In 1991, the USSR collapsed. The State Security Committee has disappeared with this country. However, the memory of him is still alive not only in the post-Soviet space, but also far beyond.
The KGB has countless special operations that have had a serious impact on the development of the political situation in the world. Many memories have survived to this day about one of the most effective special services in the world through folklore. Hundreds of jokes, myths, household names and more.
Structure creation
Immediately after the victory of the revolution, the new people's power created special forces in the USSR. The de jure State Security Committee appeared only in 1954. At this time, after the death of Stalin, there were quite large-scale reforms. Security authorities have also undergone changes. The KGB, in fact, existed and long before that, it simply bore other names. The department was quite autonomous, and its leaders played a significant role in the political system of the party. Especially, starting with the so-called Khrushchev’s “thaw”, when the party began to slowly move away from previous ideals and more and more wallow in the quagmire of bureaucracy and nomenclature.
In the post-war times, until 1954, a large-scale counter-spy program continued in the USSR. The State Security Committee was directly involved. There were a huge number of spies, scouts, informants, and so on. However, during the Khrushchev reforms, personnel were significantly reduced. As it became known from documents published in Russia, almost half of the people were reduced.
KGB hierarchy
Employees of the Soviet special services controlled all processes in the country and beyond, which could threaten the security of the people. In Moscow there was a central administration. Each republic also had its own central committees. Thus, the order from Moscow was given to the republican administrations, of which there were 14, and then to the places.
Each city, region, autonomy also had departments. The Chekists, as the people of this service called the people, were engaged in the investigation of especially important or high-profile crimes, counterintelligence, and the search for spies and political dissidents. One branch was responsible for this. There were others as well.
Departments
This is the border security department that defended the state cordon and prevented the entry of potentially dangerous people and the departure of unreliable elements. Counterintelligence department, which was engaged in anti-espionage activities. Department of Foreign Intelligence. He arranged special operations abroad, including power. There was also a department that dealt with ideological issues abroad and in the USSR. The State Security Committee paid special attention to this area. Employees were directly involved in monitoring and creating products of artistic activity. Agents recruited foreign cultural figures to propagate communist ideals.
Known secret operations
One of the most famous KGB operations was carried out in 1945. The Soviet Union rebuilt after the destruction of the war. In early February, a children's recreation camp "Artek" was opened in Crimea . Ambassadors from the United States and Great Britain were invited to the opening ceremony. At the end of the celebration, the pioneers sang the anthem of the United States of America in the original as a tribute to the military alliance. Next, the flattered Harriman was given a handmade wooden emblem. An unsuspecting ambassador hung him above his desk. In the emblem was the Zlatoust bug, which had no analogues at that time. He could work autonomously without power sources. He allowed the special services to listen to the ambassador’s office for 8 years. After discovering a listening device, the Americans tried to copy it, but to no avail.
Military operations
The State Security Committee under the USSR Council of Ministers was often involved in various military operations. One of the very first was Operation Whirlwind. In 1956, a rebellion began in Hungary against the ruling party, which was loyal to the USSR. The State Security Committee immediately developed a plan to eliminate the rebel leaders.
In late November, bloody battles unfolded in Budapest between supporters of the nationalist counter-revolution (many of whom supported the Third Reich in World War II) on the one hand, and Hungarian security services along with Soviet troops on the other. The USSR State Security Committee did not take part in them, however, it developed a plan to capture one of the rebel leaders, Imre Nadia. He was hiding in the embassy of Yugoslavia, from where he was tricked and handed over to the Romanian side, where he was arrested.
The invaluable experience gained helped the KGB in the next similar operation in Czechoslovakia, where the counterrevolutionary rebellion also had to be suppressed with the help of Soviet troops due to the inability of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia to do this on its own.
The USSR State Security Committee was formed in 1954 and lasted until 1991. The memory of one of the most successful special services in the world has been preserved to this day.