NARA: Oleg M. Gribanov

This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://foiaonline.gov/foiaonline/action/public/submissionDetails?trackingNumber=NARA-NGC-2022-001164&type=request)

* Tracking Number: NARA-NGC-2022-001164
* Requester Name:
Filip Kovacevic
* Date Submitted: 05/06/2022
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

Any and all documents which mention the name of top Soviet counterintelligence official Oleg M. Gribanov (1915-1992). From 1956 until 1964, Oleg Gribanov was the head of the Second Chief Directorate of the KGB (counterintelligence). Proof of death is not required, because his death was widely reported.

FOIA case law establishes the extent to which agencies MUST search all records systems reasonably believed to contain responsive documents, even if it means contacting former employees. The Justice Department's May 2004 Guide states that an agency "cannot limit its search to only one record system if there are others that are likely to turn up the information requested."

Please note that this request was originally submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and I was instructed to send the request to NARA and indicate the reference file numbers 100-HQ-227607, 105-HQ-79017, 105-HQ-54334, and 105-HQ-74744 .

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Filip Kovacevic

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/

*RE: FOIAonline FOIA Request Referred to Special Access and FOIA (FBI Case
Files) *

Dear Flip Kovacevic:

Thank you for submitting your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to
the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The Office of
General Counsel (NGC) received your request, dated May 6, 2022, via
*FOIAonlin*e.

The Office of General Counsel processes FOIA requests submitted for
National Archives and Records Administration's *operational* records
(records created by this agency). Your request is for records that
may be* archival
records *(records created by or originated in a different agency but that
may have been transferred to the legal custody of NARA), to which access is
restricted. Therefore, we have removed your request from FOIAonline and
forwarded it to our Office of Research Services, Special Access, and FOIA
(RF) staff who handle FOIA requests for such archival records.

Special Access staff will assign you a new tracking number, and respond
directly to you. In the future, if you need to follow up with that office
directly, please contact them at the address below, or electronically via
email (email is preferred).

The National Archives and Records Administration
Special Access and FOIA Staff (RF)
8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500
College Park, MD 20740
By phone: 301-837-3190
By fax: 301-837-1864
By email: specialaccess_foia@nara.gov

For your reference, a copy of your request is attached.

Please visit our website at www.archives.gov/foia for further information
about submitting a FOIA request to NARA. On our main website,
www.archives.gov, you can learn more about the resources we offer to the
public, and you can access our online catalog.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and pursuant to guidance received from the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA had adjusted its normal
operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work
while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of
our staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may
experience a delay in receiving a substantive response to your FOIA
request. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your
understanding and patience.

Sincerely,
*Wanda Williams*
Deputy Freedom of Information Act Officer/Archivist
Office of General Counsel (NGC)
National Archives and Records Administration
College Park, Maryland, 20740-6001
wanda.williams@nara.gov

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <admin@foiaonline.gov>
Date: Fri, May 6, 2022 at 2:10 PM
Subject: FOIA Request Deletion: NARA-NGC-2022-001164
To: <wanda.williams@nara.gov>

Below is an export of the submitted request information for the FOIA
request NARA-NGC-2022-001164.

- *Name and Address*
- First Name: Filip
- Middle Initial:
- Last Name: Kovacevic
- Organization:
- Mailing Address Location: United States/U.S. Territories
- Address Line 1: MuckRock News DEPT MR 128454
- Address Line 2: 411A Highland Ave
- City: Somerville
- State/Province: MA
- Zip/Postal Code: 02144-2516
- *Contact Information*
- E-mail Address: requests@muckrock.com
- Phone Number:
- Fax Number:
- *Agency and Fee Information*
- Assigned Agency: NGC - Office of General Counsel
- Will Pay Up To: $0.00
- *Description*
- To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the
following records:

Any and all documents which mention the name of top Soviet
counterintelligence official Oleg M. Gribanov (1915-1992). From
1956 until
1964, Oleg Gribanov was the head of the Second Chief Directorate
of the KGB
(counterintelligence). Proof of death is not required, because his death
was widely reported.

FOIA case law establishes the extent to which agencies MUST search
all records systems reasonably believed to contain responsive documents,
even if it means contacting former employees. The Justice
Department's May
2004 Guide states that an agency "cannot limit its search to only one
record system if there are others that are likely to turn up the
information requested."

