Soviet Espionage Training Schools

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP65-00756R000600260003-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 13, 2000
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: March 6, 1946
• Content Type: REPORT

25X1A
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201 Report No.
6 March 1946
Period: 6 March 1946
Made b
A71 r.AA
Sub j : Soviet Espionage Training Schools *ARMY DecIass/Fae
Instructions On File*
The following is a resume on Soviet training schools for
agents in the intelligence, counter-espionage, and propaganda
field.
This information is furnished by an individual who was
doing counter-espionage work in Harbin, Manchuria for many
years and had an occasion to view this activity.
The training of Soviet agents for intelligence, counter-
espionage and propaganda work was carried out and is probably
still continuing in special schools. The existence of these
schools is a well established fact at least up to May 1945. These
schools were located atl jabarovsk, near Voroshiloff-Ussuriysk
(Settlement Tchertova Pad)-,at--'Vladivostok and at Komsomolsk.
The school atlGabarovsk tra;ned saboteurs and wreckers. The
course included theoretical and practical training in demolition
work, railway wreckage and factory sabotage. Voroshilovsk-
Ussuris.was the training center, for intelligence ana counter-
esp onage work.,. Vladivostok was the training center for Labor
un onctivities and at o somolsk 'ag'ents were trained in purely
mi'Titary intelligence regarding Japanese, Chinese and other armed
forces. Students appointed to these courses were of Russian,
Chinese, Korean and Mongolian.nationalities. The students of the
last three nationalities being recommended and vouched for by their
national communistic parties.
In peace time the training period was an 18 month course but
during the war it was shortened to 8 months. The average number of
students graduating from each course was from 30 to 40 persons of
whom 507o were appointed for frontier zone work, 25% for activities
in the interior, and 257o for activities abroad.
In addition, training of agents was also undertaken in
certain foreign centers such as Harbin. Here this training started
from the moment the Chinese Eastern Railway passed into joint
Sino-Soviet control. These courses were carried out at the General
Affairs Section of the Railway Administration. Here each course
was limited to seven students each. Graduates of the above mentioned
schools acted as instructors.
The existence of these schools and courses and details regarding
them were first established during a guerrilla raid into Soviet
Russia in 1929 by Colonel Martinoff and Colonel Mohoff. During the
raid much documentary material and a number of prisoners were taken
including the brother of the famous Far Eastern Guerilla leader
BOIKO.
In another instance, when having been requested by the chief
adviser of the Bureau of Police at Harbin, Mr. N. I. YAGI to assist
in the neutralizing of Soviet sabotage work, Mr. MARTINOFF was able
to effect the arrest of a large group of saboteurs and wreckers.
Their statements and depositions confirmed.the existence of these
schools.
As late as 1945 further evidence was obtained, that these
schools and courses continued to exist and that they were even
considerably enlarged.
A very prominent role in their educational program was at that
time played by Lt. BARKOFF who at that time held thepositions of a
secretary of the Soviet Consulate at Harbin. One of his brothers was
secretary DALKRAIKOM and his second brother was secretary of the
Asiatic section of the Commissariat of Foreign Affairs.
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201 _ 2
The Soviet vice-consul at Harbin SOSHNIKOFF in his time had also
been a teacher of tha course at Habarovsk.
s
The 1st Secretary of the Harbin Consulate I. I. KUZNETZ$F, before
his appointment to that position had been the leader of the labor
movement school at Vladivostok. Later, he was transferred to CentraL
and South China. Here he had been active in labor union activity and
diversions in Yunan, under the alias of PARFENOFF. In 1942 KUZNETZORF'
left for MOSCOW but had been heard to state that he was coming back
to China where he likes to work and also had established good
contacts.
During 1944 and 1945 at Harbin itself the instruction and
training work for the local course was carried out by SOSHNIKOI',
BARKOFF, SAVCHENKO, PERM AKOF ', FANOIC?,MURAVIEFF, BULYGIN, PUCIIKOFc',
I. MAKRENOK. The last s x named were members of the communist
party.
The graduating class of these courses in Harbin on July 1945,
consisted of 16 people.
The Japanese had also tried to establish similar courses but
were not successful, as the students they enrolled from among
members of guerilla bands could not become enthusiastic about the
purely Jap objectives set for them.
At Harbin all agents trained locally or arriving from abroad
were handled by the Society of Soviet citizens and received their
further appointments and directives from the Soviet Consulate.
The Soviet Citizen Society, the official function was
supposedly to be the welfare of the Soviet Community at Harbin,
actually however served as a filter, and where all members were
carefully investigated, and the most suitable ones sorted out for
future use as active workers locally and abroad.
This was considered to be a very important part of general
activities especially for the near future. At a birthday party
on 22nd of May, 1945, at thehome of Dr. BUHALOFF, one of the most
prominent Soviet local leaders a DR. LVOV was overheard to state
in that respect that China would soon become the central area of
struggle between Soviet Russia and western militarism and that
therefore a large number of trained personnel would be required.
As the number or such personnel in Soviet Russia itself was limited
to the present, this insufficiency would have to he supplied from
those Soviet citizens residing in Manchuria and China.
All this, gives sufficient grounds to believe that such
training and preparation work is being carried out at Tientsin
and Peking at present.
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 25X1A
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Report !No ?C,ti,sw.wc.l *
6/9/45 \,s2rC~ h Sdv
Period: 9 June 45
Made by: -
Subj: Russo-Korea Activities
Source:
25X1A VPrcL
The followin information, dated 1 June 1945, was received
from Informant n 9 June 1945:
General GARO and Colonel PAKK have recently been appointed in
Siberia for the purpose of establishing various types of military
training for the Koreans and Communists. Location of the training
area is said to be at Chita (130-25, 52-05).
The training program, etc., is:
a) Taking (apparently training) able-bodied adults from Korea.
b) Enlarging the organizations of the Korean troops.
c) Training Korean special-service agents.
d) Indoctrinating the trainees into communism.
e) Using Chita, Kikhtt Nerch--nsk, and Yeerkhne_ as
training pee# n
f) Organizing other three cavalry\regiments and t
infantry divisio s.
It was stated that the p rpose of such raining was that when
the situation in the Bar Las changes (?) th se people will be
sent to Korea to take part i Korean activit es.
1 Kyo kh~R
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SOSIET ESPIONAGE SCHOOLS IN
THE FAR EA,c'T, GENERAL
G-2 Summary '# 100. Aug 1947
For the purpose of training espionage agents and inculcating 971st CIC Detachment in Korea
in them the spirit of communism, it is indicated that at least
nine or more espionage schools are,or have been, in operation north
of the 38th parallel in North Korea, Manchuria and Siberia.
Althouth these schools are maintained and operated by various
agencies and for several avowed purposes, the common end is that the
graduates of all the schools are dispatched to South Korea for the collection of information or,
in some instances to lead in the agitiation of people against the Amer Mil Govt, its's agencies,
and policies as well as violent agtation againsts all rightists.
Generall the school+etiire that applicants for admission have recommendation by some political
le^.der and , of pro-communist and pre-Sovit leanings.
Educational requirements are sometimes high, ranging up to university students,although
many apprehended agents appear to be lacking in education and intelligence.
Oftentimes students at the North Korean Schools are dispatched by Communist groups of South
Korea, the students then returning south upon completion of their training in North Korea
to carry out direct propaganda, agitation or espionage missions.
According to a confidential information interrogated March 1947, the USER is operating
two espionage schools in Siberia-one in Vladivostok and the other in Kraskino, with a one
year course and a six months course respectively. Agents trained in these schools operate
throu-hout the Far East innluding South Korea, and are reported tole well equipped for expenses
and the bribery of officials.
It is reported that the intelli-,ence agents ent out by Red Army HQ must be a graduate of
the Vladivostok school and are said to operate n well directed teams with a leader and radio
operators for contact with their base.(
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