NKVD

NKVD
People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs (PCIA)
Народный комиссариат внутренних дел; Narodný komissariat vnutrennih del (NKVD)
	NKVD emblem
Agency overview
Formed	10 July 1934
Preceding agencies	Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU); Commissariats of Internal Affairs of all Union republics;
Dissolved	15 March 1946
Superseding agencies	Ministry of Internal Affairs; People's Commissariat for State Security;
Type	Secret police; ; Intelligence agency; ; • Law enforcement; • Gendarmerie; • Border guard; • Prison authority
Jurisdiction	Soviet Union
Headquarters	11-13 ulitsa Bol. Lubyanka,; Moscow, RSFSR, Soviet Union
Agency executives	Genrikh Yagoda (1934–1936); Nikolai Yezhov (1936–1938); Lavrentiy Beria (1938–1945); Sergei Kruglov (1945–1946);
Parent agency	Council of the People's Commissars
Child agencies	Main Directorate for State Security (GUGB); Main Directorate of Camps (Gulag); Main Directorate of Militsiya (GURKM); Main Directorate of Border and Internal Security (GUPiVO).;

The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (Russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, romanized: Naródny komissariát vnútrennih del (NKVD), pronounced [nɐˈrodnɨj kəmʲɪsərʲɪˈat ˈvnutrʲɪnʲɪɣ dʲel]), abbreviated NKVD (НКВД listen^ⓘ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.

Established in 1917 as NKVD of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the agency was originally tasked with conducting regular police work and overseeing the country's prisons and labor camps. It was disbanded in 1930, and its functions were dispersed among other agencies. Then it was reinstated as an all-union commissariat in 1934.

The functions of the OGPU (the secret police organization) were transferred to the NKVD around the year 1930, giving it a monopoly over law enforcement that lasted until the end of World War II. During this period, the NKVD included both ordinary public order activities, and secret police activities. The NKVD is known for political repression and for carrying out the Great Purge under Joseph Stalin. It was led by Genrikh Yagoda, Nikolai Yezhov, and Lavrentiy Beria.

The NKVD undertook mass extrajudicial executions of citizens, and conceived, populated and administered the Gulag system of forced labor camps. Their agents were responsible for the repression of the wealthier peasantry. They oversaw the protection of Soviet borders and espionage (which included carrying out political assassinations).

In March 1946 all People's Commissariats were renamed to Ministries. The NKVD became the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD).

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