Rubelvitch (Russian: Рубльвич; alternatively spelled Rublevich and Rublevitch) is the personal secretary (and strongly implied lover) of the head of KGB, General Gogol. The character appeared briefly in the James Bond films The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), For Your Eyes Only (1981), and Octopussy (1983) and was portrayed by the Austrian actress and model, Eva Rueber-Staier.
Biography[]
Like her British counterpart Miss Moneypenny, Rubelvich is a trusted member of the state apparatus, and has high level security clearance in order to perform her job properly. She is a member of the KGB, although it is unclear what her actual rank within it is.
Rubelvich appears to be an ally/supporter of General Gogol himself, when it comes to internal disputes.
The Spy Who Loved Me (film)[]
When General Gogol is informed of the missing nuclear submarines during the pre-title sequence, his beautiful secretary - effectively, the Soviet equivalent of Miss Moneypenny - is briefly seen. After putting down the phone to his superiors, the General hits the intercom and asks for the location of their best operative, code-named Triple X. Rubelvitch informs him that she is on leave, at the People's Rest and Recuperation Centre.
For Your Eyes Only (film)[]
Rubelvitch gives updates to General Gogol
After an absence from 1979's Moonraker, she is present in For Your Eyes Only. This time sharing a corner of General Gogol's office, she demurely sits on his desk as he informs the Comrade Secretary that there is an opportunity to acquire an ATAC transmitter from a British spy ship which had recently sunk off the coast of Albania. The pair holds one other's gaze during the discussion and after hanging up the phone the General kisses her hand with an impish smile on his face.
Octopussy (film)[]
Rubelvitch speaking with General Orlov
General Gogol's faithful secretary returns in Octopussy, this time present in the background of a Soviet Security Council meeting which is discussing the possibility of Soviet arms reductions after talks with the West. She appears to be taking minutes of the meeting, and is familiar with all those present, including the Soviet premier.
During the Committee meeting, she receives a phone call from Lenkin at the Kremlin Art Repository and she conveys the message to the nearby General Orlov. Orlov tells her to inform him that he will be there as soon as it is possible.
Behind the Scenes[]
With the Soviet currency being the ruble, her name is a jokey counterpart to her opposite number, Miss Moneypenny. A similar reference occurs when Anya Amasova travels with James Bond under the covername of "Mrs. Sterling" (as in "Pound Sterling").
Despite her minor role, Rubelvitch is notable for being the second of three Bond Girls (after Sylvia Trench, and before Madeleine Swann) to appear in more that one James Bond film.
Rubavitch... the same character or not?
Given the similarity of their names and appearance, there is some debate as to whether the character Rubavitch (played by Virginia Hey) in the 1987 film The Living Daylights was initially intended to be Rubelvitch at an earlier stage in its production. Notably, the head of the KGB was originally penned to be Rubelvitch's superior, General Gogol; however, actor Walter Gotell was too sick to handle the major role, and the character of Leonid Pushkin replaced Gogol, who appears briefly at the end of the film, having transferred to the Soviet diplomatic service.
General Gogol's lover, another possible portrayal of Rublevitch by another actress.
There is a similar debate over one of Gogol's scenes in Moonraker. Gogol is shown in bed with a blonde woman, and it is unclear whether this is intended to be Rubelvitch or not, and she is played by another actress.
Gallery[]
The Spy Who Loved Me (film)[]
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For Your Eyes Only (film)[]
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Octopussy (film)[]
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Promotional[]
