Meaning of "разведчик" on a Soviet era stamp

Question

In my stamp collection is a 1990 Soviet Union stamp commemorating British double agent Kim Philby. Above his likeness is the title СОВЕТСКИЙ РАЗВЕДЧИК, which to my understanding translates to "Soviet Sentry". The term "sentry" strikes me as odd though, because sentry isn't a synonym for spy. Can somebody shed any light on this particular choice of wording?

An online dictionary indicates the term means "sentry" which doesn't make any sense. Kim Philby was a British double agent, not a "scout", but obviously the USSR considered him valuable, and perhaps a hero. So does the particular Russian term have a more nuanced meaning when it comes to espionage, or does it perhaps mean "Guardian of the Soviet Union", or something else entirely?

Thank you!

Answer 1

Well, if sentry is "a soldier stationed to keep guard or to control access to a place", then разведчик is not sentry. If some dictionary translates разведчик as sentry, it doesn't make sense indeed. "A soldier stationed to keep guard or to control access to a place" is часовой (when he is on duty) or караульный (while not on duty).

Разведчик is either scout ("a soldier or other person sent out ahead of a main force so as to gather information about the enemy's position, strength, or movements") or spy. Spy can also be translated as шпион, but шпион has some negative connotation, while разведчик has positive connotation. For instance, a Soviet press would likely call Francis Gary Powers "шпион", but Rudolf Abel might be called "разведчик".