 He first served in the local Cheka/GPU/OGPU offices.In 1937, he was moved to the NKVD Moscow Headquarters, known as Lubyanka, and was put in charge of one of the "Secret Political Department" Sections in the Main Directorate of State Security of the NKVD.Between 1939 and 1941, he was the head of the GUGB 2nd Department ("SPO").