The purpose of this article is to analyze the Russian experience of recruitment for the military counterintelligence agencies during the Great Patriotic War years. In the politically and military charged environment the required staff reserve for special departments of NKVD of the USSR of the newly-formed Red Army units and commands was provided. The sources for this research were the works dedicated to the activities of the Russian security agencies: Military Counterintelligence. History, events, people. / chief editor A.G. Bezverkhny. - M.: OLMA, 2008; Human resources department of security agencies: history and modem times. M., 2013; Memoirs of N.S. Batyushin: Secret military police and how it was fought. M., 2001; M.D. BonchBruevich: All power to the Soviets. M., 1956; were used as well as research works by N.S. Kirmel: Activity of intelligence services of the White Guards governments and armies in the Civil War years in Russia (1918-1922): ext. abstract of dissertation of Doctor of Historical Sciences. M., 2009. In the process of solving the problems of acquisition of military counterintelligence in the initial period of the war, it was necessary not only to call the necessary contingent from the reserve, but also to establish its training in a limited time. The Russian experience acquired during the First World War and the Civil War was very important for proper recruitment for the military counterintelligence agencies and training of military counter-intelligence agents. In 1941 the retired Chekists (security officers), law enforcement officers and the most oriented and excelled-in-combat troop officers were drafted to the military counterintelligence detachments. The quick personnel reserve activation with the start of the war became possible also due to the fact that by mid-30s of the 20th century a network of educational institutions serving the needs of domestic security agencies was established in the USSR. It facilitated training of sufficient number of intelligence officers in a limited time. Significant work in that respect was done by the personnel department of NKVD of the USSR. Agents training and creation of the reserves to work in special branches became an important aspect of its activities under conditions of war time. Thanks to such measures, by July 1 a preterm graduation of cadets and officer candidates of NKVD educational institutions was effected, new training programs were developed and approved, personnel training terms were shortened to a maximum and capacities of agency-level military academies, schools and courses were enlarged. With the war progressing, the personnel training system had been improving and various kinds of teaching and on-the-job training were used. At the final stage of the war the SMERSH military counterintelligence body was fully manned with operational personnel, capable to deal with the challenges of counterintelligence activities of the armed forces of the USSR. Within the framework of the conducted study we can say that during the Great Patriotic War years a high-quality system of military counterintelligence officers was set up and running, which was an important resource for ensuring the victory over the aggressor.
