What is now instead of the KGB. USSR, State Security Committee: History of the Special Service. Educational institutions of the KGB of the USSR

(Sovnarkom, SNK) considered the possibility of an anti-Bolshevik strike of employees of government agencies on an all-Russian scale. It was decided to create an emergency commission to find out the possibility of combating such a strike "by the most energetic revolutionary measures." Felix Dzerzhinsky was nominated for the post of chairman of the commission.

From July to August 1918, the duties of chairman of the Cheka were temporarily performed by J. Kh. Peters, on August 22, 1918, F. E. Dzerzhinsky returned to the leadership of the Cheka.

Regional (provincial) emergency commissions, special departments to combat counter-revolution and espionage in the Red Army, railway departments of the Cheka, etc. were created. The organs of the Cheka carried out the Red Terror.

GPU under the NKVD of the RSFSR (1922-1923)

NKGB - MGB (1943-1954)

Following Prince Philip's visit to the USSR in 1973, Ambassador John Killick wrote of the British side's impression of the work of the KGB: and contempt for mere mortals.

Separation of the KGB (August 1991 - January 1992)

Main article: Committee for the Protection of the State Border of the USSR

On October 22, 1991, by resolution of the State Council of the USSR No. GS-8, the USSR State Security Committee was divided into the Inter-Republican Security Service (MSB), the USSR Central Intelligence Service (CSR) and the USSR State Border Protection Committee. A little earlier (in August-September), government communications units (the USSR Government Communications Committee was created) and government security units were also separated from it. On December 3, 1991, the President of the USSR M. S. Gorbachev signed the Law "On the reorganization of state security bodies", thus finally securing the liquidation of the KGB.

On December 19, 1991, the President of the RSFSR B.N. Yeltsin signed a number of decrees, according to which the Inter-Republican Security Service was abolished, and its material and technical base was transferred to the newly created Ministry of Security and Internal Affairs of the RSFSR. However, due to the protest of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, the new ministry was never created. On January 24, 1992, the SME was abolished again, its infrastructure was transferred to the newly created Ministry of Security of the Russian Federation (MBR).

On December 24, 1991, on the basis of the government communications committees of the USSR and the RSFSR, the Federal Agency for Government Communications and Information under the President of the RSFSR (FAPSI) was established.

On December 26, 1991, the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation was created on the basis of the Central Intelligence Service of the USSR.

The Committee for the Protection of the State Border of the USSR existed until October 1992, but led the border troops only until June 1992. On June 12, 1992, by Presidential Decree No. 620, the Border Troops of the Russian Federation (as part of the Ministry of Security of the Russian Federation) were created.

After a series of reorganizations, by January 1992, the government security bodies were merged under the leadership

In 1917, Vladimir Lenin created the Cheka from the remnants of the tsarist secret police. This new organization, which eventually became the KGB, dealt with a wide range of tasks, including intelligence, counterintelligence, and isolating the Soviet Union from Western goods, news, and ideas. In 1991, the USSR collapsed, which led to the fragmentation of the Committee into many organizations, the largest of which is the FSB.

The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission (VChK) was established on December 7, 1917 as an organ of the "dictatorship of the proletariat". The main task of the commission was the fight against counter-revolution and sabotage. The body also performed the functions of intelligence, counterintelligence and political search. Since 1921, the tasks of the Cheka included the elimination of homelessness and neglect among children.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR Vladimir Lenin called the Cheka "a striking weapon against countless conspiracies, countless attempts on Soviet power by people who were infinitely stronger than us."
The people called the commission "extraordinary", and its employees - "chekists". Felix Dzerzhinsky headed the first Soviet state security agency. The building of the former mayor of Petrograd, located at Gorokhovaya, 2, was assigned to the new structure.

In February 1918, employees of the Cheka received the right to shoot criminals on the spot without trial or investigation in accordance with the decree "The Fatherland is in danger!".

The death penalty was allowed to apply to "enemy agents, speculators, thugs, hooligans, counter-revolutionary agitators, German spies", and later "all persons involved in White Guard organizations, conspiracies and rebellions."

The end of the civil war and the decline of the wave of peasant uprisings made the continued existence of the expanded repressive apparatus, whose activities had practically no legal restrictions, meaningless. Therefore, by 1921, the party faced the question of reforming the organization.

On February 6, 1922, the Cheka was finally abolished, and its powers were transferred to the State Political Administration, which later became known as the United (OGPU). As Lenin emphasized: "... the abolition of the Cheka and the creation of the GPU does not simply mean a change in the name of the bodies, but consists in changing the nature of all the activities of the body during the period of peaceful state building in a new situation ...".

