Journalist and one of the editors of Literaturnaia Gazeta. Elder brother of the writer, Andrei Bitov. Defected during the Venice Film Festival, 1983.
Asked for political asylum in Britain. Welcomed by the West, gave many interviews and wrote many articles criticizing the Soviet Government. After a year in London, reappeared under unknown circumstances in Moscow claiming he had been kidnapped in Italy and tortured by British intelligence.
Reappeared in Literaturnaia Gazeta writing hostile articles about the West.