The KGB, formally known as the Committee for State Security, was a formidable force throughout its 37 years of existence. Operating between 1954 and 1991, it was the main security agency of the Soviet Union and had broad-sweeping powers that enabled it to be both an internal security apparatus and intelligence agency.
The KGB was composed of numerous ministries, state committees, and state commissions in each republic of the Soviet Union aside from Russia. It also operated under military laws and regulations similar to the Soviet Army or MVD Internal Troops. The committee was primarily responsible for foreign intelligence gathering, counterintelligence activities, securing borders of the USSR, safeguarding government communications, and suppressing any dissent or anti-Soviet behavior.
In the early 1990s after breaking away from Georgia with Russian aid, South Ossetia established its own KGB (still keeping its name). Even though most archives related to KGB remain classified, two documentary sources are available online for viewers who wish to learn more about this powerful organization.
This documentary offers a unique insight into an important yet often overlooked part of history—one that doesn’t just paint a picture of how things used to be but also provides valuable lessons for today’s world. Through interviews with those who experienced life under KGB control as well as never-before seen archival footage from inside their headquarters in Moscow, this documentary is sure to provide an eye-opening look at this powerful organization’s operations during its time in power.
We encourage you to take some time out of your day and watch this riveting piece on one of history’s greatest organizations—the KGB. Not only will you gain knowledge about this period of history but also gain insight into how far we have come since then so that we may better prevent similar events in our future.
