The book covers the historical period from the first third of the 19th century until 1991, when the Russian Empire, and then the USSR, firmly and confidently asserted their military-political presence on the southern borders of the country. Coordinated and concentrated efforts of diplomatic, military and intelligence state structures made it possible to reliably ensure the observance of the national security interests of Russia and the Soviet Union in the Central Asian region and in Afghanistan on the basis of compliance with the principles of international law and respect for the sovereignty of a neighboring state.