View source for Main Directorate of State Security

{{Short description|Soviet national security agency (1934–1943)}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=February 2013}}
{{Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies}}
The '''Main Directorate of State Security''' ({{langx|ru|Glavnoe upravlenie gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti}}, Главное управление государственной безопасности, ГУГБ, '''GUGB''') was the name of the [[Soviet Union|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,<ref>{{cite book| author = Larecki, Jan. | title = pl. Wielki Leksykon Służb Specjalnych Świata (eng. Great lexicon of world special services) | publisher = Książka i Wiedza  | year = 2007 | pages = 783 | url = https://www.empik.com/wielki-leksykon-sluzb-specjalnych-larecki-jan,2864856,ksiazka-p | isbn = 978-83-05-13484-2}}
</ref> 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]].

== History ==
The Main Directorate of State Security evolved from the Joint State Political Directorate (or [[OGPU]]). On February 3, 1941, the [[Military counterintelligence of the Soviet Army|Special Sections (or OO)]] of the GUGB-[[NKVD]] (responsible for counter-intelligence in the military) became part of the [[Red Army|Army]] and [[Navy]] ([[Red Army|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]].

== GUGB heads ==
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.<br> 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.

== 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){{spaced ndash}}Commissioner 1st rank of State Security [[Yakov Agranov]]
# Operational Department (headed by){{spaced ndash}}[[Karl Pauker]] 
# Special Department{{spaced ndash}}[[Gleb Bokii]]
# Department of Economics – (ЭКО/EKO){{spaced ndash}}[[Lev Mironov]]
# [[Military counterintelligence of the Soviet Army|Special Department – (''OO'')]]{{spaced ndash}}[[Mark Gai]]
# Secret Political Department – (''СПО''/''SPO''){{spaced ndash}}[[Georgy Molchanov]]
# Foreign Department – (''ИНО''/''INO''){{spaced ndash}}[[Artur Artuzov]]
# Department of Transport – (''ТО''){{spaced ndash}}[[Vladimir Kishkin|Vladimir Kichkin]]
# Department of Information and Statistic – (''УСО''/''USO''){{spaced ndash}}[[Yakov Genkin]]
# Staff Department – (''OK''){{spaced ndash}}[[Yakov Weynschtok]]

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.

; (head of GUGB){{spaced ndash}}komkor [[Mikhail Frinovsky]]
* Department 1 [Protection of Government]{{spaced ndash}}Israel Dagin
* Department 2 [Operative]{{spaced ndash}}Ans Zalpeter
* Department 3 [counter-intelligence] (''КРО/KRO''){{spaced ndash}}Aleksandr Minayev-Cikanovich
* Department 4 [Secret Political] (''СПО''/''SPO''){{spaced ndash}}Mikhail Litvin
* [[Military counterintelligence of the Soviet Army|Department 5 [Special] (''OO'')]]{{spaced ndash}}Nikolai Nikolaev-Zhuryd
* Department 6 [Transport] (''TO''){{spaced ndash}}Mikhail Volkov
* Department 7 [Foreign (Intelligence)] (''ИНО''/''INO'') – [[Abram Slutsky]]
* Department 8 [Records and Statistic] (''УСО''/''USO''){{spaced ndash}}Vladimir Cesarsky
* Department 9 [Special (codes)] (''OO''){{spaced ndash}}Isaak Shapiro
* Department 10 [Prison]{{spaced ndash}}Yakov Weynschtok
* Department 11 [Maritime Transportation] (''ВО/WO''){{spaced ndash}}Victor Yrcev
* Department 12 [Technical and Operational] (''OOT''){{spaced ndash}}Semyen Zhukovsky

After [[Lavrenty Beria]] took over Frinovsky place as a GUGB head, in 29 of September 1938, GUGB underwent another organizational change -

; (head of GUGB){{spaced ndash}}Commissioner 1st rank of State Security [[Lavrenty Beria]]

