Hints of Snowden's life nonetheless flicker in and out of the public eye. On Thursday, his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said Snowden had agreed to take a job with one of the country's main internet companies, beginning on Friday. Kucherena would not disclose the company or any other details, and he declined to discuss Snowden's life in exile ''because the level of threat from the US government structures is still very high''. At the same time, news agency Life News published a photograph it said showed Snowden on a cruise on the Moscow River beside the Kremlin. The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour served as a stunning backdrop. A previous, far less convincing photo showed a man resembling him pushing a cart of groceries in what appeared to be a shopping centre car park. A spokeswoman for Life News said both pictures had been submitted through its website, and the contributors were paid 100,000 rubles, or about $3285. Soldatov and others cautioned that the hints could be attempts at misdirection or even propaganda, creating the impression of a happy, open asylum. The security services protecting Snowden, he said, might not even try to question him soon on what he knows - perhaps the greatest worry of US officials - but rather simply let him live in such circumstances and become increasingly dependent on them. ''He's free, but he's not completely free,'' said Ray McGovern, a former CIA official and a member of the Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence, who visited Snowden three weeks ago in his only verified appearance since he received asylum on July 31.

Even those who attended were not exactly sure where the meeting took place, driven there in a van with darkened windows. The possibility Snowden might work in Russia could not be verified, though the conditions of his asylum would in theory allow it, and some experts doubted the notion, given Snowden's evident desire to keep a low profile. Aside from Kucherena, Snowden's main conduit to the world and the efforts to challenge the extent of US eavesdropping has been Harrison, a trusted lieutenant of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. She arrived with him on a flight from Hong Kong in June that left them stranded in a transit zone at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow. When Snowden received permission to stay in Russia, she was photographed with him as they left the airport by taxi, headed for the underground existence they have since managed to maintain. It was through Harrison and WikiLeaks the Sam Adams Associates organised their meeting with Snowden to present an award for his leaks.

In an interview with The New York Times conducted by encrypted email and published two weeks ago, Snowden declined to discuss his life in Russia, except to say he had not taken the secret National Security Agency documents with him, he was not under the control of the Russian government and was free to move about. It seems clear he has access to the internet, McGovern said, because Snowden was ''thoroughly informed'' about the debate he had started, including testimony by officials on Capitol Hill trying to explain the operations his disclosures have unveiled. ''He's in touch with folks through Sarah Harrison,'' McGovern said. Soldatov said Snowden's life in Russia reminded him not so much of the defectors from the West, who in Soviet times disappeared into lonely lives of isolation and alcohol, but of the more recent example of the 10 ''sleeper spies'' exposed by the US in 2010 and expelled to Russia. They were honoured on their return with medals, and one, Anna Chapman, was celebrated as much for her looks as her spycraft. For all the attention at the time, though, the other spies slipped incognito back into the furtive world for which they had spent their lives training. ''When the FSB actually got him, they started to handle it their own way,'' Soldatov said of Snowden's situation.

Those who have seen him in Russia say Snowden appears aware of the gravity of the situation he has created, but also at peace with his choice to disclose secrets. His father, Lon, who visited him last month, said he was working ''to try to normalise his life''. His son, he said, had no interest in writing a book or seeking monetary gain from the disclosures. He did not know whether his son would begin working, as Kucherena said. ''He is safe, secure and happy,'' the elder Snowden said, ''and committed to the choice he made.'' New York Times