The Spy Who Buried Three Men and Slept Like a Hero

The Spy Who Buried Three Men and Slept Like a Hero Fear and awe collide: a foreign agent who spoke no Romanian rose from prisoner to run the security apparatus that signed 417,916 arrest orders in one month, buried three men in a single unmarked grave, and died with military honors-how did he escape justice? What did it take for a planted spy to become the state itself? In this episode, we follow the life of the man born Timofiy Bodnarenko, who adopted the name Gheorghe Pintilie and advanced from Caransebeș prison to lead Romania’s security service, and we ask how his actions reshaped a nation and evaded legal reckoning. Person: Timofiy Bodnarenko (later Gheorghe Pintilie) Date of birth: 9 November 1902 Location of grave site: Dorobanți, Bucharest Event: Burial of Ștefan Foriș and two others in a single unmarked pit Documented arrests: 417,916 arrest orders signed in a single month - He was recruited by the NKVD around 1921-22 and given the operational nickname Pantiușa. - He was arrested by Romania’s Siguranța in 1937 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. - He served time in Doftana, Văcărești, and Caransebeș prisons and met Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej there. - On 24 August 1944 he was released from Caransebeș and arrived in Bucharest at age 41. - In August 1948 he was appointed head of Direcția Generală a Securității Poporului (DGSP), the institution that became the Securitate. To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].