The Main Directorate of State Security (russian: Glavnoe upravlenie gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti, Главное управление государственной безопасности, ГУГБ, GUGB) was the name of the
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
most important security body within the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD) USSR. At the time of its existence, which was from July 10, 1934 to February 3, 1941, the GUGB reflected exactly the Secret Operational Directorate within OGPU under Council of People's Commissars, which operated within OGPU structure from 1923 to 1931/32.
An
intelligence service
An intelligence agency is a government agency responsible for the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information in support of law enforcement, national security, military, public safety, and foreign policy objectives.
Means of informatio ...
and
secret police
Secret police (or political police) are intelligence, security or police agencies that engage in covert operations against a government's political, religious, or social opponents and dissidents. Secret police organizations are characteristic ...
from July 1934 to February 1941, it was run under the auspices of the Peoples Commissariat of Internal Affairs (
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
). Its first head was first deputy of People's Commissar of Internal Affairs (then –
Genrikh Yagoda
Genrikh Grigoryevich Yagoda ( rus, Ге́нрих Григо́рьевич Яго́да, Genrikh Grigor'yevich Yagoda, born Yenokh Gershevich Iyeguda; 7 November 1891 – 15 March 1938) was a Soviet secret police official who served as directo ...
), Commissioner 1st rank of State Security
Yakov Agranov
Yakov Saulovich Agranov (russian: Я́ков Сау́лович Агра́нов; born Yankel Samuilovich Sorenson; 12 October 1893–1 August 1938) was the first chief of the Soviet Main Directorate of State Security and a deputy of NKVD c ...
.
History
The Main Directorate of State Security evolved from the Joint State Political Directorate (or
OGPU
The Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU; russian: Объединённое государственное политическое управление) was the intelligence and state security service and secret police of the Soviet Union f ...
). On February 3, 1941, the
Special Sections (or OO) of the GUGB-
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
(responsible for counter-intelligence in the military) became part of the
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
and
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
(
RKKA
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...
and
RKKF, respectively). The GUGB was disbanded as an organization within NKVD USSR. The units that operated in GUGB were reorganized and made the core of the newly made People's Commissariat of State Security or
NKGB.
Following the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, the NKVD and NKGB were reunited, not as GUGB but as totally separate directorates. On July 20, 1941, Army and Airforce counter-intelligence was returned to the NKVD as Directorate of Special Departments under
Viktor Abakumov
Viktor Semyonovich Abakumov (russian: link=no, Виктор Семёнович Абакумов; 24 April 1908 – 19 December 1954) was a high-level Soviet Union, Soviet security official from 1943 to 1946, the head of SMERSH in the USSR People ...
, in January 1942 Navy CI followed. In April 1943, it was again transferred to the Narkomat of Defence and Narkomat of the Navy, becoming
SMERSH
SMERSH (russian: СМЕРШ) was an umbrella organization for three independent counter-intelligence agencies in the Red Army formed in late 1942 or even earlier, but officially announced only on 14 April 1943. The name SMERSH was coined by Josep ...
(from Smert' Shpionam or "Death to Spies"); at the same time, the GUGB was again separated from the
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
as
NKGB.
GUGB heads
By the end of 1937, the GUGB was the most powerful and influential organ in the
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
structure. GUGB departments (or Sections) dealt with - intelligence, internal security, counter-intelligence, protection of government and secret communications.
The first chief of the GUGB was
Yakov Agranov
Yakov Saulovich Agranov (russian: Я́ков Сау́лович Агра́нов; born Yankel Samuilovich Sorenson; 12 October 1893–1 August 1938) was the first chief of the Soviet Main Directorate of State Security and a deputy of NKVD c ...
, Commissioner 1st rank of State Security and first deputy of People's Commissar of Internal Affairs. The next chief of the GUGB from April 15, 1937, to September 8, 1938, was komkor
Mikhail Frinovsky
Mikhail Petrovich Frinovsky (; 7 February 1898 – 4 February 1940) served as a deputy head of the NKVD in the years of the Great Purge and, along with Nikolai Yezhov, was responsible for setting in motion the Great Purge.
