At the end of the war, scout Maria Polyakova became a real legend, inspiring many generations of Russian spies. This fragile and defenseless girl was able to achieve success where seemingly strong men faced insurmountable obstacles. What led Maria Polyakova? What ideals did she pursue? And why is she considered one of the best spies of the past?
Unexpected offer
Maria Polyakova was born in the cultural capital of Russia, St. Petersburg. It happened on March 27, 1908, in a simple Jewish family. From childhood, the girl showed herself as a very gifted student. By her 20s, she was fluent in four languages: Spanish, French, Czech and German.
On the personal front, she was also doing well. Maria Polyakova was a beloved wife and mother of a beautiful girl named Zlata. In early 1925, she got a job at the KIM (Communist Youth International). She also thought about givingdocuments to the medical institute.
However, fate decided to give Polyakova a special gift. So, in June 1932, she was called to the carpet in the Central Committee of the Komsomol. The conversation that took place there changed the life of the girl forever - she was supposed to become a Soviet spy.
Scout Maria Polyakova
After some thought, Maria agreed with the proposal of the leadership of the Central Committee of the Komsomol. In 1932, her first secret assignment began. The young spy was destined to become an assistant to an illegal resident in Germany.
Already in those years, the situation in the country of the Nazis was very tense and required constant monitoring by the Soviet Union. As for Maria, she had to supervise meetings with infiltrated agents, collect secret data, pay for informers and recruit volunteers for the Red Army.
Maria Polyakova returned home only in 1934. The GRU command appreciated her abilities and sent her to the intelligence school for further training. Two years later, in 1936, she was again sent to work abroad. What is true, this time already in Switzerland.
For a year of work undercover, she was able to create a reliable network of agents working for the USSR. This allowed her to steal and transport blueprints for a new weapon to her homeland in 1937, making it impossible for the Nazis to use it as a combat advantage.
World War II
Throughout the war, Maria Polyakova worked in the Central Intelligence Apparatus. She coordinated the actions of the youngscouts, giving them commands and instructions. Along the way, the GRU was preparing her for a possible job as an illegal resident, in case the Germans did break through to Moscow.
At the end of the Great Patriotic War, she worked as a teacher at the intelligence school. She retired in 1956. The great intelligence officer died on May 7, 1995, exactly 50 years after the Germans signed the Instrument of Surrender.
