In 1938, on the recommendation of Mikhail Ivanovich Zhuravlyov, People’s Commissar of the NKVD of the Komi ASSR, Nikolai Ivanovich Kuznetsov was recruited for a highly classified assignment and became a special agent reporting directly to the leadership of Soviet counterintelligence. It was during this period that he began mastering the delicate and dangerous craft of intelligence work. Experienced operatives trained him in the arts of conspiracy, agent handling, report writing, and remaining undetectable in hostile environments.
Kuznetsov’s greatest asset was his exceptional command of the German language — by that time, he spoke almost like a native. He absorbed new knowledge with extraordinary ease, studying with genuine passion and dedication. At the same time, he was distinguished by seriousness, restraint in judgment, and remarkable objectivity in his reports.
Beyond his linguistic gifts, Kuznetsov possessed another rare quality: the ability to inspire trust. He had a unique way of listening that made interlocutors feel truly heard — so much so that they often opened up to him almost imperceptibly, revealing their most private thoughts. Yet Nikolai Kuznetsov never pressured them or asked direct questions; instead, he created an atmosphere of quiet confidence in which others felt safe to speak.
During these years, Soviet counterintelligence conducted intense operational activities aimed at infiltrating foreign embassies in Moscow. Particular attention was focused on German and Slovak diplomats, many of whom maintained ties to German intelligence services. The Chekists understood all too well that war was drawing near.
By the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, Kuznetsov had already completed several complex and critical missions. He was given the operational pseudonym “Colonist” and issued a forged passport in the name of Rudolf Wilhelmovich Schmidt, an ethnic German. Operating under this cover in Moscow, he established contact with staff from the former German and Slovak embassies and took part in operations to intercept German diplomatic correspondence.
Documentary evidence of his Moscow activities survives. In his book “The Legend of Soviet Intelligence — N. Kuznetsov”, Teodor Kirillovich Gladkov quotes from Kuznetsov’s personal file:
