Activities of the security agencies of Russia and illegal foreign public organizations in the east of Russia during the First World War

In the article, the author studied materials indicating the policy of the Russian Empire in the field of migration in the same period. This study presents documents from the State Archive of Irkutsk Oblast, from the Russian State Military History Archive, from the Russian State Historical Archive, from the Foreign Policy Archive of the Russian Empire and from the State Archive of Chita Oblast that have not been studied before. The strengthening of Russia's control over the movement of foreign nationals in the first place, Ottoman, Austrian and German empires, as well as of prisoners of war, was connected with the need to ensure the safety of the country during the First World War. In the area of the Russian-Chinese border numerous attempts of escape of prisoners of war to China, aliens' illegal passages under false documents were found. It should be noted that during the war the passage of the Turks with false passports through the Russian territory was not a strange event, but an ordinary crime, which was a clear indicator of the weakness of the passport control of the police gendarmerie of the Trans-Baikal Railway. Such IDs allowed Turkish nationals, deported to China from the Trackside of the Chinese Eastern Railway, not only to travel to Russia, but also to live in Moscow. In most cases this fact did not constitute a danger; but Russia's enemies could use such IDs for their own purposes. The author pays attention to the dynamics of the Russian migration policy processes in this period, confirming the conclusions by references to historical sources; identifies positive and negative aspects of the studied processes for their further study. In addition, the article describes the importance of the activities of an official in the diplomatic part under the Irkutsk Governor-General, and since 1917 under the Executive Committee, and later under the Commissioner of the region on fighting with foreign spies and war prisoner escape prevention. After examining Case 112 of the State Archive of Irkutsk Oblast, the author concludes that the diplomatic part of the Russian regional administration together with Russian law enforcement agencies had done a lot of work during the war to identify the accomplices of enemy agents in the ranks of foreign consulates located in the territory of Irkutsk. Thus, this work reflects all historical processes in the field of migration of foreign nationals and prisoners of war. It is of research interest not only for experts, but also for everyone who is not indifferent to the history of Russia. In addition, the article is important today in connection with the reform of the state bodies of control and supervision in the sphere of migration conducted in the country at the present stage of its development.

Keywords

Authors

References