Presidential Library tells about contribution of counterintelligence agents to liberation of besieged Leningrad

On November 20th, 2024 at 16:00 Moscow time, the Presidential Library will be hosting a lecture on the work of SMERSH agents during the Great Patriotic War to protect Leningrad. The event will take place on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, which will be celebrated in 2025.

SMERSH stands for "Death to Spies! (Smert' Shpionam!)" and refers to the governing bodies and units of military counterintelligence within the Soviet Union's defense and internal affairs ministries. They were established during the Great Patriotic War in 1943 to combat espionage, sabotage, terrorism, and other subversive activities by foreign intelligence agencies in the Red Army's units and institutions at the front and in the rear.

Anatoly Kontashov, the chairman of the public organization Regional Association of Veterans of Military Counterintelligence of the Leningrad Military District, will speak about the work of SMERSH agents, including Melitiy Malyshev, a Soviet intelligence officer, who, under the cover of a defector, was sent behind German lines, where he later managed to obtain valuable information about the training of Abwehr agents, the military intelligence and counterintelligence agency of Nazi Germany - German spies.

The lecture will be held as part of the video lecture series Knowledge of Russia by the Presidential Library, and will continue a series of lectures on the history of state security agencies in our country. The aim of the series is to create a positive image of Russian state and domestic intelligence services.

At lectures on the history of state security agencies, students learn about outstanding employees, the most striking, interesting and significant operations and events in the history of Russian special services, as well as about the main activities of these agencies.

The video lecture is free. The meeting will be broadcast on the Presidential Library’s portal in Live Broadcasts section in accordance with the program of live events, on the Rutube-channel of the institution, as well as on the social networks VKontakte and Odnoklassniki.

Accreditation of media representatives is until 13:00 Novermber 19th, 2024

Please forward applications for accreditation following the attached form marked Media Accreditation at media@prlib.ru, dyatko@prlib.ru Olga Dyatko, tel.: (812) 305-16-21, ext. 190; mob. +7 (900) 658-48-32.

The letter should contain the full name, date and place of birth, passport data (series, number, place of registration), a list of carry-on equipment, contact phone numbers, the name of the media.

We draw the attention of the media representatives that it is necessary to forward applications for accreditation and arrive at the event in advance.

Entrance to the Presidential Library is carried out only by prior registration and upon showing a passport: for media representatives - through entrance № 2, participants and guests of the event - through entrance № 1.