Until July 20, 1926, Felix Dzerzhinsky was the chairman of the department, after his death this post was taken by the former People's Commissar for Finance Vyacheslav Menzhinsky.
The main task of the new body was still the same fight against counter-revolution in all its manifestations. Subordinate to the OGPU were special units of the troops necessary to suppress public unrest and combat banditry.

In addition, the following functions were assigned to the department:

Protection of railway and waterways;
- the fight against smuggling and border crossing by Soviet citizens);
- fulfillment of special instructions of the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars.

On May 9, 1924, the powers of the OGPU were significantly expanded. The department began to obey the police and the criminal investigation department. Thus began the process of merging the state security agencies with the internal affairs agencies.

On July 10, 1934, the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the USSR (NKVD) was formed. The People's Commissariat was all-Union, and the OGPU was included in it as a structural unit called the Main Directorate of State Security (GUGB). The fundamental innovation was that the judicial board of the OGPU was abolished: the new department was not supposed to have judicial functions. The new people's commissariat was headed by Genrikh Yagoda.

The NKVD was responsible for political investigation and the right to extrajudicial sentencing, the penal system, foreign intelligence, border troops, and counterintelligence in the army. In 1935, traffic regulation (GAI) was assigned to the functions of the NKVD, and in 1937 departments of the NKVD in transport were created, including sea and river ports.

On March 28, 1937, Yagoda was arrested by the NKVD, during a search of his house, according to the protocol, pornographic photographs, Trotskyist literature and a rubber dildo were found. In view of the "anti-state" activities, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks expelled Yagoda from the party. Nikolai Yezhov was appointed the new head of the NKVD.

In 1937, the "troikas" of the NKVD appeared. A commission of three people delivered thousands of sentences in absentia to "enemies of the people", based on the materials of the authorities, and sometimes simply according to the lists. A feature of this process was the absence of protocols and the minimum number of documents on the basis of which a decision was made on the guilt of the defendant. The verdict of the Troika was not subject to appeal.

During the year of work, the “troikas” convicted 767,397 people, of which 386,798 people were sentenced to death. The victims most often became kulaks - wealthy peasants who did not want to voluntarily give their property to the collective farm.

April 10, 1939 Yezhov was arrested in the office of Georgy Malenkov. Subsequently, the former head of the NKVD confessed to being homosexual and preparing a coup d'état. Lavrenty Beria became the third people's commissar of internal affairs.

On February 3, 1941, the NKVD was divided into two people's commissariats - the People's Commissariat for State Security (NKGB) and the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD).

This was done in order to improve the intelligence and operational work of the state security agencies and the distribution of the increased workload of the NKVD of the USSR.

The tasks assigned to the NKGB were:

Conducting intelligence work abroad;
- the fight against subversive, espionage, terrorist activities of foreign intelligence services within the USSR;
- operational development and liquidation of the remnants of anti-Soviet parties and counter-revolutionary -
- formations among various strata of the population of the USSR, in the system of industry, transport, communications, agriculture;
- protection of party and government leaders.

The tasks of ensuring state security were assigned to the NKVD. The military and prison units, the police, and the fire brigade remained under the jurisdiction of this department.

On July 4, 1941, in connection with the outbreak of war, it was decided to merge the NKGB and the NKVD into one department in order to reduce the bureaucracy.

The re-creation of the NKGB of the USSR took place in April 1943. The main task of the committee was reconnaissance and sabotage activities in the rear of the German troops. As we moved west, the importance of work in the countries of Eastern Europe, where the NKGB was engaged in the "liquidation of anti-Soviet elements", increased.

In 1946, all people's commissariats were renamed into ministries, respectively, the NKGB became the Ministry of State Security of the USSR. At the same time, Viktor Abakumov became the Minister of State Security. With his arrival, the transition of the functions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the jurisdiction of the MGB began. In 1947-1952, internal troops, police, border troops and other units were transferred to the department (the camp and construction departments, fire protection, escort troops, courier communications remained in the Ministry of Internal Affairs).

After Stalin's death in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev removed Beria and organized a campaign against the illegal repressions of the NKVD. Subsequently, several thousand unjustly convicted were rehabilitated.

On March 13, 1954, the State Security Committee (KGB) was created by separating from the MGB departments, services and departments that were related to issues of ensuring state security. Compared to its predecessors, the new body had a lower status: it was not a ministry within the government, but a committee under the government. The chairman of the KGB was a member of the Central Committee of the CPSU, but he was not a member of the highest authority - the Politburo. This was explained by the fact that the party elite wanted to protect themselves from the emergence of a new Beria - a man who could remove her from power for the sake of implementing their own political projects.

The area of responsibility of the new body included: foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, operational-search activities, protection of the state border of the USSR, protection of the leaders of the CPSU and the government, organization and provision of government communications, as well as the fight against nationalism, dissent, crime and anti-Soviet activities.

