When they started, the Polish interview was somewhere at the bottom of the list and no one considered him. At the end of the 1970s, the civilian intelligence of the People's Republic of Poland grew into a real power, ranking just behind the services of the USA and the USSR. All thanks to a school of spies that raised entire generations of hellishly effective agents. What was their study like?
In the times of Władysław Gomułka, the situation of Polish intelligence was not enviable. The leader of the state did not care about the development of this service, he disregarded it, and most of all he did not trust it. When Gierek came to power, the tap with money was turned on, the role of spies was to help Poland in catching up with the West in civilization. However, in order for the agents to be able to cope with the tasks set before them, they had to be properly educated.
That is why the decision was made at the highest levels to create a training center for professional and versatile spies.
Immediately after the war, the intelligence structures were formed by agents educated in the USSR, and everything was supervised by General Ivan Serov, the same who commanded the infamous operation to capture 16 leaders of the Polish underground. Later, the "students" studied in the palace in Ksawerów. As Piotr Pytlakowski writes in his book "Spy School", there were poor conditions there - lecturers from round-ups, small rooms, lack of modern solutions. You had to start from scratch.
The first step was to find a place in the middle of nowhere. In a discreet place, cut off from the world, ensuring freedom of action. Here, Stare Kiejkuty in Masuria proved to be perfect, with only a few wooden scout sheds. The authorities came to an agreement with the scouts and a hostel was built for them elsewhere. The location also met the requirements of the Warsaw Pact (all important mobilization points were to be east of the Vistula line).
General Iwan Sierow in charge of the Polish intelligence after the war (photo:Mil.ru, license CC BY 4.0)
When a detailed project appeared, 4 engineers, 8 foremen and ... military sappers were employed, who, as General Józef Osek told Piotr Pytlakowski, after forming specialized groups (electric, bricklayers, etc.), dealt with all the works, and after the military received craft diplomas in professions related to "construction". 1972, after 18 months of hard work, the super secret center was ready to accept the first course.
Western high life?
In times of housing problems, vouchers and general shortages, future agents who were to be educated in Stare Kiejkuty had access to real luxuries. They have at their disposal two-person apartments with bathrooms to a high standard, which would not be ashamed of the other side of the iron curtain. Since the agents were supposed to investigate the Western countries, they could not feel lost in them, especially in everyday situations (which could give them away). In addition, they could also use the indoor swimming pool, gymnasium and canteen-restaurant at will. It was not an ordinary kitchen, but a restaurant on a world-class level. As Sławomir Koper and Arek Biedrzycki write in the book "Polish spies" :
Even a chef at the Grand Hotel in Warsaw was hired to live in the resort with his wife. He prepared dishes from all over the world so that the listeners could learn about the way of eating and the flavors of different dishes, which might be necessary for them in the future. There was also a well-stocked, free bar open from 5 pm to midnight, which allowed future intelligence officers to familiarize themselves with various types of alcohol.
The article was inspired by the latest book by Sławomir Kopra and Arek Biedrzycki, "Polish Spies" (Bellona 2018)
On the first day, the "students", mainly talented law, trade or polytechnic graduates who had undergone a complicated selection process, were given uniforms. At most, they needed civilian clothes for arrival and departure from the center. In addition, the uniforms could serve as a cover, convincing the curious that nothing disturbing was going on in Stare Kiejkuty. It's just that the military is training in them.
Every day was the same
According to Aleksander Makowski, an experienced spy (he worked, among others, in Afghanistan) and a graduate of a school in Stare Kiejkuty, classes started very quickly, and each subsequent day looked the same. Wake up at 6.00 and run 3.5 kilometers under the supervision of a very strict instructor. Then a shower, breakfast and classes from 8 am to 2 pm. Later, dinner and the so-called self-study, and after 5 pm free time, which could be spent, for example, in a bar. The "students", which should be emphasized, were under careful observation all the time, especially when they indulged in a few deeper ones. When they loosened up after drinking alcohol, experienced instructors easily picked out those who talked too much despite the ban (it was forbidden to reveal their true identity - they used made up names), or became aggressive. There was no place for such people in the interview.
Sławomir Koper and Arek Biedrzycki enumerate which features of the future agent were most desirable. First of all, and perhaps surprisingly many people, ideological issues were by no means at the top of the priority list. They were looking for a spy, not a politburo officer. Perceptiveness and memory were much more important. These skills are indispensable in espionage work. Even more important than the ability to associate facts or analytical thinking. Candidates were also checked for mental resilience and how they behave under stress. Everything else could be taught to a human.
The Grand Hotel in Warsaw stood at a high level. That is why the cook was brought from there to teach students dishes from all over the world (photo:Wistula, license CC BY 3.0)
Aleksander Makowski in the book "Profession:Spy" mentions that special, new scripts on intelligence techniques have been prepared for the students. "Students" devoted a lot of work to learning languages. They crammed English, German, French, and Spanish using modern methods. The language studios were multimedia, which was impressive in the realities of the time. When the lessons began, the teachers began to speak a foreign language fluently, without pronouncing a word of Polish, which forced future agents to assimilate their knowledge quickly.
Exercises for perceptiveness were just as important as language skills. The trainees then learned, for example, how to catch the "tail", how to lose it and how to check if you are still being followed, and how to observe yourself. From the point of view of the future service, it was also extremely important to learn all the important methods and psychological tricks that facilitated the recruitment of a colleague and communication techniques needed to take over and forward the obtained information.
Just in case, the study also included the ability to ride extreme, in case it was necessary to escape the pursuit. Instead, the emphasis was not on shooting and martial arts. As one of the school graduates commented, the interview is about gathering information, not running around the city with a gun and killing people .
View from the road on Starokiejkuckie Lake, fenced due to the Foreign Intelligence Agency Training Center lying on the lake (photo:mamik fotopolska.eu, license CC BY-SA 3.0)
Spy case study
As you know, it's good to learn from mistakes, and even better from other people's. That is why the "students" in Stare Kiejkuty had something like real student seminars. They learned about various intelligence mishaps, analyzed the stages of the mission and wondered what went wrong and what should be done to avoid similar situations in the future. Examples were taken from history, but not only from domestic intelligence. Moreover, thanks to the fact that the lecturers at the spy school were experienced agents who had managed to serve at several sites, in several countries, future intelligence aces could also discuss their successes and failures, asking the best-informed people for important details.
At the same time, in order to broaden their knowledge, listeners had access to a richly equipped library with books about the most important foreign intelligence services (CIA, Mossad and others), of course in their original languages, and to the press from the West. In addition, separate scripts were devoted to the intelligence of major NATO countries. As history shows, all this effort clearly paid off, and the center in Kiejkuty - not so secret anymore, but still shrouded in many mysteries - exists to this day.
Information sources:
- Koper S., Polish spies , Bellona 2018.
- Kublik A., Czuchnowski W., Mole in the Vatican , Warsaw 2013.
- Pytlakowski P., Spy school , Warsaw 2014.
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