This article includes a list of general
references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding
inline citations. (February 2013) |
Chronology of Soviet security agencies | ||
| ||
1917–22 |
Cheka under
Council of People's Commissars of the
RSFSR (All-Russian Extraordinary Commission) | |
1922–23 |
GPU under NKVD of the RSFSR (State Political Directorate) | |
1920–91 | PGU KGB or
INO under Cheka (later KGB) of the
USSR (First Chief Directorate) | |
1923–34 |
OGPU under
SNK of the USSR (Joint State Political Directorate) | |
1934–46 |
NKVD of the USSR (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs) | |
1934–41 |
GUGB of the NKVD of the USSR (Main Directorate of State Security of People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs) | |
1941 |
NKGB of the USSR (People's Commissariat of State Security) | |
1943–46 |
NKGB of the USSR (People's Commissariat for State Security) | |
1946–53 |
MGB of the USSR (Ministry of State Security) | |
1946–54 |
MVD of the USSR (Ministry of Internal Affairs) | |
1947–51 |
KI MID of the USSR | |
1954–78 |
KGB under the
Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (Committee for State Security) | |
1978–91 | KGB of the USSR (Committee for State Security) | |
1991 | MSB of the USSR (Interrepublican Security Service) | |
1991 | TsSB of the USSR (Central Intelligence Service) | |
1991 | KOGG of the USSR (Committee for the Protection of the State Border) | |
The Main Directorate of State Security ( Russian: Glavnoe upravlenie gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti, Главное управление государственной безопасности, ГУГБ, GUGB) was the name of the Soviet Union's 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 the Council of People's Commissars, [1] which operated within OGPU structure from 1923 to 1931/32. An intelligence service and secret police from July 1934 to February 1941, it was run under the auspices of the Peoples Commissariat of Internal Affairs ( NKVD). Its first head was first deputy of People's Commissar of Internal Affairs (then Genrikh Yagoda), Commissioner 1st rank of State Security Yakov Agranov.
The Main Directorate of State Security evolved from the Joint State Political Directorate (or OGPU). On February 3, 1941, the Special Sections (or OO) of the GUGB- NKVD (responsible for counter-intelligence in the military) became part of the Army and Navy ( RKKA 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, 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; 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 (from Smert' Shpionam or "Death to Spies"); at the same time, the GUGB was again separated from the NKVD as NKGB.
By the end of 1937, the GUGB was the most powerful and influential organ in the
NKVD 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, 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, who was succeeded by
Lavrenty Beria, then just promoted to Commissioner 1st rank of State Security. When Beria became
People's Commissar of Internal Affairs (head of NKVD), Commissioner 3rd rank of State Security
Vsevolod Merkulov became his first deputy and the new and final head of GUGB.
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:
By the end of 1937 the People's Commissar of Internal Affairs Nikolai Yezhov, in his order #00362 had changed the number of departments from five to twelve.
After Lavrenty Beria took over Frinovsky place as a GUGB head, in 29 of September 1938, GUGB underwent another organizational change -
The GUGB had a unique system of ranks, a blend of the position-rank system used in the Red Army and personal ranks used in the Militsiya; the rank insignia was also very distinct. Even though insignia introduced in 1937 followed the Red Army collar patch patterns, it assigned them to very different ranks for GUGB and Internal Troops/political/specialist branches, with GUGB rank placed at least one grade higher than a similar army equivalent. [3] [4] [5] [6]
When GUGB and Militsiya ranks were replaced with military ranks and insignia in February 1943, Major to Sergeant ranks were aligned with Colonel to Junior Lieutenant, and Senior Major and up were replaced with various degrees of Commissioner. In 1945, General Commissioner Lavrentiy Beria received the rank of the Marshal of the Soviet Union, and other GUGB Commissioners received ranks from Generals of the Army to Major General.
