Chekists - who are they: defenders of the state or bloody fanatics?

Before you immerse yourself in this difficult topic for any resident of the post-Soviet space, you need to at least roughly determine what the Chekists are-who they are, what they did and where they came from. The thing is that today there are too many rumors, legends and tales connected with this word, and in view of recent events the theme of state counterrevolutionaries is gaining popularity again.

So, if we say detached, the Chekists are the staff of the Extraordinary Commission (Extraordinary Commission), departments, which was responsible for state security since December 1917. After this, the structure was repeatedly transformed and renamed. Many are inclined to attribute to the Chekists NKVD, NKGB, and even the employees of the modern Ministry of Internal Affairs in Russia. Moreover, it is found that workers of similar structures in the countries of the former USSR are ranked among them, such as the National Security Committee in Kazakhstan.

Historical reference

If we talk about Chekists only as employees of the relevant department, then the following is known about their history. The Cheka existed from December 7, 1917 until February 6, 1922. The ideological inspirer of the commission was Lenin himself, and originally the main building of the Cheka was in Petrograd (now the Russian Political Police Museum is located there).

The department itself had about 13 departments. Some were opened after 1918 and in the 1920s (foreign department). The number of employees was also changing. Initially, the whole apparatus consisted of 40 employees, and after 1918 there were already 120 of them.

Speaking about the history of this phenomenon, it is necessary to raise the question of who the Chekist companies are. This definition is probably the most bloody shade in the history of this department and the movement. During the Great Patriotic War, there were special units that fought not so much with the enemy as they watched the order in the camp of their own troops. They were marked by a cruel attitude towards all those who managed to cross with them somehow. Many compare them with robbers. There were rumors that they intimidated the civilian population and robbed them. But at the same time, many admit that in many ways thanks to them, other soldiers were afraid and think of desertion or betrayal, because the fear of them was stronger than the fear of death. However, not everything is so straightforward, and not all fairy tales about Chekists are to be believed, since for some time among historians there was a fashion for terrible stories about the bloodiness of the Soviet regime.

Sphere of activity of Cheka

So, the Chekists - who are they, what exactly did they do? Judging by the names of departments, the staff of the Cheka were responsible for a variety of issues. Beginning with the struggle against counter-revolutionaries (initially their main task) and corruption and ending with a unit for opposing the activities of the church. Moreover, since 1921 it was this state organization that dealt with the issues of street children. That is, the sphere of activity, and hence the authorities, among the Cheka's staff was incredibly broad.

Historical trace of the Cheka. How is it interpreted today?

But how are they perceived today? The Chekists - who are they? Drunk sadists, fanatics, ideologies, or people who ensured order in the country? Many of the bloody horrors of that time are considered by them. They were afraid, but this does not mean that the department was not effective.

Crimes in office are, if you will, the definition of corruption at that time. So, at that time, the attitude towards corrupt officials in power and trade was harsh, but effective, as opposed to today's "soft" legislation. When convicted thieves, who have stolen even budget money, go out and continue their luxurious life, this is wrong. And all because to track the capital is difficult, there are many ways to hide assets. And our departments, as it sometimes seems, are not too quick to unravel the thieves' coil, or simply can not by force of law.

And it is precisely the fact that even rich and influential people were called to account for the response to the KGB, in many respects it was the formation of some kind of nostalgic halo around this organization.

No matter how you treat these people, you should understand that the lion's share of responsibility lies not on who carried out the severe order, but on who gave it. And the very heads of this department suffered an unenviable fate. When Stalin came to power, many, even those who held managerial positions, were shot. The ideology and order of that time were held on fear, and fear, as is known, always requires its bloody tribute.

Modern Chekists - who are they?

On the wave of corruption and all the new revolutions and coups d'etat, people began to miss the strict order and to reconsider their attitude towards the Chekists. Moreover, many talk about the revival of this movement. So, who are the Chekists in our time? Western media talk about a new kind: cyber-chekists. That is, according to foreign journalists, there are specially trained people who not only remove unwanted information on the Web, but also conduct agitation activities, stifle freedom of speech and revolutionary sentiments in the bud. Block access for free-minded people and remove their materials.

Of course, according to many foreign experts and revolutionary-minded residents of Russia, their influence is not limited to this, but it should be noted that they give a very vague answer to the question of what modern KGB officers are. They only point out that the majority of officers of the law enforcement and internal agencies are fit for this definition. Then it's sad that after adopting the counter-revolutionary moods of their historical inspirers, modern persecutors are still so weakly struggling with corruption and smuggling.