Secret Police in Russia. From Ivan the Terrible to Nicholas the Second. Ruud Ch., Stepanov S.A.

The secret police appeared in the Russian Empire in December 1882. When the provision “On the construction of the secret police in the empire” was approved. The document provided for the creation of special security departments in large cities of Russia, which were engaged in a political search. But back in December 1564, Ivan the Terrible announced the creation of an oprichnina, which is considered the first body of a political investigation in Russia.

The joint work of the professor of History of C. Ruud (Canada) and the Doctor of Historical Sciences S. Stepanov covers the wide chronological framework: from the oprichnina of Ivan the Terrible to the activities of security departments that served the last two kings. The authors reveal to the reader a specific world of secret police, professional and personal relations between its employees, the organization of political investigation, secret agents, etc. Documents from domestic and foreign archives are widely used.