Robert Michniewicz

Education and training

According to a note by the publisher Czarna Owca, Michniewicz graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Warsaw and completed postgraduate studies at the Polish Academy of Sciences. In 1984 he graduated from the Intelligence Personnel Training Centre as one of the top students.^1,3

Service

The publisher states that he served in Polish intelligence for 23 years, 11 of them abroad, carrying out intelligence tasks in the Middle East, the Americas and Europe. In 2006 he retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel.^1,3

According to media and secondary accounts · not confirmed by official sourcesHis service in the Foreign Intelligence Agency is confirmed by his public appearances. The announcement of his talk at the MFK 2024 festival concerns, among other things, the restrictions arising from service in the AW and states that his records remain in the Agency's archives. In an interview with Histmag.org (2024) he said that his official workplace, as given to family and friends, was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.^2,4

The Foreign Intelligence Agency has existed since 2002 (Act of 24 May 2002); before that, civilian intelligence operated within the UOP (1990–2002) and, until 1990, within Department I of the MSW. Since he completed his training in 1984 and served for 23 years, his earlier service fell within the structures that preceded the AW. The sources used do not state in which units or positions he worked before 2002, so we do not describe this.^1,5,6

Writing

The publisher lists three series and stand-alone novels: the “Partnerzy” (Partners) series (“Początek” – The Beginning, “Zemsta” – Revenge, “Finał” – The Finale), the Carl von Wedel series (“Dolina szpiegów” – Valley of Spies, “Zdążyć przed wrogiem” – Ahead of the Enemy, “Fałszywa gra” – A False Game) and “Agent z Rijadu” (The Riyadh Agent) and “Agent z Dubaju” (The Dubai Agent).³

His debut was “Partnerzy. Początek” (Partners: The Beginning) – in the author's words a thriller about Polish and Russian intelligence, whose action begins at the moment of Russian aggression. “Dolina szpiegów” (Valley of Spies; released on 27 March 2024) is set in 1944: Captain Carl von Wedel of the Abwehr, who works for Polish intelligence, ends up at a secret intelligence school near Zakopane.^4,7

“Agent z Rijadu” (released on 12 March 2025) is a novel about the Polish intelligence officer Aleks Niwiński, who uncovers a conspiracy in Saudi Arabia involving the intelligence services of Iran and Russia. In 2025 the publisher prepared an English translation, “The Riyadh Agent” (translated by Kasia Beresford).^1,8

Significance

According to media and secondary accounts · not confirmed by official sourcesIn the interview with Histmag.org he said that when writing spy novels he moves in a world he knows well from his service. His books cover both contemporary intelligence (the Middle East, Russia) and the Second World War.^3,4