Margarita Konenkova: The Seductive Spy

Margarita Konenkova (1895-1980) was a Russian spy known by the codename "Agent Lucas." She was married to Sergey Konenkov, a celebrated Russian sculptor. Margarita had a history of captivating influential figures, having previously engaged in affairs with notable personalities like the singer Feodor Shalyapin and the composer Sergey Rachmaninoff.

The couple settled in the United States in 1923. By 1935, Sergey was commissioned to sculpt a bust of Einstein for Princeton University. While Sergey visited Einstein for professional purposes, Margarita frequently traveled to Princeton to see him.

In 1936, following the death of Einstein's second wife, Elsa, in 1941, the lonely scientist, then 62, began a romantic involvement with Margarita, who was 46 at the time. In their correspondence, he affectionately referred to her as "Almar," a blend of their names—Albert and Margarita.

To facilitate their meetings, Einstein once asked a physician to suggest that Margarita spend time at Saranac Lake, New York, purportedly for health reasons. Coincidentally, Einstein owned a cottage in that area, allowing them to spend several months together each year while her husband worked in Chicago.

Margarita's Hidden Agenda

Unbeknownst to Einstein, Margarita was a spy tasked with infiltrating the ranks of those involved in the Manhattan Project—the initiative aimed at creating the first atomic bomb. While at Princeton, she mingled with key figures such as Einstein and Robert Oppenheimer, the project's lead scientist. Margarita influenced Oppenheimer to recruit scientists with leftist affiliations, who were more likely to be swayed into espionage for Russia.

It is unlikely that Einstein shared any significant information regarding the atomic bomb with Margarita, as he was not directly connected to the project.

As World War II concluded, Margarita had to return to Russia, though Einstein continued to express his fondness for her through heartfelt letters.

> “Just recently I washed my head by myself, but not with the greatest success; I am not as careful as you are. Everything here reminds me of you… all the many little things in my hermit’s cell.”

> — Albert Einstein to Margarita Konenkova