Stefan Iosifovich Mrochkovsky occupies a special place among the outstanding illegal scouts. He carried out a very important project to create an international financial structure that was engaged in obtaining foreign exchange funds necessary to support the activities of foreign structures of the strategic intelligence agency of the Red Army.
Stefan was born in 1895 in the county center Elisavetgrad, Kherson province. His father was a worker at a local tannery, which allowed the family to live in relative abundance. Parents sent their son to the Elisabeth Zemstvo Real School, where he completed a seven-year course. Real schools at that time provided high-quality secondary education to representatives of the lower strata.
The county town was of great economic importance, as it was located at the intersection of important trade routes from the Black Sea coast to the interior of Russia. In addition to factories, there were many educational institutions in it, the first Ukrainian professional theater operated. The boy grew up in a developed European city, which influenced the formation of his personality. The population of Elisavetgrad was multinational; a significant part of the merchants and industrialists were foreigners. Communicating on the streets with their children, the young man, who showed linguistic abilities from an early age, began to speak several languages fluently.
After graduating from a real school with high scores, Stefan entered Kharkov University. I chose the legal profession, as it made it possible to become a highly paid lawyer and make a career. Mrochkovsky studied well, in addition to his main specialty, he independently mastered social sciences. Already in the first year I joined the left movement.
The revolutionary events of 1905-1907 thoroughly affected Kharkov. The university quarter became a center of resistance to the police and troops brought into the city. Stefan, showing fearlessness on the barricades, was admitted to the RSDLP. The anti-government uprising was suppressed, but Mrochkovsky was not included in the "black lists" of the police and continued his studies at the university. At the same time, he illegally participates in the activities of the local party cell. And improves linguistic training, preparing to work with foreign nationals. For the release, Stefan is fluent in French, German, English. Returning to his hometown, he quickly found a job as an assistant attorney at law. Then he got a higher position and began to successfully practice law. The young lawyer did not interrupt his ties with the party, assisting in the trials of the arrested members of the RSDLP.
After the victory of the October Revolution, the situation became more complicated, and the Civil War began. Military clashes took place between supporters of the self-proclaimed pro-Austrian nationalist republic and the pro-Russian international. German and Austro-Hungarian units, armed formations of White Guards of various subordination and detachments of the Red Army took part in the battles. In Elisavetgrad, power has repeatedly passed from one political force to another.
Mrochkovsky, leaving his legal practice, took part in the battles for Soviet Ukraine. In 1917-1918 he was the chairman of the Elisavetgrad Revolutionary Committee of the partisans of the Ukrainian People's Republic of Soviets. In 1919, he was captured by the Denikinites, who mercilessly shot all the captured Bolsheviks, but managed to escape from prison. After the establishment of Soviet power in Ukraine, Mrochkovsky worked as an agitator-propagandist, then in the bodies of public education in Elisavetgrad. The 25-year-old party member with a higher education was noticeable and was soon transferred to more responsible positions in Kislovodsk, Kharkov, and then in Moscow.
During the formation of the Soviet state, a graduate of the law faculty with knowledge of foreign languages was in great demand. After the conclusion of the Riga Peace Treaty, negotiations began between the RSFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, the BSSR and Poland. The treaty provided for the transfer to Warsaw of vast territories located east of the Curzon Line, the return of various property and values. To resolve these complex issues, a mixed Polish-Soviet re-evacuation commission was formed, in which Mroczkowski participated from 1921 to 1925. He showed himself as a qualified lawyer who skillfully defended the interests of the USSR.
Berzin's plan
The experience gained helped to involve Mrochkovsky in solving other similar problems. At this time, economic and military-technical cooperation with Germany was being established, which became possible after the signing of the Rapallo Treaty. In both countries, joint firms and concessions were created, through which contracts for the construction of defense industry enterprises in the Soviet Union were implemented with German financial and technical participation.
Mrochkovsky as a talented lawyer with international experience in 1925 was sent to the joint-stock companies "Metakhim" and "Bersol", which were engaged in joint military-chemical projects with Germany. Initially, he worked as a legal adviser, then became a member of the board. And in 1927 he became the chairman of the board of both joint-stock companies, showing himself not only as a great lawyer, but also as a competent manager.
The Soviet side paid great attention to bilateral cooperation with Germany, which made it possible to develop the country's military industry. At the same time, all necessary measures were taken to keep the ongoing projects secret. People's Commissar of Defense Mikhail Frunze decided to transfer all contacts and work with the Germans under the control of the head of the Intelligence Directorate. There could be no information leaks from his service. In addition, military intelligence officers were to use meetings with representatives of the Reichswehr, who were responsible in Germany for cooperation with Soviet Russia, in their own interests.