Almost immediately after its formation, the KGB carried out a large-scale staff reduction in connection with the beginning of the process of de-Stalinization of society and the state. From 1953 to 1955, the state security agencies were reduced by 52%.

In the 1970s, the KGB intensified its fight against dissent and the dissident movement. However, the department's actions have become more subtle and disguised. Such means of psychological pressure as surveillance, public condemnation, undermining a professional career, preventive talks, coercion to travel abroad, forced confinement to psychiatric clinics, political trials, slander, lies and compromising evidence, various provocations and intimidation were actively used. At the same time, there were also lists of "not allowed to travel abroad" - those who were denied permission to travel abroad.

A new "invention" of the special services was the so-called "exile beyond the 101st kilometer": politically unreliable citizens were evicted outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Under the close attention of the KGB during this period were, first of all, representatives of the creative intelligentsia - figures of literature, art and science - who, due to their social status and international authority, could cause the most extensive damage to the reputation of the Soviet state and the Communist Party.

On December 3, 1991, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev signed the law "On the reorganization of state security agencies." On the basis of the document, the KGB of the USSR was abolished and, for the transitional period, the Inter-Republican Security Service and the Central Intelligence Service of the USSR (currently the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation) were created on its basis.

After the abolition of the KGB, the process of creating new state security agencies took about three years. During this time, departments of the disbanded committee were transferred from one department to another.

On December 21, 1993, Boris Yeltsin signed a decree establishing the Federal Counterintelligence Service of the Russian Federation (FSK). From December 1993 to March 1994, Nikolai Golushko was the director of the new body, and from March 1994 to June 1995 this post was held by Sergei Stepashin.

Currently, the FSB cooperates with 142 special services, law enforcement agencies and border structures of 86 states. Offices of official representatives of the bodies of the Service are functioning in 45 countries.

In general, the activities of the FSB bodies are carried out in the following main areas:

counterintelligence activities;
- fight against terrorism;
- protection of the constitutional system;
- fight against especially dangerous forms of crime;
- intelligence activities;
- border activities;
- ensuring information security; fight against corruption.

The FSB was headed by:
in 1995-1996 M. I. Barsukov;
in 1996–1998 N. D. Kovalev;
in 1998-1999 V. V. Putin;
in 1999–2008 N. P. Patrushev;
since May 2008 - A. V. Bortnikov.

The structure of the FSB of Russia:
- Office of the National Anti-Terrorist Committee;
- Counterintelligence Service;
- Service for the protection of the constitutional order and the fight against terrorism;
- Economic Security Service;
- Operational Information and International Relations Service;
- Service of organizational and personnel work;
- Activity support service;
- Border Service;
- Scientific and technical service;
- Control service;
- Investigation Department;
- Centers, departments;
- directorates (departments) of the FSB of Russia for individual regions and constituent entities of the Russian Federation (territorial security agencies);
- border departments (departments, detachments) of the FSB of Russia (border agencies);
- other directorates (departments) of the FSB of Russia exercising certain powers of this body or ensuring the activities of the FSB bodies (other security bodies);
- aviation, railway, motor transport units, special training centers, special purpose units, enterprises, educational institutions, research, expert, forensic, military medical and military construction units, sanatoriums and other institutions and units designed to ensure activities of the federal security service.

At all times in the history of states, secret organizations have played a huge role in the field of defense and security, which eventually transformed into entire secret services. Over the years, the role of the secret special services in the work of the state machine has grown stronger, the structure of organizations has increased, and the methods of work have been improved. Intelligence, methods of counterintelligence struggle are becoming the most important tools for achieving political goals. In many ways, it is the intelligence services that are responsible for unleashing or preventing armed conflicts. Obtaining secret information from abroad, control over the main state institutions within the political system and social life become pillars of state security.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the modern history of the intelligence services would be incomplete without the KGB, the most secret service in the world. It was in the Soviet Union that the most powerful and numerous intelligence service was created, which kept the whole world under control for almost half a century.

It is customary to talk about the USSR as the most totalitarian state in the history of the 20th century. The country, which was constantly in a hostile foreign policy environment, was forced to have not only powerful and combat-ready armed forces. A well-organized secret intelligence service becomes an effective instrument of a secret, quiet war that has been ongoing since the very first day of the existence of the Soviet Union. A lot has been written about the KGB, including studies by historians and memoirs by employees of the world's most secret intelligence structure.

