NKVD

The Narodnyi Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del {{Audio|ru-NKVD.ogg|listen}} (or NKVD) (Russian: ????, ???????? ??????????? ?????????? ???; People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs) was a government department which handled a number of the Soviet Union's affairs of state.

Related Topics:
Russian - Government department - Soviet Union - State

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The NKVD is best known for the Main Directorate of State Security (GUGB), which succeeded the OGPU and the Cheka as the secret police agency of the Soviet Union. The GUGB was instrumental in Stalin's ethnic cleansing and genocides, and was responsible for massacres of civilians and other war crimes. Many consider the NKVD to be a criminal organization, mostly for the activities of GUGB officers and investigators, as well as supporting NKVD troops and GULAG guards.

Related Topics:
Main Directorate of State Security - OGPU - Cheka - Secret police - Soviet Union - Stalin - Ethnic cleansing - Genocide - War crime - GULAG

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In addition to its state security and police functions, however, some of its departments handled other matters, such as transport, fire guards, border troops, etc., the tasks that were traditionally assigned to the Ministry of the Interior (MVD).

Related Topics:
State security - Police - Ministry of the Interior

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