From the secretive Cheka to the modern FSB: The disturbing history of the Russian KGB

The foundations of the KGB were laid in the turbulent aftermath of the Russian Revolution, in an era of extreme instability, civil war, and a widespread sense of paranoia.

The Bolsheviks, acutely aware of the need for an internal security apparatus to consolidate their nascent rule and to quell the counter-revolutionary threats, created the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission, or the Cheka, in December 1917.

Led by the ruthless Felix Dzerzhinsky, the Cheka was tasked with "suppressing and liquidating any attempts or actions connected with counter-revolution."

The Cheka was the first in a series of Soviet state security organizations that, through a series of transformations, would ultimately give birth to the KGB.

In 1922, the Cheka became the State Political Directorate (GPU) under the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Subsequent reorganizations and consolidations led to the formation of the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) in 1923 and the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD) in 1934.

The NKVD is perhaps most notorious for implementing Stalin's Great Purge from 1936 to 1938, during which a vast number of perceived enemies of the state were executed or sent to Gulag labor camps.

In 1941, the NKVD's foreign department was spun off to become the People's Commissariat for State Security (NKGB), and later the Ministry for State Security (MGB).

It was not until 1954, two years after Stalin's death and amidst a massive reorganization of the state security apparatus by his successors, that the KGB - the Committee for State Security - was established.

Its mandate was broad and sweeping, encompassing counterintelligence, internal security, surveillance of the military, border control, and maintaining state secrets.

From its inception, the KGB was given a key role in maintaining the power of the Soviet state, internally and externally.

Though the KGB as we know it was formally established post-Stalin, its predecessor organizations played a pivotal role in enforcing Stalin's totalitarian rule.

Under Stalin's command, the secret police transformed into a formidable apparatus of repression and terror, culminating in the infamous Great Purge or the Great Terror of the late 1930s.

During this period, the NKVD, under the leadership of Nikolai Yezhov, carried out mass arrests, executions, and deportations.

The targets were often perceived enemies of the state, including bureaucrats, intellectuals, military officers, and countless ordinary citizens caught in the crosshairs.

It's estimated that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, were executed or sent to the Gulag labor camps during these purges, creating a climate of fear that kept the population in check.

Simultaneously, the NKVD, and later the MGB, were actively involved in international espionage and counterintelligence.

A network of spies was spread out globally, seeking out state secrets and political strategies.

These operations gave the Soviet Union critical advantages and influence in the international arena.

The success of these activities laid the groundwork for the KGB's future foreign operations.

The era of Stalin was a time of intense paranoia, brutal repression, and extreme measures to maintain control.

It was during this time that the groundwork was laid for what would eventually become the KGB.

The strategies employed, the structures established, and the culture of fear and loyalty instilled during Stalin's reign significantly influenced the operation and methodology of the KGB after its establishment in 1954. 

The Cold War era marked the height of the KGB's power and influence, both domestically and on the global stage.

The agency was at the epicenter of the ideological and geopolitical struggle that defined the latter half of the 20th century.

Under various chairmen, most notably Yuri Andropov who later became the Soviet Union's General Secretary, the KGB honed its capabilities in espionage, counterintelligence, disinformation, and political manipulation.

Internationally, the KGB expanded its network of spies and informants, infiltrating governments, corporations, and institutions worldwide.

These activities provided the Soviet Union with crucial strategic and technological insights.

The KGB also engaged in active measures, a form of political warfare that included disinformation, propaganda, and subversion of foreign governments.

A notable example was Operation INFEKTION, a disinformation campaign that spread the false claim that the United States had created the AIDS virus.

The KGB also played a significant role in the Space Race, gathering intelligence on U.S. advancements and ensuring the security of the Soviet Union's own programs.

The tension between the two superpowers in their quest for technological and scientific supremacy saw the KGB's involvement in various plots to steal, sabotage, or counter American efforts.

Domestically, the KGB played a central role in maintaining the Communist Party's control over the Soviet population.

They conducted extensive surveillance and repression against dissidents and any perceived threats to the political order.

The agency kept extensive files on numerous citizens, utilizing a vast network of informants that permeated all levels of society.

This climate of pervasive surveillance and the threat of punishment worked to stifle dissent and cultivate an atmosphere of self-censorship among the populace.

During the Cold War, the KGB was not just a passive instrument of policy but an active player in shaping the direction of the Soviet state.

Its influence could be felt in the halls of the Kremlin as well as in distant corners of the globe.

However, these years were also marked by significant challenges and failures, from unsuccessful attempts to suppress burgeoning nationalist movements in Eastern Europe to high-profile defections that revealed the inner workings of the organization to the Western world.

The KGB was a formidable instrument of internal control within the Soviet Union, tasked with ensuring the stability and continuity of the communist regime.

Its role in internal repression and political control was multifaceted, ranging from surveillance and censorship to the suppression of political dissent and the arrest and interrogation of perceived state enemies.

Domestically, the KGB maintained a pervasive surveillance system over the population.

It was an open secret that the "organs," as they were often cryptically referred to, monitored the activities of Soviet citizens.

