ShON

Abbreviation of the Russian name of the Special Purpose School (Shkola osobogo naznachenija) at the People’s Commissariat (Narcomat) of Internal Affairs (NKVD), which was established in October 1938 to train intelligence officers. It was reorganized in 1943 as a two-year NKGB intelligence school, and then, in 1948, as the Higher Intelligence School. In 1969 it was reorganized again to form the KGB Red Banner Institute. It is currently known as the Academy of Foreign Intelligence.