*Department 1 – [Protection of Government]{{spaced ndash}}[[Israel Dagin]]
*Department 2 – [Secret Political]{{spaced ndash}}[[Bogdan Kobulov]]
*Department 3 – [counter-intelligence]{{spaced ndash}}Nikolai Nikolaev-Zhuryd
*[[Military counterintelligence of the Soviet Army|Department 4 – [Special] ]] — [[Pyotr Fedotov]]
*Department 5 – [Foreign (Intelligence)]{{spaced ndash}}[[Zelman Passov]]
*Department 6 – [Codes]{{spaced ndash}}[[Alexander Balamutov]]
*GUGB Investigating Section

; (head of GUGB){{spaced ndash}}Commissioner 3rd rank of State Security [[Vsevolod Merkulov]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180624105235/http://www.alexanderyakovlev.org/fond/issues-doc/73127 Structure and functions of NKVD USSR at the end of 1939 (Структура и функции НКВД СССР на конец 1939 года)]. Aleksandr Yakovlev Foundation.</ref>

*Department 1 – [Protection of Party and Soviet officials]
**included Political department, 24 office divisions, a school, commandant's offices of the [[Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|CC VKP(b)]] and [[NKVD]] of USSR
*Department 2 – [Secret Political]{{spaced ndash}}
**Division 1 [Trotskyists, Zinovievists, leftists, rightists, miasnikovtsi, shlyapnikovtsi, banned from the party, foreign missions]
**Division 2 [Mensheviks, anarchists, members of the [[Socialist Revolutionary Party]], [[Bundism|Bundists]], [[Zionism|Zionists]], clerics, provocateurs, gendarmes, counterintelligence agents, punishers, White Cossacks, monarchists]
**Division 3 [combating Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Ugro-Finnish national {{tooltip|c-i|counterintelligence}}]
**Division 4 [agent studies on {{tooltip|a/s|anti-Soviet}} political parties, [[dashnaks]], Turkic-Tatar-Mongolian national {{tooltip|c-i|counterintelligence}}, [[gruzmeks]], [[mussavatists]], nationalists]
**Division 5 [literati, press, publishing, theatres, cinema, art]
**Division 6 [academies of sciences, science and research institutes, scientific societies]
**Division 7 [discovery and study of {{tooltip|c-i|counterintelligence}} formations among studying youth, system of the People's Commissariat of Enlightenment and children of repressed]
**Division 8 [People's Commissariat of Healthcare of USSR and RSFSR and its education institutions]
**Division 9 [People's Commissariat of Justice, Supreme Court, Prosecutor's Office, People's Commissariat of Social Security and their educational institutions]
**Division 10 [combating church and sect {{tooltip|c-i|counterintelligence}}]
**Division 11 [physical culture organizations, volunteer societies, clubs, sports publishers]
**Division 12 [Special council, militsiya, fire guard, [[military commissariat]]s, leadership of the reserves]
*Department 3 – [counter-intelligence]
**Division 1 [Germany, Hungary]
**Division 2 [Japan, China]
**Division 3 [Great Britain]
**Division 4 [France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain]
**Division 5 [Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia]
**Division 6 [Poland]
**Division 7 [Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark]
**Division 8 [United States and countries of South America]
**Division 9 [Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan]
**Division 10 [ [[White movement]] {{tooltip|c-i|counterintelligence}} elements]
**Division 11 [Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania]
**Division 12 [People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs, embassies and consulates]
**Division 13 [[Executive Committee of the Communist International|ECCI]], [[MOPR]]]
**Division 14 [[Vneshtorg|Foreign Trade]], trade offices]
**Division 15 [[Intourist]] and [[VOKS]]]
**Diplomat security section
**Diplomat security political department
**Divisions 16, 17, 18, 19 Diplomat security
*[[Military counterintelligence of the Soviet Army|Department 4 – [Special] ]] —
**Division 1 [headquarters]
**Division 2 [intelligence directorates]
**Division 3 [aviation]
**Division 4 [technical troops]
**Division 5 [motorized detachments]
**Division 6 [artillery, cavalry and artillery detachments]
**Division 7 [infantry, cavalry and artillery detachments]
**Division 8 [[politruk]]
**Division 9 [medical service]
**Division 10 [Navy]
**Division 11 [NKVD troops]
**Division 12 [organizational and mobilizing]
**investigative section
*Department 5 – [Foreign (Intelligence)]
**Division 1 [Germany, Hungary, Denmark]
**Division 2 [Poland]
**Division 3 [France, Belgium, Switzerland, Netherlands]
**Division 4 [Great Britain]
**Division 5 [Italy]
**Division 6 [Spain]
**Division 7 [Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece]
**Division 8 [Finland, Sweden, Norway, Spitzbergen]
**Division 9 [Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania]
**Division 10 [United States, Canada, South America, Mexico]
**Division 11 [Japan, [[Manchuria]]]
**Division 12 [China, [[Xinjiang]]]
**Division 12 [Mongolia, [[Tuva]]]
**Division 12 [Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan]
**Division 12 [technical intelligence]
**Division 12 [operational equipment]
**Division 12 [visas]
*Department 6 – [Ciphering, safeguard of state secrecy]
**Division 1, 2, 3 [safeguard of state secrecy, verification and recordkeeping of those admitted to secret work and documents]
**Division 4 [deciphering]
**Division 5 [research, development and recordkeeping of ciphers, drafting NKVD ciphers, preparation of ciphering specialists]
**Division 6 [NKVD encrypting process]
**Division 7 [organizational management of peripherals, development of instructions and regulations on secret ciphering and agent missions]
**Division 8 [ciphering]
*GUGB Investigating Section —

