Leon Theremin (born Lev Sergeyevich Termen Russian: Лев Сергеевич Термéн, IPA: [ˈlʲef sʲɪrˈɡʲejɪvʲɪtɕ tɨrˈmʲen]; 28 August [O.S. 15 August] 1896 – 3 November 1993) was a Russian and Soviet inventor, most famous for his invention of the theremin, one of the first electronic musical instrumentsand the first to be mass-produced. He also worked on early television research. His listening device, “The Thing“, hung for seven years in plain view in the United States Ambassador’s Moscow office and enabled Soviet agents to eavesdrop on secret conversations.