Please note that this request was originally submitted to the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, and I was instructed to send the request to NARA
and indicate the reference file numbers 100-HQ-227607, 105-HQ-79017,
105-HQ-54334, and 105-HQ-74744 .

The requested documents will be made available to the general public,
and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would
inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my
request. I would
prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment
if available
or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter.
I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20
business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Filip Kovacevic

Upload documents directly:
https://www.muckrock.com/
- *Fee Waiver*
- Fee Waiver Requested: No
- Fee Waiver Reason:
- *Expedited Processing*
- Expedited Processing Requested: No
- Expedited Processing Reason:

Dear Filip Kovacevic:

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request
received by this office on May 6, 2022 for records in the custody of the
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Your request was
assigned FOIA Tracking Number *RD 67465*.

We are continuing to work on logging in FOIA requests in the order they are
received. Once your request reaches the front of the initial response
queue, a staff member will search for the record(s) and provide you with a
more substantive response detailing the results of the search and the
estimated completion date for your request.

Our small staff will continue to work diligently to process each request as
quickly as possible, but please be aware that we are operating at
significantly reduced staffing levels onsite and it is taking longer than
usual. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your
understanding and patience.

Our office has forwarded your request to our Textual Reference branch for a
search of other DOJ files and other series that contain information
concerning Oleg M. Gribanov.

If you have any questions concerning this action, or to notify this office
of a change in your contact information, please email
specialaccess_foia@nara.gov or call 301-837-3190. All communications
concerning this request should reference your FOIA Tracking Number *RD
67465*.

Sincerely,

Ashney Randle
Government Information Specialist
Special Access & FOIA Program (RF)
National Archives at College Park

Dear Filip Kovacevic,

This is in reply to your Freedom of Information Act request, dated May 6,
2022 for records relating to Oleg Gribanov. Your request was received in
this office on May 12, 2022 and assigned the case number 22-40174.

Your request for FBI files has been referred to our Special Access and FOIA
office. They will provide a separate response.

The National Archives also holds litigation case files of the Department of
Justice in Record Group 60: General Records of the Department of Justice.
These records are arranged into numerical classes based on the infraction
of the law involved, and we hold various indexes to these case files
allowing us to locate records related to specific individuals or
organizations.

We searched the Department of Justice General Index to Litigation Case
Files, 1904 - 1951 <https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1882794> (Entry A1
110-A) and

Internal Security Index, 1930 - 1979
<https://catalog.archives.gov/id/729763> (A1 1011) but did not locate any
responsive records.

We also searched the name indexes to the Department of State Central File. The
primary source for documentation on U.S. foreign policy and events in
various countries is the Department of State central file, part of Record
Group 59: General Records of the Department of State. We did not locate any
references in the State Department indexes to records relating to Gribanov.

Additionally, we searched the name index to our Office of Strategic
Services records in *Record Group 226: Records of the Office of Strategic
Services*, but did not locate any responsive files.

Finally, we conducted searches in the National Archives Catalog in *Record
Group 263: Records of the Central Intelligence Agency *and *Record Group
457: Records of the National Security Agency/Central Security Service*. We
located two responsive files in our CIA holdings which are digitized and
can be found here
<https://catalog.archives.gov/search?q=gribanov&f.oldScope=(descriptions%20or%20online)&f.recordGroupNoCollectionId=263&SearchType=advanced>.
We did not locate any responsive NSA records.

Please note that our CIA holdings are very limited in scope and consist
primarily of analytical products, such as intelligence reports and
estimates, as well as publications and a limited number of historical
collections. With very few and limited exceptions, the National Archives
does not hold records of clandestine CIA operations. These records remain
with the CIA.

We also suggest conducting a search of the records the CIA has released
online via their FOIA electronic reading room:
https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/home.

We also recommend reviewing the historical records
<https://www.nsa.gov/Helpful-Links/NSA-FOIA/Declassification-Transparency-Initiatives/Historical-Releases/>
the
NSA has made available on their website.

We do not consider this a denial of your FOIA request. However, if you are
not satisfied with our action on this request, your options for appeal and
dispute resolution are outlined in the attachment. If you have any
questions, you may reach us at archives2reference@nara.gov.

This completes the processing of your request.