To date, most of the information about the Soviet intelligence service is the result of the state secret archives opened in the early 90s. An important piece of information about the methods and styles of work of the Soviet intelligence service, the history of the KGB becomes clear only today, 26 years after the official termination of the organization. The limited information about the work of one of the most powerful intelligence agencies in the world is explained by the fact that the legal successor of the Soviet intelligence service today is the Russian Federal Security Service. This organization is the basis of the state security of modern Russia, continuing the work of its predecessor. Today, the KGB is no longer remembered as a secret monster organization, but as the most productive and combat-ready foreign and domestic intelligence service.

Stages of formation of the largest intelligence service in the world

From the very first days of the existence of the Soviet state, active measures were taken at the very top to organize a powerful intelligence and counterintelligence service. Initially (1917-1922) these functions were entrusted to the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission (VChK). Later, on the basis of the first Soviet special service, the Main Political Directorate was created, which is part of the structure of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs. This secret structure laid the foundations for the state security of the Soviet Union, which became one of the most important links in the defense capability of the young state. From that moment, the activities of the Soviet special services began to acquire rumors and myths, the first secrets of the KGB were born, which would become known only after many decades.

The Soviet secret service was led in those years by persons whose activities subsequently received a mixed assessment. First, the Main Directorate of State Security was headed by Genrikh Yagoda, who laid the foundations for future mass political repressions. He was replaced at the post by Nikolai Yezhov, who spun the flywheel of the repressions of 1937-38.

These two temporary workers were replaced by Lavrenty Beria, who headed the NKVD, who was entrusted with the functions of the intelligence service. It was with the period of Beria's tenure as People's Commissar that the rapid qualitative growth of the Soviet intelligence service was associated, despite the contradictory methods and style of work of this leader. Since that time, only professionals, persons with an unquestioned reputation and a rich track record, were placed in the highest leading position of Soviet intelligence.

The history of the creation of the most secret intelligence service

The end of the Second World War meant the beginning of a new military-political confrontation, in which the post-war world began to plunge after the anti-communist speech of Winston Churchill in Fulton. The experience of the Soviet intelligence services during the armed confrontation showed the need for a qualitatively new organization. To successfully contain the anti-Soviet and ideological influence of the West, to counter the aggressive aspirations of the United States and its allies, to maintain internal political stability in the country, an independent and powerful intelligence service was required. It is customary to talk about the KGB as a separate structure, but for many years this huge mechanism worked in a complex and intricate interdepartmental system.

The subordinate subordination of Soviet intelligence to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which existed until 1954, was interrupted. This was caused by an acute party crisis that arose in the leadership system of the Soviet Union after the death of I. Stalin. The concentration in the hands of Lavrenty Beria of the leadership of the most influential power structures of the Soviet state could lead to unpredictable consequences. Moreover, according to the intelligence officers themselves, the presence of the intelligence and counterintelligence service in the structure of the internal affairs system was extremely inconvenient and wrong in terms of the quality of work.

In 1954, there were two important decisions at once concerning the transformation of state security agencies. First came the Decree of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the CPSU, by which the intelligence service was removed from the subordination of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Literally a month later, on March 13, 1954, this issue was resolved at the level of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and finally adopted a legislative form. The Decree spoke of the creation of the State Security Committee of the Soviet Union, which would be subordinate to the Council of Ministers of the USSR. In this form, with some intra-departmental and subordinate changes, Soviet intelligence, departments and departments of the KGB as a whole existed until 1991, when the Soviet Union ceased to exist.

The creation of a new structure was initiated by Sergei Kruglov, who was then the Minister of Internal Affairs. After the historical Decrees, Ivan Serov became the Chairman of the State Security Committee of the USSR. Since the Committee had the functional structure and rights of the Ministry, its leaders were appointed by Decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the proposal of the Head of the Soviet Government.

After Serov, A.N. Shelepin, Colonel General of the KGB V.E. Semichastny, Yu.V. Andropov, V.V. Fedorchuk, V.M. Chebrikov and V.A. Kryuchkov.

V.E. Semichastny was perhaps the only leader who managed to translate all his vast combat experience into the work of the department entrusted to him. All subsequent after the Semichastny Chairman of the Committee were people of a new formation, brought up on ideological considerations.

From this list, three names are the most remarkable not only in the history of the Soviet secret service, but also in the history of the entire Soviet state. For the years of leadership of the department V.E. Semichastny had the most acute and critical moments of the new Soviet history. The Prague Spring, the Vietnam War, the Cuban Missile Crisis - these are just the most famous foreign policy crises, during which the KGB operations played an almost decisive role.

Yu.V. Andropov is a man who served as Chairman of the Committee for a long 15 years, from 1967 to 1982. Kryuchkov headed the KGB during the most critical period of its history and was noted for his participation in the notorious GKChP, which marked the beginning of the end of the Soviet period of rule.