Since 1925, the activities of numerous firms and structures interacting with Germany were actually led by the head of the Intelligence Directorate, Jan Berzin. He drew attention to Mrochkovsky - a competent and experienced specialist who speaks foreign languages, who has experience in communicating with representatives of foreign countries. Berzin personally looked for personnel to work in military intelligence and after a long study came to the conclusion that Mrochkovsky could become an illegal intelligence officer. Having once again studied all the materials collected by personnel officers, the head of the Intelligence Agency invited the candidate for an interview.
For Stefan Iosifovich, this meeting and proposal were unexpected. He achieved high posts and positions in the structures in which he worked, and the transition to a new place meant starting everything from scratch. However, Jan Karlovich convinced the interlocutor of the importance of the tasks solved by military intelligence officers and the ability of Mrochkovsky to carry out new tasks no less successfully in the interests of ensuring the security of the Soviet state. By secret order, he was introduced to the state.
Since that time, Mrochkovsky, when traveling abroad, as a representative of joint-stock companies, carried out individual orders from Berzin, but he did not attract a new employee to undercover work. At the same time, he was trained in the peculiarities of intelligence work abroad. All this time, the head of the Intelligence Agency controlled what Mrochkovsky was doing and with what results. Berzin has already figured out how to use it to bring more benefit to the military intelligence of the Red Army.
Undercover work abroad, especially of illegal structures, required large expenses in foreign currency. Ensuring travel from country to country, hotel accommodation or rental housing, other operational expenses are impossible if the Center does not have cash in cash. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Intelligence Agency had dozens of illegal and legal residencies in various countries. Valuable agents were involved in cooperation. The information it obtained was in many cases invaluable, but it demanded a specific payment - this is one of the unspoken laws of intelligence.
The social and economic development of the USSR was difficult. Modernization of the backward national economy inherited from tsarist Russia, forced industrialization, collectivization processes required huge financial resources, they were not enough in the country. The situation was especially difficult with foreign currency, which was spent mainly on the purchase of imported industrial equipment and goods badly needed by the state.
Berzin decided to conduct a unique operation for the world's special services - to create a special network of commercial enterprises under the control of military intelligence. It was supposed to ensure the receipt of significant foreign exchange funds necessary for solving the tasks of the Intelligence Directorate in peacetime, and when the situation became more complicated, it should be used to expand agent networks and obtain important information. For a long time, Berzin was looking for a person who could lead this network and effectively manage its activities. After enumerating many possible candidates, he opted for Mrochkovsky. Working as the head of joint-stock companies, he showed his business qualities and the ability to operate in a foreign financial and industrial environment, and the underground Bolshevik experience and intelligence skills gained allowed him to hope for success. Berzin once again talked with his subordinate and communicated his plan to him. The conversation went on for a long time, the head of military intelligence explained to the employee all the features of his upcoming activities, which should take place on an illegal basis. Stefan Iosifovich was allowed to take his wife with him on a business trip abroad as a liaison.
So in 1928, Mrochkovsky headed the mobilization network of commercial enterprises (MSKP), as this project was called in the Intelligence Agency. Berzin managed to achieve the allocation of 400 thousand gold rubles from the state budget for the initial stage of work. The scout had to rely on the "Eastern Trade Society" ("Vostag"), whose central office was in Berlin. It was a joint Soviet-German firm and, in addition to open activities, was secretly engaged in military-economic and technological intelligence abroad, its branches existed in the USA, China, Mongolia and other countries.
Commerce Commissioner
Stefan Iosifovich got acquainted in Moscow with the work of Vostag and the company's connections. The special trip began in 1930. Arriving in Berlin under the legend of a businessman wishing to cooperate with this firm, Mrochkovsky set about creating a financial structure in accordance with Berzin's plan. Initially, it was possible to establish contacts with Chinese traders, who sought to establish cooperation with German firms with the aim of attracting them to reforming the Chinese economy and organizing the supply of military equipment.
Mrochkovsky, as it turned out, had the makings of a real businessman. He began to open firms accountable to himself in other countries. At the initial stage, he was engaged only in ordinary trade, but he conducted it successfully, despite the economic crisis that gripped the world. By 1932, he brought the annual turnover of the controlled structures to several million dollars. It was possible to seize up to a million dollars from it without any information and without harm to the business, which were sent to the Intelligence Directorate.
Part of the huge amount at that time was transferred to the needs of the Soviet state, the rest was used in the interests of intelligence. The money earned by Mrochkovsky was used to purchase the latest types of weapons and military equipment in leading countries, to finance the activities of foreign residencies, and to pay for the work of agents.
