What is the KGB?

The KGB, the Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti, was the primary security and intelligence agency of the Soviet Union and later of the Russian Federation. It was created in 1954 and dissolved in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union. The KGB was responsible for intelligence collection, counter-intelligence operations, covert operations, and domestic security operations.

KGB Agents at Work

KGB agents were responsible for intelligence collection, counterintelligence, and internal security operations. This included espionage, surveillance and investigation of persons of interest, including internal and external enemies, dissidents and political opponents. Agents traveled abroad and agents of other nations were recruited and infiltrated the Soviet Union to collect information. They also conducted investigations in order to identify sources of dissent and counterrevolution.

The KGB and Repression

The KGB was also involved in the repression of dissent and control of the population. It used numerous tactics to achieve its goals, including active measures and propaganda, censorship, and surveillance of citizens. The KGB’s secret police apparatus had a large network of agents and operatives, as well as its own special forces. Political prisoners were held in special KGB prisons and camps, where torture was reportedly used to extract information and confessions.

The KGB was one of the most powerful secret police and intelligence forces in modern history. It was responsible for much of the enforcement of Soviet rule, and its activities were a major factor in the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The dissolution of the KGB also symbolized the end of the Cold War. Today, its successors are the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).