Shelepin was the only civilian heading the Soviet intelligence service. All subsequent Presidents had high military ranks, starting with the rank of colonel general and ending with the rank of army general. Yu.V. Andropov, Chebrikov and Kryuchkov had general military ranks equivalent to the rank of KGB general, during their tenure as Chairman of the KGB they remained members of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee at various times.

The role of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in the activities of the Soviet secret service is a separate topic. In world history, this is perhaps the only case when the ruling party elite controlled the activities of a secret organization, directing and controlling its activities.

The legal basis for the activities of the State Security Committee and its main functions

Unlike foreign intelligence services, such as the American CIA and NSA, the British Mi 5 and Mi 6, the German BND, which were accountable to their Governments and Presidents, the Soviet intelligence service remained a state-party institution throughout its entire period of activity. According to his status, a service employee is a communist, he is also a KGB officer, a member of the Communist Party. The Committee itself was completely subordinate to the Central Committee and the Politburo of the CPSU. The leading role of the party is enshrined in the status of a committee, so there is a close merging of the party nomenklatura with departments and departments of the KGB.

Acting in this way, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union had a powerful repressive power apparatus in its hands, providing support for the leading party elite in the foreign political arena and exercising tight control within Soviet society.

All the work of the Committee until 1991 was regulated by the Decrees of the Plenums and Presidiums of the Central Committee of the CPSU, the Decrees of the Government of the USSR, at a later stage by the Decrees of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Soviet Union. In total history, more than five thousand documents, decisions, and decrees regulating the activities of the Soviet special service are known. In most cases, the activities of the KGB were not tied to the current Soviet legislation. Often there were sharp contradictions and discrepancies in the methods of work that guided the departments and departments of the KGB of the USSR in the field, with legal norms.

Despite the fact that the general idea of the activities of the Committee, one way or another, is understandable, throughout the history of the existence of the KGB, there are many controversial points in the activities of security agencies in the system of government of a totalitarian state. The main functions of the institution, which are spelled out and approved in the Regulations on the State Security Committee of the USSR, were:

the primary task was to carry out intelligence activities abroad;
internal and external fight against espionage in favor of foreign special services;
control and counteracting the leakage of important scientific and technical information abroad;
protection of the state border of the Soviet Union;
protection of strategic facilities on the territory of the USSR;
protection of politicians and leaders of the Soviet state;
ensuring the smooth operation of the state apparatus at all levels.

Based on the main functional tasks, the internal structure of the organization was built. Depending on the field of activity and directions, the work was carried out by the KGB departments, which in turn had a lot of special and specialized departments.

In total, there were 9 main departments in the structure of the Committee, the main ones being 1, 2, 3 and 4 departments. The most powerful in technical terms and in terms of personnel training was the First Directorate, responsible for foreign intelligence. In this huge and complex structure, many other departments and subdivisions dealing with related issues closely interacted. This includes such important functions as operational analysis and planning, counterintelligence work abroad. These services were assisted by the departments for the creation of illegal residency, scientific and technical intelligence and operational and technical service. The KGB colonel was higher in rank than his army counterpart, especially when it came to authority. Special service officers differed from army officers in their uniforms. For each rank, their own distinctive details of uniforms were introduced. The senior officers wore a sea-green tunic, framed with gold embroidery, the officers had a steel-gray tunic.

Personnel for such a specific institution were trained by the Higher School of the KGB. Dzerzhinsky. The main contingent is the regular servicemen of the Soviet Army, Navy and Border Guard Service.

The uniforms of privates and sergeants differed qualitatively. The troops of the border service had their own dress uniform, different from others. New insignia were introduced for soldiers, sergeants and officers of all ranks. The military epaulettes of the rank and file had a blue, cornflower blue color. A similar color was the gap on the officer's shoulder straps. The form of the KGB was constantly changing due to the combined arms reform. From tunics with a rack, they switched to double-breasted and single-breasted tunics. Instead of blue breeches, tonal trousers with the color of a straight uniform were introduced.

Particularly noteworthy are the departments of the First Directorate dealing with active measures. This area included the introduction of an agent into the structure of Western intelligence services, the creation of subversive organizations on the territory of hostile states, the introduction of saboteurs. Most of the secret missions worked out by this department were carried out by the “A” special unit, the “Vympel” unit or the KGB special forces, which is part of the Seventh Directorate. These paramilitary units of the State Security Committee carried out the most risky and dangerous operations outside the country, aimed at protecting and releasing political leaders, seizing strategic facilities abroad.

The Soviet special forces of the KGB distinguished themselves during the operation to capture the palace of Amin in the Republic of Afghanistan. The commandos of the "A" unit took part in special operations in Baku (January 1990), during the events in the Lithuanian capital in 1991 and during the August coup in Moscow in August 1991.

The special units that were part of the KGB had an army structure and, together with the border guards, represented the KGB troops as personnel divisions, brigades and separate detachments.