They kept extensive files on a vast number of individuals, compiled with the help of a wide network of informants.

These informants, who could be anyone from a neighbor to a co-worker, were a critical component of the KGB's surveillance apparatus.

Under the doctrine of "ideological subversion," the KGB targeted not just overt acts of political dissent but also any expression or action that could be construed as undermining the communist ideology or the state.

Intellectuals, artists, religious leaders, and ordinary citizens could find themselves under scrutiny, and potentially subjected to interrogation, arrest, or other forms of repression.

The KGB's efforts were instrumental in suppressing a variety of political and social movements that emerged throughout the existence of the Soviet Union.

From crushing the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and the 1968 Prague Spring, to clamping down on dissident movements within the USSR itself, such as the human rights activism in the 1960s and 70s, the KGB played a central role in enforcing political conformity.

The KGB's influence wasn't confined to the borders of the Soviet Union. Its foreign operations had an extensive impact on global politics, often shaping the course of international events and relations.

The KGB was deeply involved in espionage, counterintelligence, and active measures intended to further the interests of the Soviet state abroad.

Espionage and counterintelligence were key components of the KGB's foreign operations.

The agency cultivated an extensive network of spies and assets in governments, institutions, and corporations around the world.

Some of the most high-profile cases included the Cambridge Spy Ring, where KGB spies infiltrated the highest levels of the British establishment, and spies within the Manhattan Project, which gave the Soviet Union crucial insights into the development of nuclear weapons.

The KGB was also involved in "active measures," a term used to describe a range of covert activities aimed at influencing the policies and affairs of foreign nations.

These could include spreading disinformation or propaganda, inciting social unrest, funding or otherwise supporting opposition groups, or even carrying out assassinations.

One of the most notorious examples of such a measure was Operation INFEKTION, a KGB disinformation campaign that spread the false rumor that the United States had created the AIDS virus.

In addition to these operations, the KGB played a significant role in the Soviet Union's involvement in international conflicts and struggles.

From the Cuban Missile Crisis to the Afghanistan War, the KGB was deeply involved in gathering intelligence, supporting allied groups, and conducting sabotage and subversion against adversaries.

Influence wasn't only exerted through covert means. The KGB was also instrumental in training and supporting security and intelligence agencies in socialist and non-aligned countries, thereby extending its reach and influence.

The final years of the Soviet Union were marked by significant changes and challenges, many of which directly affected the KGB.

The advent of Perestroika and Glasnost, reforms introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev to restructure the Soviet economy and open up the society, had profound implications for the KGB's operations.

Gorbachev's policy of Glasnost, or "openness," ushered in an era of increased freedom of speech and press, loosening the strict controls that had been a hallmark of the KGB's domestic operations.

Dissidents and activists who had previously been suppressed by the KGB began to speak out openly, challenging the state's narratives and policies.

This period also saw a significant reduction in political arrests and the release of many political prisoners, reflecting a shift in the KGB's role in internal repression.

Meanwhile, the policy of Perestroika, or "restructuring," had significant effects on the KGB's institutional structure and role within the state.

There were efforts to reduce the KGB's political power and to bring it under greater civilian control.

In 1991, KGB Chairman Vladimir Kryuchkov was among the senior officials involved in a failed coup attempt against Gorbachev, further signaling the internal power struggles and the KGB's resistance to these changes.

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the end of the KGB as an organization, but its influence did not end there.

The KGB was divided into several successor agencies, most notably the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).

Many former KGB officers, including Vladimir Putin, who served as a KGB foreign intelligence officer before entering politics, continued to play important roles in the post-Soviet Russian state.

The KGB's dissolution did not signify the end of its influence or the practices it embodied. Indeed, the agency's legacy has endured, profoundly shaping Russia's post-Soviet political landscape and its intelligence community.

In the immediate aftermath of the Soviet Union's dissolution, the KGB was split into several successor agencies.

The two most prominent among these are the Federal Security Service (FSB), responsible for domestic security and counterintelligence, and the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), responsible for foreign intelligence operations.

Another offshoot, the Federal Protective Service (FSO), was charged with protecting state officials and property.

Each of these organizations inherited aspects of the KGB's roles and responsibilities, and many former KGB officers continued their careers within these new agencies.

Notably, Vladimir Putin, who served as a KGB officer for 16 years, rose to become the director of the FSB before his appointment as Prime Minister and subsequent election as President.

Under Putin's leadership, the influence and power of these agencies have grown significantly, reflecting the enduring legacy of the KGB in Russia's political system.

The KGB's influence extends beyond the structure of Russia's intelligence community.

It is evident in the continued use of strategies such as disinformation, surveillance, and repression of political dissent, drawing clear lines between past and present.

Furthermore, the perception and representation of the KGB within Russian society and culture, often romanticized or vilified, continue to shape national identity and state propaganda.

Internationally, the KGB's legacy is most palpable in the ongoing tensions between Russia and the West.

Accusations of election interference, disinformation campaigns, and high-profile incidents such as the poisoning of former FSB officer Sergei Skripal in the UK, all point to tactics reminiscent of the KGB's playbook.