The Secret Police in Russia: From Ivan the Terrible to Nicholas II

The secret police appeared in the Russian Empire in December 1882, when the Regulation "On the Organization of the Secret Police in the Empire" was approved. The document provided for the creation of special Security Departments in major cities of Russia, which dealt with political investigations. However, back in December 1564, Ivan the Terrible announced the establishment of the Oprichnina, which is considered the first organ of political investigation in Russia. The joint work of history professor C. Rood of Canada and Doctor of Historical Sciences S. Stepanov covers a wide chronological range: from the Oprichnina of Ivan the Terrible to the activities of the security departments serving the last two tsars. The authors reveal to the reader the specific world of the secret police, the professional and personal relationships between its employees, the organization of political investigations, secret agencies, etc. Documents from domestic and foreign archives are widely used.