As part of our ongoing, if pointless and probably distasteful, coverage of the recent Russian spy scandal, Workbox has the latest news, insights and career suggestions for people leaving the intelligence industry.
If there’s anything a spy should be good at, it’s spin. Especially one who needs a job. So, to start “spinning” herself into a marketable sex-котенок, accused Russian spy Anna Chapman “leaked” a video and photos of her recent photo session on her Facebook page. The photos from the session are to appear in the Russian magazine Heat, and Heat says they’re suing her for showing the photos and video. But, like the spy business, who can tell whether this is really just a publicity stunt to generate attention, or a real dispute? I vote for stunt.
Notice that the Kremlin is in the background, visible through the window. The photoshoot was done in a hotel room directly across the Moscow river, in the famous Kempinski (officially Hotel Baltschug Kempinski):
> http://www.kempinski.com/en/moscow/Pages/Welcome.aspx.
Here’s the video:
In any event, what is an “exposed” (O.K., that was a cheap one) spy to do for a living once they’re out of the biz? My bet is that she’ll promote Russian vodka!
Why? If there’s one thing Americans (and, in fact, the world) think of when they think of Russia, it’s vodka. Just like Hot For Words’ Marina Orlova, Ms. Chapman can leverage her fame in a similar fashion. In the below video, notice the Stolichnaya placement:
However, Stoli is now bottled in Latvia! So, knowing that Ms. Chapman is a patriot who would do anything for old Mother Rus, I suggest she support a real Russian vodka like:
> Ruskova: http://www.ruskova.com/ (this vodka is actually produced in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, the same city in which our development and support team live and work).
> Beluga: http://www.sygroup.ru/en/brands/beluga/
For your further amusement (and time waste), here are links to the Russian stories:
> http://www.marker.ru/news/1732
> http://lifenews.ru/news/35742
Cheers!
Eric