General of soviet military intelligence Maria Sakhnovskaya-Flerova (GETS)

Abstract

The purpose of the article consists in a research, based on the first mentioned in science archival documents from the FSS Central Archive, data on the biography, education, and activities of Maria (Mirra) Filippovna Sakhnovskaya-Flerova (Tchubareva (Getz) Mariam Faivelevna), an illegal intelligence officer, resident, and also the first female general in Soviet military intelligence. Until today, her fate was a mystery. However, the extensive exploration of the archival data made it possible to trace her difficult life path. The main problem of the article is formulated on the basis of the life events of Maria (Mirra) Filippovna Sakhnovskaya. She was known as Maria Filippovna Sakhnovskaya, Mirra Flerova and also Maria (Mirra) Chubareva. However, initially she bore the name Maryam, her patronymic was Fayvelevna, and the last name was Getz. Her activities required maximum secrecy, and that is why her fate is so mysterious. The analysis of the archival data made it possible to reconstruct the historical events and trace the difficult life path of the Soviet intelligence officer. The activities of the intelligence officer Sakhnovskaya required maximum secrecy, therefore, many facts for researchers require clarification, as well as the facts of her biography. the stages of the career of a Soviet intelligence officer due to participation in historical events were structured by the author. Among the special historical methods, they used source-based and historiographical ones. These mehods made it possible to determine the degree of study of the topic, as well as to identify available sources. As a result of exploration of new sources, Maria Filippovna’s relatives (her husband and children) were identified. The analysis of the historiographical materials made it possible to mention in the article the information about Maria Filippovna’s father, Faivel Bentsilovich Getz, a writer, a Russian-Jewish publicist and a teacher of Jewish history. As a result of the study, it became possible to clarify the career path of Sakhnovskaya-Flerova. Based on the documents from the FSS Central Archive, it was possible to determine the conditions of the first and the second arrests of Maria Filippovna. In the cited materials of the indictment of 1937, there were presented the cases of Sakhnovskaya-Flerova’s connection with representatives of Trotskyist counter-revolutionary organizations, mentioning her alleged collaboration with K. Radek and I.Smirnov. Both, by the way, became victims of the «Second Moscow Trial». As a part of it, in 1937, more than 20 alleged participants of Trotskyist counter-revolutionary organizations were sentenced to capital punishment. The analysis of the archival documents proved that in 1959 M. F. Sakhnovskaya-Flerova was rehabilitated after the sentence to capital punishment. When it comes to the results, it is necessary to note the merit of M. F. Sakhnovskaya-Flerova in solving the problems of military residency in China in 1924–1926. At that time, military specialists carried out the necessary for Soviet State task of building relations with the Chinese Kuomintang Party and its leader Sun Yat-sen, which was necessary for the young Soviet state. This was done to expand the sphere of influence of the USSR in this region. The merit of Sakhnovskaya-Flerova in the development of personnel training for sabotage work is also important. In relation to this and a number of other important merits, Maria Filippovna had the military rank of «divisional commander», which corresponds to the rank of «major general».