Young staff members of the state security forces at the Western Urals during the Civil War

The article focuses on issues of staffing of state security forces, extraordinary commissions (Cheka) at the Western Urals, one of the most important regions of Russia. Age-grade is a particular category for extraordinary commission's staff members. Young chekists under 25 years of age didn't have neither professional skills nor life experience. They were not well educated. This leaded to mistakes and faults as well as to extensive use of violent means in their work. The article is also devoted to Komsomol members' activities at security bodies. The Communist party was the core of the soviet political system; Komsomol members formed its labor pool, which includes the state security forces. Young staff members had to learn by practicing, making mistakes and making huge decisions. Following the analysis of sources, at the Western Urals young chekists after acquiring specific experience preferred to join a ruling party rather than Komsomol. Soviet and contemporary researchers have pursued the path of studying specific factors of young chekists' and Komsomol members' work. The researchers have never used systematic approach in studying the abovementioned issue. The novelty of the article resides in the special focus on activities of the Western Ural security forces and extraordinary commissions under the direction of young staff members, who implemented a policy of combating counter-revolution, following both central instructions and local specifics.