The history of Belarusian counterintelligence is inextricably linked to the Soviet state security agencies. A difficult situation inside and outside the country, as well as the transition from open armed struggle to a covert confrontation with the enemy, dictated the need to create a structure capable of effectively protecting the country from internal and external threats. The Soviet counterintelligence became such a unit.
According to Order № 144 of Chairman of the State Security Committee of Belarus of June 13, 2008, May 8, 1922 is considered the official date of establishment of the KGB Counterintelligence. This year the unit celebrated its 100th anniversary. And 105 years have passed since the establishment of the state security bodies.
The film "Counterintelligence: Spy Hunters" tells about the formation and development of these structures in recent history, as well as details of espionage cases that have never been seen by the public.
The breakup of the Soviet Union is a civilizational and personal tragedy for most residents of the new republics. The young states are breaking away from the system that kept the entire planet in balance, and chaos prevailed in the streets, in the stores, homes, offices, and in people’s heads.
Alexander Dugin, philosopher, social activist (Russia):
"I think that we have become a victim of the very real occupation. That is, Russia before Putin came, before his very accurate, patriotic reforms, was simply in a state of occupation by the West. Belarus was not. Belarus was Belarusian, and we in the era of Yeltsin simply bowed to the West, while Belarus was a reproach to our elites. "
The new life was striking in its realism. The necessities of life were in terrible short supply, and liberal innovations were an absolute fraud. The authors of the reforms promised that a 10,000 dollar voucher would be enough to buy two Volgas, but by the end of 1993 this voucher was worth two bottles of vodka.
The top professions at the time were "shuttle traders" and foreign currency prostitutes. The older generation rushed into trade: there was almost nothing left from pensions. But the most expensive commodity at this time is information. Like poachers in troubled waters, foreign intelligence services emerges. At that time, the U.S. security services were roaming the streets of Minsk. The U.S. was doing everything possible to bring Belarus under its influence.
Viktor Verega, First Deputy Chairman of the KGB of Belarus (2007-2013), Maj. Gen:
The West made a decision to destroy the State Security Committee of the USSR as much as possible. And after 1991 such processes began. We know that in some countries, in Russia for instance, the intelligence services were fragmented, with new functions and new names. But in Belarus, this process was stopped when in 1994 Lukashenko was elected head of state. And then crucial decisions were made for our Belarusian secret service.
In the early 1990s, during an official visit to the KGB, the U.S. intelligence services wanted to impose their adviser on Belarus. The scheme is well-established; it had already been done in neighboring countries. Gradually, it had to outgrow into a complete change of Belarusian special services, as, for example, in the Baltic States, where Western curators occupied the entire floors of the closed agencies.
The Americans used their own slang and language for the sake of secrecy during the negotiations. Believing that no one understood them, the guests let it slip. However, among the Belarussian security agents, there were those who had undergone training in Oxford.
At the end of the negotiations the American delegation could not hide their astonishment. What was easily accomplished in the Baltic States did not work here.
Gennady Narkevich, Deputy Chairman of Belarusian KGB (1996-2000), major-general:
They were shocked by such an answer. They realized that somewhere there was some miscalculation by the American intelligence services in Belarus as a whole. They thought it would be very easy to deal with, to hold color revolutions like in other countries, and to achieve their strategic goal. And then they stumbled, they couldn't do it. You should have seen the look on their faces when they looked at each other.
The officers who worked in the Soviet Union remained in the KGB of Belarus. These people became the backbone of the young Belarusian special service. Even today our counter-intelligence service is one of the most effective ones.
On the occasion of its 105th anniversary the State Security Committee lifted the veil of secrecy on the cases which the general public had never seen before.