Stefan Iosifovich was the owner of the main capital of the firms and enterprises that were part of his commercial network, and the holder of most of their shares. He actually became a dollar millionaire, known in the financial circles of many countries. At the same time, he led a modest lifestyle, did not allow any significant spending on his own needs, thoroughly reporting to the Center for his entire financial economy.
In 1933, after Hitler came to power and the establishment of the Nazi regime in Germany, Mroczkowski moved his head office to Paris, from where he continued his unusual intelligence activities. He was involved in the expansion and development of his commercial network, which covered many countries around the world, including Germany, France, England, Poland, Romania, Iran, Iraq, China, USA and Canada. At the same time, new structures were opened primarily in those countries that were of operational interest for military intelligence.
Almost every year, the intelligence officer secretly came to Moscow with reports on his activities. He was always accepted by Berzin, who, according to the recollections of employees of the Intelligence Directorate, treated him as the best comrade in arms. During meetings with Mrochkovsky, no one was allowed into the chief's office, so that none of the employees who were not associated with him at work could see this scout.
After one of these meetings, Berzin told the secretary: “You have no idea, Natasha, what kind of help Stefan Iosifovich is giving us. I don’t know how we would manage without him.” For the successes achieved in foreign intelligence work, Mrochkovsky was awarded the Orders of the Red Banner and the Red Star. In 1935, at the suggestion of the head of the Intelligence Directorate, he was awarded the high military rank of "Corps Commissar". Before that, Berzin personally wrote a certification for a subordinate. It noted: “Mrochkovsky Stefan Iosifovich is a very capable, committed communist worker. Possessing solid general training (lawyer-economist) and extensive practical experience, he can perfectly apply his knowledge and experience in practice. Over the course of a number of years, he was in charge of a large area of reconnaissance, showed outstanding abilities of an organizer and administrator, and achieved major successes.
The character is firm, decisive, strong-willed qualities are well developed, he is well versed in people, knows how to manage them and subordinate them to his will. He enjoys great authority and respect among his subordinates. He quickly finds his bearings in a difficult environment and finds the right solution. In difficult conditions, he shows great restraint, at the same time, he is very careful, flexible and resourceful.
Political development and preparation are excellent (old party member-underground member). He did not depart from the general line of the party.
In his private life he is modest, in public he is a good friend.
General conclusion: the position held is quite consistent. According to his training, knowledge and abilities, he can also lead a larger section of work. It can also be used in large-scale work on the military-economic line."
From a concentration camp to a prison via New York
After the outbreak of World War II, the situation in Europe became significantly more complicated. The seizure of Poland and the Nordic countries by Nazi Germany hampered trade ties and the operation of the commercial network created by Mroczkowski. The outbreak of fighting on the Western Front and the occupation of France exacerbated the situation. The scout had to leave Paris and move to the southern regions of the country, urgently transfer financial assets there.
The Vichy collaborationist regime officially adhered to neutrality, but in fact pursued a pro-German policy, carried out repressions against "subversive elements" and all "suspicious persons". The Soviet intelligence officer was among them because of the police claims to his documents and in the second half of 1940 he was detained and placed in a concentration camp. Using all his financial capabilities and connections, Mrochkovsky achieved his release and left for the United States with his wife. After settling in New York, Stefan Iosifovich begins to restore the network, disrupted by the war. He was able to transfer to the Intelligence Agency about two million dollars, which survived during the dramatic events in Europe.
The Mrochkovsky family lived in New York, then moved to Washington. His position in the United States was rather difficult, since he was in a country with Austrian documents. When General Philip Golikov visited the United States in the second half of 1941, he secretly met with Stefan Iosifovich. After hearing a report on the results of the illegal immigrant's work in wartime and the possible prospects for his future activities, the head of military intelligence ordered Mrochkovsky to return to his homeland.
It was not possible to do this quickly because of the wartime and the dubious documents of the intelligence officer, according to which he left France. Mrochkovsky was hired retroactively to one of the structures of the Soviet embassy as an employee of the procurement commission that operated in the United States during wartime. Only after that, through the Middle East, Mrochkovsky arrived in Moscow at the end of 1942. And almost immediately he was arrested by the NKVD, where from 1937 lay the "deferred" denunciation.
The scout was repressed and imprisoned. He was rehabilitated and reinstated in the army in the summer of 1953. In 1965, Mrochkovsky was awarded the Order of Lenin for outstanding services to the Motherland, courage and heroism shown at the same time. The award was presented by the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Anastas Mikoyan, who arrived at the scout's apartment, as Stefan Iosifovich was ill.