Commissioner General of State Security | Commissioner of State Security 1st Rank | Commissioner of State Security 2nd Rank | Commissioner of State Security 3rd Rank | Senior Major of State Security | Major of State Security | Captain of State Security | Senior Lieutenant of State Security | Lieutenant of State Security | Junior Lieutenant of State Security | Sergeant of State Security |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Source: [7] |
Commissioner General of State Security | Commissioner of State Security 1st Rank | Commissioner of State Security 2nd Rank | Commissioner of State Security 3rd Rank | Senior Major of State Security | Major of State Security | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Source: [8] |
Captain of State Security | Senior Lieutenant of State Security | Lieutenant of State Security | Junior Lieutenant of State Security | Sergeant of State Security | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Source: [8] |
This article includes a list of general
references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding
inline citations. (February 2013) |
Chronology of Soviet security agencies | ||
| ||
1917–22 |
Cheka under
Council of People's Commissars of the
RSFSR (All-Russian Extraordinary Commission) | |
1922–23 |
GPU under NKVD of the RSFSR (State Political Directorate) | |
1920–91 | PGU KGB or
INO under Cheka (later KGB) of the
USSR (First Chief Directorate) | |
1923–34 |
OGPU under
SNK of the USSR (Joint State Political Directorate) | |
1934–46 |
NKVD of the USSR (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs) | |
1934–41 |
GUGB of the NKVD of the USSR (Main Directorate of State Security of People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs) | |
1941 |
NKGB of the USSR (People's Commissariat of State Security) | |
1943–46 |
NKGB of the USSR (People's Commissariat for State Security) | |
1946–53 |
MGB of the USSR (Ministry of State Security) | |
1946–54 |
MVD of the USSR (Ministry of Internal Affairs) | |
1947–51 |
KI MID of the USSR | |
1954–78 |
KGB under the
Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (Committee for State Security) | |
1978–91 | KGB of the USSR (Committee for State Security) | |
1991 | MSB of the USSR (Interrepublican Security Service) | |
1991 | TsSB of the USSR (Central Intelligence Service) | |
1991 | KOGG of the USSR (Committee for the Protection of the State Border) | |
The Main Directorate of State Security ( Russian: Glavnoe upravlenie gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti, Главное управление государственной безопасности, ГУГБ, GUGB) was the name of the Soviet Union's 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 the Council of People's Commissars, [1] which operated within OGPU structure from 1923 to 1931/32. An intelligence service and secret police from July 1934 to February 1941, it was run under the auspices of the Peoples Commissariat of Internal Affairs ( NKVD). Its first head was first deputy of People's Commissar of Internal Affairs (then Genrikh Yagoda), Commissioner 1st rank of State Security Yakov Agranov.
The Main Directorate of State Security evolved from the Joint State Political Directorate (or OGPU). On February 3, 1941, the Special Sections (or OO) of the GUGB- NKVD (responsible for counter-intelligence in the military) became part of the Army and Navy ( RKKA 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, 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; 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 (from Smert' Shpionam or "Death to Spies"); at the same time, the GUGB was again separated from the NKVD as NKGB.
By the end of 1937, the GUGB was the most powerful and influential organ in the
NKVD 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, 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, who was succeeded by
Lavrenty Beria, then just promoted to Commissioner 1st rank of State Security. When Beria became
People's Commissar of Internal Affairs (head of NKVD), Commissioner 3rd rank of State Security
Vsevolod Merkulov became his first deputy and the new and final head of GUGB.
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:
By the end of 1937 the People's Commissar of Internal Affairs Nikolai Yezhov, in his order #00362 had changed the number of departments from five to twelve.
After Lavrenty Beria took over Frinovsky place as a GUGB head, in 29 of September 1938, GUGB underwent another organizational change -
The GUGB had a unique system of ranks, a blend of the position-rank system used in the Red Army and personal ranks used in the Militsiya; the rank insignia was also very distinct. Even though insignia introduced in 1937 followed the Red Army collar patch patterns, it assigned them to very different ranks for GUGB and Internal Troops/political/specialist branches, with GUGB rank placed at least one grade higher than a similar army equivalent. [3] [4] [5] [6]
When GUGB and Militsiya ranks were replaced with military ranks and insignia in February 1943, Major to Sergeant ranks were aligned with Colonel to Junior Lieutenant, and Senior Major and up were replaced with various degrees of Commissioner. In 1945, General Commissioner Lavrentiy Beria received the rank of the Marshal of the Soviet Union, and other GUGB Commissioners received ranks from Generals of the Army to Major General.
Commissioner General of State Security | Commissioner of State Security 1st Rank | Commissioner of State Security 2nd Rank | Commissioner of State Security 3rd Rank | Senior Major of State Security | Major of State Security | Captain of State Security | Senior Lieutenant of State Security | Lieutenant of State Security | Junior Lieutenant of State Security | Sergeant of State Security |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Source: [7] |
Commissioner General of State Security | Commissioner of State Security 1st Rank | Commissioner of State Security 2nd Rank | Commissioner of State Security 3rd Rank | Senior Major of State Security | Major of State Security | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Source: [8] |
Captain of State Security | Senior Lieutenant of State Security | Lieutenant of State Security | Junior Lieutenant of State Security | Sergeant of State Security | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Source: [8] |