Finally

As of 1991, the staffing of all departments and departments, paramilitary units of the State Security Committee was 480 thousand people. Only the border troops numbered 220 thousand people. The number of operational workers of all ranks was about 1000 people.

From the memoirs of the last chairman of the KGB of the USSR, V. V. Bakatin, it became known that in 1991 the number of KGB employees was about 480,000 people, including paramilitary units.

The second and third departments of the KGB of the USSR were engaged in counterintelligence activities, with the difference that the third department completely controlled the military sphere, relations with foreign countries, and the work of the military-industrial complex. The responsibility and activities of the Fourth Directorate included work to combat anti-Soviet elements. This department was also called the ideological department.

Much more time and space will be required to analyze the activities of numerous departments, subdivisions and departments in the structure of the Committee. To put it simply, the Soviet secret service controlled all spheres of the Soviet state, from foreign policy to internal social and social processes. Officially, the KGB ceased to exist in 1991, first becoming the Inter-Republican Security Service, then becoming the central intelligence service. The Higher School of the KGB in August 1992 was renamed the Academy of the FSB of the Russian Federation.

Today, the FSB of the Russian Federation is a fundamental element of state security in modern conditions, continuing the glorious traditions of the warriors of the cloak and dagger of the Soviet era.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the organization of the Soviet secret service. On this occasion, a commemorative medal "100 years of the Cheka-KGB-FSB" was issued, which emphasizes the continuity of the modern domestic special service, the Federal Security Service, with the security agencies of the Soviet period.

Cheka (1917-1922)

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR Vladimir Lenin called the Cheka "a smashing weapon against countless conspiracies, countless attempts on Soviet power by people who were infinitely stronger than us."

The people called the commission "extraordinary", and its employees - "chekists". Headed the first Soviet state security agency Felix Dzerzhinsky. The building of the former mayor of Petrograd, located at Gorokhovaya, 2, was assigned to the new structure.

In February 1918, employees of the Cheka received the right to shoot criminals on the spot without trial or investigation in accordance with the decree "The Fatherland is in danger!".

OGPU (1923-1934)

Until July 20, 1926, Felix Dzerzhinsky was the chairman of the department, after his death this post was taken by the former people's commissar of finance Vyacheslav Menzhinsky.

The main task of the new body was still the same fight against counter-revolution in all its manifestations. Subordinate to the OGPU were special units of the troops necessary to suppress public unrest and combat banditry.

In addition, the following functions were assigned to the department:

protection of railway and waterways;

combating smuggling and border crossing by Soviet citizens);

fulfillment of special instructions of the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars.

NKVD (1934-1943)

On March 28, 1937, Yagoda was arrested by the NKVD, during a search of his house, according to the protocol, pornographic photographs, Trotskyist literature and a rubber dildo were found. In view of the "anti-state" activities, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks expelled Yagoda from the party. The new head of the NKVD was appointed Nikolay Yezhov.

During the year of work by the "troikas" 767,397 people were convicted, of which 386,798 people were sentenced to death. The victims most often became kulaks - wealthy peasants who did not want to voluntarily give their property to the collective farm.

April 10, 1939 Yezhov was arrested in the office George Malenkov. Subsequently, the former head of the NKVD confessed to being homosexual and preparing a coup d'état. The third people's commissar of internal affairs was Lavrenty Beria.

NKGB - MGB (1943-1954)

On February 3, 1941, the NKVD was divided into two people's commissariats - the People's Commissariat for State Security (NKGB) and the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD).

This was done in order to improve the intelligence and operational work of the state security agencies and the distribution of the increased workload of the NKVD of the USSR.

The tasks assigned to the NKGB were:

conducting intelligence work abroad;

combating the subversive, espionage, and terrorist activities of foreign intelligence services within the USSR;

operational development and liquidation of the remnants of anti-Soviet parties and counter-revolutionary formations among various sections of the population of the USSR, in the system of industry, transport, communications, and agriculture;

protection of party and government leaders.

The tasks of ensuring state security were assigned to the NKVD. The military and prison units, the police, and the fire brigade remained under the jurisdiction of this department.

On July 4, 1941, in connection with the outbreak of war, it was decided to merge the NKGB and the NKVD into one department in order to reduce the bureaucracy.

In 1946, all people's commissariats were renamed into ministries, respectively, the NKGB became the Ministry of State Security of the USSR. At the same time, he became Minister of State Security Viktor Abakumov. With his arrival, the transition of the functions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the jurisdiction of the MGB began. In 1947-1952, internal troops, police, border troops and other units were transferred to the department (the camp and construction departments, fire protection, escort troops, courier communications remained in the Ministry of Internal Affairs).