Biography
Mikhail Petr ...
, he was succeeded by
Lavrenty Beria
Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria (; rus, Лавре́нтий Па́влович Бе́рия, Lavréntiy Pávlovich Bériya, p=ˈbʲerʲiə; ka, ლავრენტი ბერია, tr, ; – 23 December 1953) was a Georgian Bolshevik ...
, then just promoted to Commissioner 1st rank of State Security. When Beria became
People's Commissar of Internal Affairs
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union. ...
(head of NKVD), Commissioner 3rd rank of State Security
Vsevolod Merkulov became his first deputy and the new and final head of GUGB.
Organization
Between 1934 and 1941, the ''Main Directorate of State Security'' went through several organizational changes. In January 1935, there were nine departments in the GUGB structure:
; (head of GUGB)Commissioner 1st rank of State Security
Yakov Agranov
Yakov Saulovich Agranov (russian: Я́ков Сау́лович Агра́нов; born Yankel Samuilovich Sorenson; 12 October 1893–1 August 1938) was the first chief of the Soviet Main Directorate of State Security and a deputy of NKVD c ...
# Operational Department (headed by)
Karl Pauker
Karl Viktorovich Pauker (January 1893, in Lviv – 14 August 1937, in Moscow) was an NKVD officer and head of Joseph Stalin's personal security until his arrest and execution.
Pauker was born into Jewish family in Lviv, which was then part of ...
# Special Department
Gleb Bokii
# Department of Economics – (ЭКО/EKO)
Lev Mironov
Lev may refer to:
Common uses
*Bulgarian lev, the currency of Bulgaria
*an abbreviation for Leviticus, the third book of the Hebrew Bible and the Torah
People and fictional characters
*Lev (given name)
* Lev (surname)
Places
*Lev, Azerbaijan, ...
#
Special Department – (''OO'') Mark Gay
# Secret Political Department – (''СПО''/''SPO'')
Georgy Molchanov Georgy may refer to:
*Georgy (given name)
*Diminituve for Georgina
*Georgy, the protagonist in ''Georgy Girl'' novel, film, and song
* ''Georgy'' (musical), a musical from the novel ''Georgy Girl''
See also
*Georgi (disambiguation)
*Georgiy Georgy ...
# Foreign Department – (''ИНО''/''INO'')
Artur Artuzov
Artur Khristyanovich Artuzov (name at birth: Artur Eugene Leonard Fraucci) (russian: Арту́р Христиа́нович Арту́зов (), (18 February 1891 – 21 August 1937) was a leading figure in the Soviet international intelligence a ...
# Department of Transport – (''ТО'')
Vladimir Kichkin
# Department of Information and Statistic – (''УСО''/''USO'')
Yakov Genkin Yakov (alternative spellings: Jakov or Iakov, cyrl, Яков) is a Russian or Hebrew variant of the given names Jacob (name), Jacob and James (name), James. People also give the nickname Yasha ( cyrl, Яша) or Yashka ( cyrl, Яшка) used for Ya ...
# Staff Department – (''OK'')
Yakov Weynschtok Yakov (alternative spellings: Jakov or Iakov, cyrl, Яков) is a Russian or Hebrew variant of the given names Jacob and James. People also give the nickname Yasha ( cyrl, Яша) or Yashka ( cyrl, Яшка) used for Yakov.
Notable people
People ...
By the end of 1937 the People's Commissar of Internal Affairs
Nikolai Yezhov
Nikolai Ivanovich Yezhov ( rus, Никола́й Ива́нович Ежо́в, p=nʲɪkɐˈɫaj ɪˈvanəvʲɪt͡ɕ (j)ɪˈʐof; 1 May 1895 – 4 February 1940) was a Soviet secret police official under Joseph Stalin who was head of the N ...
, in his order ''#00362'' had changed the number of departments from five to twelve.
; (head of GUGB)komkor
Mikhail Frinovsky
Mikhail Petrovich Frinovsky (; 7 February 1898 – 4 February 1940) served as a deputy head of the NKVD in the years of the Great Purge and, along with Nikolai Yezhov, was responsible for setting in motion the Great Purge.
