American ▁who ▁has ▁author ed ▁a ▁bi ography ▁about ▁Put in , ▁claims ▁" Put in ▁and ▁his ▁colle agues ▁were ▁reduced ▁mainly ▁to ▁collect ing ▁press ▁cli ppings , ▁thus ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁the ▁mountains ▁of ▁useless ▁information ▁produced ▁by ▁the ▁K GB ". ▁According ▁to ▁Put in ' s ▁official ▁bi ography , ▁during ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁Berlin ▁Wall ▁that ▁began ▁on ▁ 9 ▁November ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁he ▁burn ed ▁K GB ▁files ▁to ▁prevent ▁demonstr ators ▁from ▁obtain ing ▁them . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁East ▁German ▁government , ▁Put in ▁returned ▁to ▁L ening rad ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁for ▁about ▁three ▁months ▁with ▁the ▁International ▁Affairs ▁section ▁of ▁L ening rad ▁State ▁University , ▁reporting ▁to ▁Vice - R ector ▁Y uri y ▁Mol chan ov . ▁There , ▁he ▁looked ▁for ▁new ▁K GB ▁rec ruits , ▁watched ▁the ▁student ▁body , ▁and ▁renew ed ▁his ▁friendship ▁with ▁his ▁former ▁professor , ▁An atol y ▁Sob ch ak , ▁soon ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁Mayor ▁of ▁L ening rad . ▁Put in ▁claims ▁that ▁he ▁res igned ▁with ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁Lieutenant ▁Colonel ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁August ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁on ▁the ▁second ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁Soviet ▁coup ▁d ' état ▁attempt ▁against ▁the ▁Soviet ▁President ▁Mik h ail ▁G orb ache v . ▁Put in ▁said : ▁" As ▁soon ▁as ▁the