The Presidential Library to spotlight the role of USSR intelligence services in the fight against fascism in Spain

The Presidential Library continues a series of lectures within the framework of the video lecture Knowledge of Russia, dedicated to the history of the state security agencies of Russia.

On March 28, 2024 at 16:00 (Moscow time) there will be shown a lecture “The first battle with fascism and the role of USSR intelligence services in the defence of Spanish Republic. 1936–1939".

On October 1, 1936, Francisco Franco and the National Defence Committee (part of the Spanish army) came to power in Spain. The political regime associated with Franco's rule, according to many researchers, was an authoritarian regime of limited conservative pluralism with features of a military dictatorship. Some historians and political scientists consider Francoism as a type of totalitarianism and fascism.

During the event at the Presidential Library, lecturer Sergei Vasilyevich Rat will talk about the creation of the 14th special partisan corps and the organization of sabotage intelligence work in the rear of the Francoists, as well as the role played by the work of political intelligence agents of the NKVD of the USSR during the Civil War in Spain, in in which the Soviet Union supported the country's republican government in the fight against the right-wing monarchist corps of Francisco Franco.

The second part of the lecture on the fight against fascism in Spain will take place in April and will be devoted to the military intelligence of the General Staff of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army.

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.

As part of a series of lectures dedicated to the history of Russian state security agencies, students are told about the main areas of work of the intelligence services, the specifics of professional activities, the most interesting, significant operations and outstanding employees.

Recordings of the first four lectures of the series are available for viewing on the portal and Rutube-channel of the Presidential Library.

Accreditation of media representatives is until 12:00 March 27, 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.