Cheka

The Cheka (?? in Russian) was the first of many Soviet secret police organizations.

Related Topics:
Many - Soviet - Secret police

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A member of Cheka was called chekist. Over the time Cheka underwent reorganization and renaming, but Soviet state security personnel were referred to as "Chekists" throughout the Soviet period and the term is still found in use in Russia today (for example, President Vladimir Putin has been referred to in the Russian media as a chekist).

Related Topics:
Russia - Vladimir Putin - Russian media

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Actually called the Vecheka (??? - VChK), it was created on December 20, 1917 and headed by Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky. Vecheka stands for All-Russian Extraordinary Commission. Full name was: All-Russian Extraordinary Commission to Combat Counter-Revolution and Sabotage (????????????? ???????????? ???????? ?? ?????? ? ??????????????? ? ?????????), in 1918 changed to: All-Russian Extraordinary Commission to Combat Counter-Revolution, Profiteering and Power Abuse (????????????? ???????????? ???????? ?? ?????? ? ???????????????, ??????????? ? ????????????? ?? ?????????).

Related Topics:
December 20 - 1917 - Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky - 1918

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After early attempts by the western powers (Britain and France) to intervene against the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War, and after the assassination of Petrograd Cheka leader Moisei Uritsky on August 30, 1918 (the same day Fanya Kaplan attempted to assassinate Vladimir Lenin), the Soviet leadership and the Cheka became convinced that there was a wide ranging conspiracy of foreign enemies and internal counter-revolutionaries. Therefore they poured resources into the intelligence service to combat this conspiracy. The Cheka quickly succeeded in destroying any remaining counter revolutionary groups. Additionally, the Cheka played a significant role in destroying nonpolitical criminal gangs.

Related Topics:
Britain - France - Bolsheviks - Russian Civil War - Petrograd - Moisei Uritsky - August 30 - 1918 - Fanya Kaplan - Vladimir Lenin

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At the end of the civil war, the Cheka was changed on February 8, 1922 into the GPU (State Political Directorate), a section of the NKVD (People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs).

Related Topics:
February 8 - 1922 - GPU - NKVD

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