=== GUGB Ranks ===
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.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rkka.ru/uniform/terms/zvania_nkvd.htm | title=Парковочная страница R01 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uniforminsignia.net/?option=com_insigniasearch&Itemid=53&result=1923|title = PIPNI.cz - Moderní hosting}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uniforminsignia.net/?option=com_insigniasearch&Itemid=53&result=1924|title = PIPNI.cz - Moderní hosting}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uniforminsignia.net/?option=com_insigniasearch&Itemid=53&result=1925|title = PIPNI.cz - Moderní hosting}}</ref>

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 [[General of the Army (USSR)|Generals of the Army]] to Major General.

;Ranks of GUGB 1935–1943
*генеральный комиссар ГБ{{spaced ndash}}Commissioner General of State Security
*комиссар ГБ 1-го ранга{{spaced ndash}}Commissioner 1st rank of State Security
*комиссар ГБ 2-го ранга{{spaced ndash}}Commissioner 2nd rank of State Security
*комиссар ГБ 3-го ранга{{spaced ndash}}Commissioner 3rd rank of State Security
*старший майор ГБ{{spaced ndash}}Senior Major of State Security
*майор ГБ{{spaced ndash}}Major of State Security
*капитан ГБ{{spaced ndash}}Captain of State Security
*старший лейтенант ГБ{{spaced ndash}}Senior Lieutenant of State Security
*лейтенант ГБ{{spaced ndash}}Lieutenant of State Security
*младший лейтенант ГБ{{spaced ndash}}Junior Lieutenant of State Security
*сержант ГБ{{spaced ndash}} Sergeant of State Security

