Barabanov was born into a family of a wealthy peasant. After the revolution he became Komsomol activist, since June 1919 led the culture and propaganda center in Altufyevo, in August 1920 served in the Red Army. During December 1920 – 1924 he studied at the Military Academy in Petrograd. In 1922 he joined the Communist Party. After a short period of service in the Army, Barabanov was ordered to join OGPU (secret service) and through several positions climbed into a high-level post in the Moscow military district. In 1933 he moved into a senior position in the GULAG (labour camp) administration; in April 1933 he became deputy commander of "Dmitlag", a camp set up in the city of Dmitrov in 1932 to dig the Moscow-Volga Canal.