After death Stalin in 1953 Nikita Khrushchev displaced Beria and organized a campaign against the illegal repressions of the NKVD. Subsequently, several thousand unjustly convicted were rehabilitated.

KGB (1954-1991)

In the 90s, changes in society and the system of state administration of the USSR, caused by the processes of perestroika and glasnost, led to the need to revise the foundations and principles of the activities of state security agencies.

From 1954 to 1958, the leadership of the KGB was carried out I. A. Serov.

From 1958 to 1961 - A. N. Shelepin.

From 1961 to 1967 - V. E. Semichastny.

From 1967 to 1982 - Yu. V. Andropov.

From May to December 1982 - V. V. Fedorchuk.

From 1982 to 1988 - V. M. Chebrikov.

From August to November 1991 - V.V. Bakatin.

December 3, 1991 President of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev signed the law "On the reorganization of state security agencies". On the basis of the document, the KGB of the USSR was abolished and, for the transitional period, the Inter-Republican Security Service and the Central Intelligence Service of the USSR (currently the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation) were created on its basis.

FSB

December 21, 1993 Boris Yeltsin signed a decree establishing the Federal Counterintelligence Service of the Russian Federation (FSK). The director of the new body from December 1993 to March 1994 was Nikolai Golushko, and from March 1994 to June 1995 this post was held by Sergei Stepashin.

In general, the activities of the FSB bodies are carried out in the following main areas:

counterintelligence activities;

fight against terrorism;

protection of the constitutional order;

combating particularly dangerous forms of crime;

intelligence activities;

border activities;

ensuring information security; fight against corruption.

The FSB was headed by:

in 1995-1996 M. I. Barsukov;

in 1996-1998 N. D. Kovalev;

in 1998-1999 V. V. Putin;

in 1999- 2008 N. P. Patrushev;

since May 2008 - A. V. Bortnikov.

The State Security Committee undoubtedly rightfully belonged to the strongest and most powerful intelligence services in the world.

Creation of the KGB of the USSR

The political decision to separate the structures of state security agencies from the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs into an autonomous department was made in February 1954 on the basis of a note by the Minister of Internal Affairs S.N. Kruglov to the Presidium of the Central Committee of the CPSU.
This note, in part, said:
“The existing organizational structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR and its bodies is cumbersome and unable to provide the proper level of intelligence and operational work in the light of the tasks assigned to Soviet intelligence by the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Soviet Government.
In order to create the necessary conditions for improving intelligence and counterintelligence work, we consider it expedient to separate from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR operational security departments and departments and on their basis to create a Committee for State Security Affairs under the Council of Ministers of the USSR. 3
Thus, the KGB, having become a committee under the Council of Ministers of the USSR, was, with the rights of the union-republican ministry, the central body of state administration in the field of ensuring the state security of the Soviet Union. Such a significant lowering of the state-legal status compared to the Ministry of State Security that existed since 1946 was mainly due to the distrust and suspicion of Khrushchev and other then leaders of the country in relation to the state security agencies and their leaders. The latter circumstances affected both the situation within the KGB of the USSR and the fate of the USSR as a whole.

Tasks of the KGB of the USSR

According to the decision of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the CPSU, the following tasks were assigned to the State Security Committee under the Council of Ministers of the USSR:
a) conducting intelligence work in capitalist countries;
b) the fight against espionage, sabotage, terrorist and other subversive activities of foreign intelligence services within the USSR;
c) combating the hostile activities of various kinds of anti-Soviet elements within the USSR;
d) counterintelligence work in the Soviet Army and Navy;
e) organization of encryption and decryption business in the country;
f) protection of the leaders of the party and government.
The tasks of one of the most important activities of the KGB - foreign intelligence, were specified in the decision of the Central Committee of the CPSU of June 30, 1954 "On measures to strengthen the intelligence work of state security agencies abroad."
It demanded that all efforts be directed to organizing work in the leading Western countries of the United States and
Great Britain, which were an old geopolitical rival of Russia, as well as "the countries they used to fight against the Soviet Union - primarily West Germany, France, Austria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and Japan." 3

Leadership of the KGB of the USSR

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of March 13, 1954, Colonel-General Ivan Aleksandrovich Serov, who had previously been Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, was appointed the first chairman of the KGB.
His deputies were K.F. Lunev (first deputy), I.T. Savchenko, P.I. Grigoriev, V.A. Lukshin, P.I. Ivashutin.
It was during Serov's tenure as chairman of the KGB under the Council of Ministers of the USSR that the review of previously instituted criminal cases on "counter-revolutionary crimes" began, and the purge and reduction in the size of the state security bodies, as well as the announcement of N.S. Khrushchev on February 25, 1956, to the delegates of the XX Congress of the CPSU of a special report on the cult of personality I.V. Stalin and its consequences, and many other important events in the history of the USSR.
In the future, the Chairmen of the KGB of the USSR were:

	Shelepin, Alexander Nikolaevich (1958 - 1961);
	Semichastny, Vladimir Efimovich (1961 - 1967);
	Andropov, Yuri Vladimirovich (1967 - 1982);
	Fedorchuk, Vitaly Vasilievich (May - December 1982);
	Chebrikov, Viktor Mikhailovich (1982 - 1988);
	Kryuchkov, Vladimir Alexandrovich (1988 - August 1991);
	Bakatin, Vadim Viktorovich (August - December 1991).

