espionage

Based on the original sources, the article considers the life and activities of Patrick Gordon, a Scottish officer who served in the Russian Tsarist army in the second half of the 17th century. While Gordon’s biography has been extensively studied by historians, his “secret” activities have not beenthe subject of scholarly research.

The little-known history of the counterintelligence department of the 12th Army headquarters is examined through the prism of the activities of two tools for countering espionage – the spy squad and secret employees.