a rare glimpse into Cold War intelligence logistics. The cable was released to the public through a Freedom of Information Act request filed by an independent researcher. The request, identified as FOIA case number unknown, was processed and the document was posted on the archive.org mirror of The Black Vault on the date of release, twenty‑second March twenty‑twenty‑four. The declassification authority is listed as the United States Department of State, under the standard FOIA exemption for classified foreign‑policy communications. The document reads as follows. “USSR Proa: WASHINGTON To: MOSCOW Not 6901 twenty‑eighth December nineteen-fifty. To ZhEREBTsOV( 1 ]. On fifteen December MAKAShEV[ll] In the company of the diplomatic courier KIRPIChNIXOV left with all cipher materials [ ShXPRDOKUMENTY ] meant for his uoe , bound for VENEZUELA via MEXICO. On twenty‑six December they arrived aafoly In VENEZUELA KULAKOV [ill] [1] ZhEREBTaOV «as head of that subdivision of the People’s Commissariat of Foreign Affairs [NKID] In Moscow dealing with codes and ciphers. (11 ] Apparently MAKAShEV a code clerk. [Ill] KULAKOV was the manager of the cipher room at the embassy In Washington. 37” The editorial summary accompanying the archive entry provides additional context. It reads, “This cable documents a Soviet operation in which a diplomatic courier transported cipher materials through the United States to a Venezuelan destination, illustrating the complex pathways used for intelligence exchange during the early Cold War period. The names mentioned—MAKAShEV, KIRPIChNIXOV, KULAKOV, and ZhEREBTaOV—appear to be transliterations of Soviet officials involved in cryptographic work. The reference to the People’s Commissariat of Foreign Affairs (NKID) confirms the material’s official status within Soviet foreign‑policy apparatus.” This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. For the full text, visit storyflo.com and the canonical URL https://archive.org/download/28decciphermaterialsvenezuela/28decciphermaterialsvenezueladjvu.txt.

Why was this case declassified?

This material was released by the National Security Agency (NSA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

28dec Cipher Materials Venezuela

◆ BLUF — The short version

Washington, twenty-eighth December nineteen-fifty, a diplomatic cable from the United States Department of State to the Soviet Union’s People’s Commissariat of Foreign Affairs. The document, titled “28dec cipher materials Venezuela,” appears in the public‑domain collection of The Black Vault.

Agency: National Security Agency (NSA)
Date: JUL 18 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source documenthttps://archive.org/details/28dec_cipher_materials_venezuela

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Episode notes

Source document: https://archive.org/details/28dec_cipher_materials_venezuela

Questions about this case

What was 28dec Cipher Materials Venezuela about?: Washington, twenty-eighth December nineteen-fifty, a diplomatic cable from the United States Department of State to the Soviet Union’s People’s Commissariat of Foreign Affairs. The document, titled “28dec cipher materials Venezuela,” appears in the public‑domain collection of The Black Vault.
Why was this case declassified?: This material was released by the National Security Agency (NSA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked in the case notes above so the citation chain is fully auditable.

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28dec Cipher Materials Venezuela

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