The structure of the KGB of the USSR

By order of the Chairman of the KGB under the Council of Ministers of the USSR dated March 18, 1954, the structure of the Committee was determined, in which, apart from auxiliary and support units, the following were formed:
- First Main Directorate (PGU, intelligence abroad - head A.S. Panyushkin);
- Second Main Directorate (VSU, counterintelligence - P.V. Fedotov);
- Third Main Directorate (military counterintelligence - D.S. Leonov);
— The Fourth Directorate (the fight against the anti-Soviet underground, nationalist formations and hostile elements — F.P. Kharitonov);
- Fifth Directorate (counterintelligence work at especially important facilities - P.I. Ivashutin);
- Sixth Directorate (counterintelligence work in transport - M.I. Egorov);
- Seventh Directorate (surveillance - G.P. Dobrynin);
- Eighth Main Directorate (encryption and decryption - V.A. Lukshin);
- Ninth Directorate (protection of the leaders of the party and government - V.I. Ustinov);
- Tenth Directorate (Office of the commandant of the Moscow Kremlin - A.Ya. Vedenin);
- Investigation Department.
September 27, 1954 in the KGB was organized by the Department of troops of the government "HF" communications.
On April 2, 1957, the Main Directorate of the Border Troops was formed in the KGB.

Educational institutions of the KGB of the USSR

- Higher School of the KGB of the USSR named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky
Higher school of the KGB of the USSR as a special higher educational institution with a three-year term of study
students under the program of legal universities of the country was formed in accordance with the decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of July 15, 1952, and in April 1954 the first 189 graduates received diplomas of the new university, and 37 of them graduated with honors.
In 1954, the number of variable students of the Higher School was set at 600 staff units. Applicants who had at least three years of service in the state security bodies and who met the requirements for entering the country's universities were sent to study.
On August 2, 1962, the Higher School of the KGB of the USSR was named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky.
- Red Banner Institute named after Yu. V. Andropov of the KGB of the USSR. Was subordinate to the First Main Directorate (foreign intelligence) until October 1991.
- Leningrad Higher School of the KGB named after S. M. Kirov (1946-1994).
- In the KGB system there were 4 Higher Border Schools (in Babushkino in Moscow, in the city of Golitsino in the Moscow region, in Tashkent and in Alma-Ata).
- Leningrad Higher Naval Border School (1957 - 1960).
- Kaliningrad Higher Border Command School (1957 - 1960)
- Institute of Foreign Languages of the KGB of the USSR.

The abolition of the KGB of the USSR

August 26, 1991 at the session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR M.S. Gorbachev says:
“We need to reorganize the KGB. In my decree on the appointment of Comrade Bakatin as chairman of this Committee, there is an unpublished paragraph 2 with an instruction to him to immediately submit proposals on the reorganization of the entire state security system. 3
By decree of the President of the USSR M.S. Gorbachev dated August 28, 1991, the State Commission was formed to investigate the activities of state security agencies, which was headed by S.V. Stepashin. And on November 28, 1991, it was transformed into the State Commission for the Reorganization of State Security Bodies.
Based on the information of the Chairman of the KGB Bakatin, the State Council decides on the formation of three independent departments on the basis of the USSR State Security Committee:
- Central Intelligence Service (CSR);
- Inter-Republican Security Service (MSB);
- Committee for the Protection of the State Border of the USSR.
By the Decree of the State Council of the USSR of October 22, 1991, the KGB of the USSR was abolished.

According to materials from open sources, in the entire history of the USSR State Security Committee from 1954 to 1991, 40 traitors were identified and exposed in its ranks from among the officers, of which:
- in foreign intelligence - 27,
- in the territorial bodies of counterintelligence - 9,
- in military counterintelligence - 2,
- in the 8th Main Directorate - 1,
- in the 16th Directorate - 1.

Information sources:

1. Shevyakin "KGB against the USSR. 17 moments of betrayal"
2. Atamanenko "KGB - CIA. Who is stronger?"
3. Khlobustov "KGB of the USSR 1954 - 1991. Secrets of the death of the Great Power"