Yerevan/Mediamax/. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said today that Gevork Vardanyan, who passed away yesterday, "participated in many brilliant special operations which entered the history of national foreign intelligence.”

The Russian President sent a telegram of condolences to Gevork Vardanyan’s spouse, Gohar Vardanyan, Mediamax reports.

“I sincerely share the enormous sorrow that befell your family. Gevork Vardanyan, a legendary intelligence agent, a true patriot of his country, a bright and extraordinary person, passed away. He participated in brilliant special operations that entered the history of national foreign intelligence. Gevork Vardanyan’s decease – is an irretrievable loss for his family, for all who knew and admired this wonderful person,” the telegram reads.

Gevork Vardanyan, a Soviet Union hero, passed away in Moscow on January 10, at the age of 88.

ITAR-TASS reports that Gevork Vardanyan was born on 17 February 1924 in Rostov-on-Don in the family of Andrei Vardanyan, an Iranian citizen, director of a creamery. In 1930, at the age of 6, the family left for Iran. His father had ties with the Soviet foreign intelligence service and left the USSR on its task. Under the guise of commercial activity, Andrei Vardanyan conducted intelligence work and he greatly influenced Gevork in becoming an intelligence agent.

In 1942, under the pseudonym of “Amir” Gevork Vardanyan entrenched in an English intelligence school in Tehran. “Amir” was involved in ensuring the safety of leaders of “Big Three” during the Tehran Conference in November-December 1943.

In 1951, Gevork Vardanyan was recalled to USSR. He worked in various countries such as Iran, Italy, France and Greece. His intelligence mission lasted till 1986. He remained in service until 1992.