Sincerely,

David Castillo
Archives Specialist
Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR)
National Archives at College Park, MD

Dear Filip Kovacevic:

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request
received by this office on May 6, 2022 for records in the custody of the
National Archives and Records Administration. Your request was assigned
FOIA tracking number RD 67465.

You requested any and all documents which mention the name of top Soviet
counterintelligence official Oleg M. Gribanov (1915-1992). Gribanov’s name
appears in the following documents which are in the custody of the National
Archives. These records are accessible online via the URLs in the links
below.

File Unit: “Oswald, Lee Harvey - Russian Period 10 Suicide Attempt,” page 23

Series: Records Relating to Key Persons, 11/30/1963 - 9/24/1964

Record Group 272: Records of the President's Commission on the
Assassination of President Kennedy, 1954 - 1965

(National Archives ID 7460817) https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7460817

File Unit: “FELFE, HEINZ: KGB EXPLOITATION,” pages: 198, 250, 267

Series: Second Release of Subject Files Under the Nazi War Crimes and
Japanese Imperial Government Disclosure Acts, ca. 1981 - ca. 2003

Record Group 263: Records of the Central Intelligence Agency

(National Archives ID 19053747) https://catalog.archives.gov/id/19053747

“The Monster Plot,” pages: 10, 30

RIF 104-10534-10205

The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection.

https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/104-10534-10205.pdf

You also requested access to FBI case files 100-HQ-227607, 105-HQ-79017,
105-HQ-54334, and 105-HQ-74744, identified by the FBI as potentially
responsive to your request for records relating to Oleg M. Gribanov. My
assessment of the files you requested appears in the table below. In
addition, we conducted a search of all available indexes transferred to the
National Archives for Oleg M. Gribanov but were unable to identify any
further FBI case files responsive to your request.

FBI File #

Actual Subject of the Records

Dates

100-HQ-227607

Michael Saul Ginsburg

Aug. 1943- Sept. 1972

105-HQ-79017

Visit of Russian Music and Dance Festival Ensemble, 1959

June 1959 - Jan. 1960

105-HQ-54334

Nikolay Aleksandrovich Gavrilenko

Nov. 1956 - Jan. 1970

105-HQ-74744

Visit of Soviet Fair Committee to U.S., 1959

Dec. 1958- May 1970 (bulk dates are 1959)

Based on my initial evaluation, these files are deemed unresponsive to your
request because Oleg M. Gribanov is not the subject of the files. If we do
not receive a response from you within ninety (90) calendar days from the
date of this letter to indicate you believe the records are responsive, we
will administratively close your case.

If you are not satisfied with our action on this request, you have the
right to file an administrative appeal within ninety (90) calendar days
from the date of this letter. Appeals must be in writing and may be
delivered by regular U.S. mail or by email. By filing an appeal, you
preserve your rights under the Freedom of Information Act and present the
deciding agency with an opportunity to review your request and reconsider
its decision. If you submit your appeal by regular mail, it should be
addressed to the Deputy Archivist of the United States (ND), National
Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, Room 4200, College
Park, Maryland 20740-6001. Both the letter and envelope should be clearly
marked “FOIA Appeal.” If you submit your appeal by email, please send it to
foia@nara.gov, addressed to the Deputy Archivist, with the words “FOIA
Appeal” in the subject line. Please be certain to explain why you believe
this response does not meet the requirements of the Freedom of Information
Act. All communications concerning this request should reference your FOIA
tracking number.

If you would like the opportunity to discuss our response and attempt to
resolve your dispute without initiating the appeals process, you may
contact our FOIA Public Liaison for assistance:

Accessioned Executive Branch Records – Washington, DC Area

FOIA Requester Service Center: 301-837-3190

FOIA Public Liaison: Rebecca Calcagno

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

dc.foia.liaison@nara.gov

301-837-3190

You may also contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS),
the Federal FOIA Ombudsman’s office, for assistance. OGIS offers mediation
services to help resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal
agencies. The contact information for OGIS is:

Office of Government Information Services

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road–OGIS

College Park, MD 20740-6001

Email: ogis@nara.gov

https://www.archives.gov/ogis

Phone: 202-741-5770 or 1-877-684-6448

This concludes the processing of your request. If you have additional
questions, please contact me directly.

Sincerely,

Daniel Dancis, Archivist

Special Access and FOIA Program (RF)

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500

College Park, MD 20740

(301) 837-0588

daniel.dancis@nara.gov

https://www.archives.gov/research/foia