Sidney Reilly was certainly the most famous and successful British MI6 spy of the early part of the 20th century where his daring international exploits were legendary, least of all his multiple marriages, pseudonyms, gambling and womanising made him an icon and master spy.
So fascinated were the worlds literary writers of that time, he soon came to the attention of Ian Fleming who was a close friend of Reilly’s fellow MI6 agent, Bruce Lockhart. Lockhart recounted in a long conversation and much detail about Reilly that Fleming chose to create a series of novels based around Reilly’s character coming up with the idea of James Bond. The Bond novels and films today are a standout beacon to spy thrillers and form the landmark of the traditional cool charm of the perceived British spy network.
Reilly has become a significant character in the Novel… The Two Lives of Grand Duke Michael, where Michaels first life was set in 1918 marking the end of the Romanov Dynasty and the start of the Bolshevik Russian Revolution. He was historically connected with the attempted destruction of the Revolution by the MI6 secret service with the intention of bringing down the fledgling Russian Revolution. Spending a year in Russia working undercover, one of his other tasks was to (in the novel) bring Grand Duke Michael safely out of Russia to Great Britain, over a two-week period in February 1918 aided by Olga Bystrovia an Indian national who was also an MI6 operative working closely with him. That purpose was for Allied Heads of State and War Commanders to persuade Michael to spearhead an invasion of Russia
After this very successful adventure, Michael returned to Russia but was soon arrested due to his importance as being the one person the WW1 allies were confident could spearhead the Invasion at Archangel in the summer of 1918.
Lenin then sent Michael to Siberia under house arrest in an attempt to hide him away from any future Allied support to the White Imperial Army who was fighting the Russian Revolutionary Red Army.
Reilly was sent to Perm in Russia to monitor Grand Duke Michael and arrange a subsequent escape plan to bring him back to the UK and out of the clutches of Lenin and his Bolshevik Party. Plans were made for his evacuation, but on the night the plans were to be enacted, Michael and his British secretary Nicholas Johnson, who was also under house arrest with Michael, were dragged from their imprisonment and taken to a forest and assassinated.
Reilly in close pursuit found the assassins at the scene and suddenly the intentions of MI6 were brought to a halt as they saw both men being gunned down. After the assassins left the scene, he was elated to find Michael was barely alive, and through further danger and adventure, managed to transport him to Archangel which was then under British control. However, Johnson was dead. He with his other 2 co MI6 operatives who were with him, took the body and buried it in a place only known to them.
Michael was then brought back to the UK in 1919 with serious wounds and head injuries resulting in a total loss of memory. There he commenced his second life where he eventually regained his memory. Many years later he joined the war effort working at Bletchley Park using his in-depth knowledge of Russia. Shortly after the war, Michael married Olga Bystrovia who was working for MI6 and handled Michael during and after his recovery period. They had a son who became the legitimate next in line to the Russian Throne.
Reilly returned to his spying activities in Russia and remained a key supporter of the numerous activities to remove Lenin and restore the Imperial Throne. In 1925 he was lured back to Russia by the KGB, captured, imprisoned and shot for his anti-Russian activities.
For more information about the adventures of Grand Duke Michael and why Sidney Reilly makes an appearance, browse the rest of the website.