;Rank insignia 1935-1937
{|  style="width:100%; border:1px solid #8888aa; background:#fff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin:0 12px 12px 0; text-align:center; "
|- style="background:#ccc;"
! colspan="1" | Commissioner General of State Security 
! colspan="1" | Commissioner of State Security 1st Rank
! colspan="1" | Commissioner of State Security 2nd Rank
! colspan="1" | Commissioner of State Security 3rd Rank
! colspan="1" | Senior Major of State Security
! colspan="1" | Major of State Security
! colspan="1" | Captain of State Security
! colspan="1" | Senior Lieutenant of State Security
! colspan="1" | Lieutenant of State Security
! colspan="1" | Junior Lieutenant of State Security
! colspan="1" | Sergeant of State Security
|-  style="text-align:center;
| [[File:Нквд1936вс.png|50px|петлица ГБ 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936вс4.png|50px|петлица ГБ 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936вс41.png|50px|петлица ГБ 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936вс3.png|50px|петлица ГБ 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936вс2.png|50px|петлица ГБ 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936вс1.png|50px|петлица ГБ 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936сс3.png|50px|петлица ГБ 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936сс2.png|50px|петлица ГБ 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936сс1.png|50px|петлица ГБ 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936мс3.png|50px|петлица ГБ 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936мс2.png|50px|петлица ГБ 1936]]
|-  style="text-align:center;
|
|-  style="text-align:center;
| [[File:Нквд1936нзвс.png|70px|н/з гб 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936нзвс4.png|70px|н/з гб 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936нзвс41.png|70px|н/з гб 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936нзвс3.png|70px|н/з гб 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936нзвс2.png|70px|н/з гб 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936нзвс1.png|70px|н/з гб 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936нзсс3.png|70px|н/з гб 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936нзсс2.png|70px|н/з гб 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936нзсс.png|70px|н/з гб 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936нзмс3.png|70px|н/з гб 1936]]
| [[File:Нквд1936нзмс2.png|70px|н/з гб 1936]]
|-
|Source:<ref>[http://shieldandsword.mozohin.ru/ranks/gb3543.htm ''Звания и знаки различия органов госбезопасности (1935 – 1943 г.)''] Retrieved 2017-08-28.</ref> 
|}
;Rank insignia 1937-1943
{|  style="width:100%; border:1px solid #8888aa; background:#fff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin:0 12px 12px 0; text-align:center; "
|- style="background:#ccc;"
! colspan="1" | Commissioner General of State Security 
! colspan="2" | Commissioner of State Security 1st Rank
! colspan="2" | Commissioner of State Security 2nd Rank
! colspan="2" | Commissioner of State Security 3rd Rank
! colspan="2" | Senior Major of State Security
! colspan="2" | Major of State Security
|-  style="text-align:center;
| [[File:Гб1937гк.png|100px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1936вс5.png|40px|Нквд1936вс5]]
| [[File:Нквд1937швс5.png|100px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937вс4.png|40px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937швс4.png|100px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937вс3.png|40px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937швс3.png|100px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937вс2.png|40px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937швс2.png|100px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937вс1.png|40px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937швс1.png|100px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
|-
|Source:<ref name="FSSB">[http://www.fssb.su/history-state-security/2104-forma-i-znaki-razlichiya-v-organah-gosbezopasnosti-1922-1945-gg.html ''Форма и знаки различия в органах госбезопасности 1922- 1945 гг.''] Retrieved 2017-08-28.</ref>
|}
{|  style="width:100%; border:1px solid #8888aa; background:#fff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin:0 12px 12px 0; text-align:center; "
|- style="background:#ccc;"
! colspan="2" | Captain of State Security
! colspan="2" |Senior Lieutenant of State Security
! colspan="2" | Lieutenant of State Security
! colspan="2" | Junior Lieutenant of State Security
! colspan="2" | Sergeant of State Security
|-  style="text-align:center;
| [[File:Нквд1937сс3.png|40px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937стс3.png|100px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937сс2.png|40px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937стс2.png|100px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937сс1.png|40px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937стс1.png|100px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937срс3.png|40px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937мс3.png|100px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937срс2.png|40px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
| [[File:Нквд1937мс2.png|100px|петлица ГБ 1937]]
|-
|Source:<ref name="FSSB"/>
|}

== See also ==
* {{section link|Bibliography of Stalinism and the Soviet Union|Terror, famine and the Gulag}}
* [[Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies]]
* [[Eastern Bloc politics]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* [[Piotr Kołakowski]] - NKWD i GRU na ziemiach Polskich 1939-1945 - (Kulisy wywiadu i kontrwywiadu) - [[Bellona Publishing House|Dom Wydawniczy Bellona]] Warszawa 2002 - (NKVD and GRU on Polish soil 1939-1945 [Intelligence counter-intelligence series] Warsaw, 2002)

{{NKVD}}
{{Secret police of Communist Europe}}
{{Soviet Union topics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Law enforcement agencies of the Soviet Union]]
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[[Category:1934 establishments in Russia]]
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