Biography
Mikhail Petr ...
* Department 1
rotection of Governmentsrael Dagin
* Department 2
perativens Zalpeter
* Department 3
ounter-intelligence(''КРО/KRO'')Aleksandr Minayev-Cikanovich
* Department 4
ecret Political(''СПО''/''SPO'')Mikhail Litvin
*
Department 5 (''OO'')">pecial(''OO'')Nikolai Nikolaev-Zhuryd
* Department 6
ransport(''TO'')Mikhail Volkov
* Department 7
oreign (Intelligence)(''ИНО''/''INO'') –
Abram Slutsky
Abram Aronovich Slutsky (russian: Абра́м Аро́нович Слу́цкий) (July 1898 – 17 February 1938, Moscow) was a Soviet intelligence officer who headed the Soviet foreign intelligence service ( INO), then part of the NKVD, fr ...
* Department 8
ecords and Statistic(''УСО''/''USO'')Vladimir Cesarsky
* Department 9
pecial (codes)(''OO'')Isaak Shapiro
* Department 10
risonakov Weynschtok
* Department 11
aritime Transportation(''ВО/WO'')Victor Yrcev
* Department 12
echnical and Operational(''OOT'')Semyen Zhukovsky
After
Lavrenty Beria
Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria (; rus, Лавре́нтий Па́влович Бе́рия, Lavréntiy Pávlovich Bériya, p=ˈbʲerʲiə; ka, ლავრენტი ბერია, tr, ; – 23 December 1953) was a Georgian Bolshevik ...
took over Frinovsky place as a GUGB head, in 29 of September 1938, GUGB underwent another organizational change -
; (head of GUGB)Commissioner 1st rank of State Security
Lavrenty Beria
Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria (; rus, Лавре́нтий Па́влович Бе́рия, Lavréntiy Pávlovich Bériya, p=ˈbʲerʲiə; ka, ლავრენტი ბერია, tr, ; – 23 December 1953) was a Georgian Bolshevik ...
*Department 1 –
rotection of Government srael Dagin
*Department 2 –
ecret Political ogdan Kobulov
*Department 3 –
ounter-intelligenceikolai Nikolaev-Zhuryd
*
Department 4 – ">pecial —
Pyotr Fedotov
*Department 5 –
oreign (Intelligence)elman Passov Elman may refer to:
* El Maan, a town in south-central Somalia
* Elman FC, a Somali football club
* Elman (name)
See also
* Ellman Ellman is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*John Ellman, agriculturalist of Glynde who develope ...
*Department 6 –
odes
Odes may refer to:
*The plural of ode, a type of poem
* ''Odes'' (Horace), a collection of poems by the Roman author Horace, circa 23 BCE
*Odes of Solomon, a pseudepigraphic book of the Bible
*Book of Odes (Bible), a Deuterocanonical book of the ...
Alexander Balamutov
*GUGB Investigating Section —
; (head of GUGB)Commissioner 3rd rank of State Security
Vsevolod Merkulov
*Department 1 –
rotection of Party and Soviet officials**included Political department, 24 office divisions, a school, commandant's offices of the
CC VKP(b) and
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
of USSR
*Department 2 –
ecret Political**Division 1
rotskyists, zinovievists, leftists, rightists, miasnikovtsi, shlyapnikovtsi, banned from the party, foreign missions**Division 2
ensheviks,_anarchists,_members_of_the_,_Zionism.html" "title="Socialist_Revolutionary_Party,_Bundism.html" "title="Socialist_Revolutionary_Party.html" ;"title="ensheviks, anarchists, members of the Socialist Revolutionary Party">ensheviks, anarchists, members of the Socialist Revolutionary Party, Bundism">bundists
Bundism was a secular Jewish socialist movement whose organizational manifestation was the General Jewish Labour Bund in Lithuania, Poland, and Russia ( yi, אַלגעמײַנער ײדישער אַרבעטער בּונד אין ליטע פויל ...