The Petrov Affair

Evdokia Petrov, flanked by two Russian couriers, is escorted to the plane at Mascot Airport. 19 April, 1954. Image courtesy of Gary O’Callaghan (second from left).

Evdokia Petrov, flanked by two Russian couriers, is escorted to the plane at Mascot Airport. 19 April, 1954. Image courtesy of Gary O’Callaghan (second from left).

Rarely does a political event capture a nation’s imagination like the Petrov Affair. Fifty years ago the Petrov Affair dominated Australia’s headlines. For months Australians devoured stories of espionage and charges of political conspiracy.

The defection of the Petrovs came to be regarded by Western intelligence services as one of the most important of the Cold War era. The Petrov Affair had a profound and lasting impact on the Australian political landscape, with the Labor Party Split a direct consequence of the events of 1954-1955.

Join us in this exploration of the people and events surrounding the Petrov Affair…

Red Alert

The Petrov Affair was played out against the background of the Cold War – the rivalry that developed during the second half of the twentieth century between countries espousing different political ideologies. The Cold War was characterised by mutual distrust and suspicion.

The Petrov Affair exhibition was shown at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House in 2003.

More information is available on the exhibitions page.