The moments of truth of General Abakumov. Rise and fall

He is considered one of the most mysterious and tragic figures in Soviet history. His case is still classified to this day. His name was erased from public memory for decades. Yet his contribution to Victory cannot be overstated - during the Great Patriotic War, he led the best military counterintelligence in the world, and under his leadership, Soviet military counterintelligence outplayed and defeated the Third Reich's intelligence services. His further fate was tragic: after the Victory, the still young Abakumov headed the USSR's Ministry of State Security, but 5 years later he was arrested and subsequently executed on false charges - yet even in prison, under torture and facing death, he did not admit his guilt and died unbroken. His activities still spark heated debates - some historians curse Abakumov as a 'hangman' and initiator of mass repressions, while others praise him as the greatest counterintelligence officer of the Second World War, an honest, principled, and courageous man. A new book by a renowned intelligence historian, based on archival materials, refutes numerous myths and speculations surrounding Abakumov's name and reconstructs the true image of the last 'apostle' of SMERSH.