CENTRAL ORGANIZATION OF THE NKGB & NKVD

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06396152
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: October 23, 2023
• Document Release Date: August 28, 2023
• Case Number: F-2022-01536
• Publication Date: November 1, 1946

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1 November 194
CENTRAL ORGANIZATION OF THE BKGB & NKVIr
Supplementary Interrogation of Anatoli Granovskyo
� The attached report contains the translation of GRANOVSKY'S
Supplementary interrogation with regard to the organization of the EKGB
and *VD.
DISTRIBUTION:
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-29 October, 1946
SUBJECT: NKGB and NKVD Central Organization
(Translation from A. Granovsky's Interrogation)
� According to Granovsky, the former chief of the KVD,
BERIJA, is no longer in this position. The present chiefs
of the NKVD and NKGB are MERKULOV and KRUGLOV respectively,
and.BERIJA has become one ofSalins's deputies, thus giving
him the highest position in both organizations. The NKGB,
as related by Granovsky, has many functions and the following
six sections'are known to him personally: (1) Espionage
Activities Section., (2) Counter-espionage Activities Section,
(3) Control and espionage activities within the transport
system, (4) Activities regarding diversions and sabatOge
activities against rear areas, (5) Activities unknown to
Granovsky, (6) The protection and guarding of all administration
and party officials. In addition to the above mentioned
functions, there are many other groups which include a varied
number of activities.
� Directly under the ministry is established a section A
which-Maintains contact with agents, a Section B which has
activities unknown to Granovsky, plus the operations section
which carries out the surveillance of the ministry's employees.
Cooperation between these bureaus was very close and coordinated
therefore making it difficult to separate the definite duties �
of each section.
Along the same line as the chief for the NKGB who has
last word on significant decisions, is located at least three
deputies Who are chiefs in their respective departments. One
deputy is in charge of Section 3, another for Section 4 and
another for Section 6 while Sections 1 and 2 are under direct
supervision of the minister. Chief of NKGB was MERKULOV and
his deputy was KABULOV.
Regarding the territorial organization of the NKGB, Granovsky
gave the following information: outside the Ministry of State
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Security in Moscow, thereis found corresponding organizations
in each Soviet area and city. Granvasky was especially well
informed regarding the Ukrainian republics' NKGB, as he had
served in this organization. The minister was SAVTJENKO. In
each region was found a regional administration for the NKGB,
in each county, a county section. In each city, a city adminis-
tration under which functioned the various small rural
organizations and sections. The federation of the Stbviet Republic
administration is federated directly under NKGB, USSR in Moscow.
An indepgdent Ministry is not found in the USSR nor in any of
the autonomous republics. -Within this organization there is
an administration for each area corresponding in framework
to the previously mentioned 1-6 sections.
Regarding the ENVDi Granovsky :had the following infmrmation:
that this organization has several specific objectivies such as
control and administration of border troops, of troops in the
interior, of the militia,. of fire control, of local air defense,
of the prison system, of the concentration camps, plus an
administration kmarchive section.
The NKVD territorial organization is organized in a
corresponding pattern as previously described under the NKGB.
Of the higher officials, Granovsky identified TSENOVA as the
people's commiAr in the NKVD in White Russia in 1944.
Detail Information Concerning NKGB's Branch Activities
Within the previously named section 1, Espionage Section
of the NKGB, are found special sections for each attack area.
In the Ukrainian area, Colonel POGREBNOJ was the chief of Section
1. Granovsky was also aware of a section for .Balkan espionage,
chief being Lt. Colonel KULAGIN. Under that section were
departments for Czechoslovakia/A, Rumanian and Bulgarian espionage.
Granovsky also claimed existance of other sections but was
unaware of their activities. Granvosky further stated within
the NKGB, USSR, was also a section for Scandinavia espionage
' with specific departments for the NKGB activities in the "Soviet
RepUblics" of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Information regarding a branch of Section 3, Control and
counter-espionage within the transport system, as listed in first
classification. .To achieve this control, the NKGB, USSR, has
divided the larger railroad systems into sections and placed
the ministry of railroads administratively under the NKGB control.
Also the larger harbor areas have been similarly organized into
NKGB sections. The NKGB activities or sections have also been
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placed within the ministry of the merchant marine. Granovsky
listed specific NKGB sections for railroads as follows: northern
railroads Kursk railroad, Kuzan railroad and many small
station chiefs were.indicated as being in the service of the
NKGB. These individuals operated as unofficial agents and
reporters. Specific harbor area NKGB Sections were known to
be Odessa area, Baltic area plus the Pacific area. Granovsky
also stated on each sea-going vessel was found an agentkof
its respective NKGB section. The Pacific- section has been
specifically given the function to check the political
realibility of all seamen mustered aboard. In Granovsky's
seamens pass was found a visa which had been given by an officer
of the Leningrad section of the NKGB.
According to Granovsky, the political control of the
Soviet industry is. organizad in the following manner. 'Within
the ministry of heavy and light industries, the NKGB has
attempted to organize secret sections or special sectors which
observe and supervise the progress and methods involved and
in this way hold a check or cOntrol within the central ministry.
Also within the specific factories or work shops special
departments are set up by the NKGB. This undercover section
is in direct contact with the local NKGB authorities. This
plan gives double control, from the local authorities and from
the side of the central ministry.
Granovsky also stated the character of the control
exercised by the NKGB in the railroads and indistry is the same
pattern as in many other fields; namely, within schools, movie
indtstries, and all state .institutions and utilities.
The employees of the NKGB and NKVD are party members
whose political reliability is uncomprimising, that is to say,
all relatives and associates Are considered politically reliable.
Recruiting takes place through a special department at the
partie's central 'committee and at various authorized regional
committies. Unofficial agents were also enlisted upon their
personal qualifications. Granvosky was accepted in this way,
due to his father's arrest in 1933, but this did not hinder
his work 'within the organization. The elementary training of
the employees of the NKGB and NKVD is undertaken by schools
which are identically the same for both organizations. For
additional training, each organization has its own special
schools. Employees in the NKGB and NKVD hold military grade
and, for example, may hold grade of lieutenant in the States
Secret Service, NKGB and captain in the NKVD troops. This
practiue seems to have begun since January, 1945.
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� As previously mentioned, Section 6 dealt with the protection
and guarding of the state's leading personalities. Granovsky
mentioned 41borate precautions taken by NKGB in protecting
Stalin when traveling and at public affairs. When higher
officials meet, it is always in the presence of at least one
NKGB officer who is responsible for their personal safety.
The border patrol troops consist of a corp of Guards
,a
troops, who maintain/corridor along the country's borders.
They are organized into border detachments who establish and
control the border line area. These detachments also perform
espionage activities against the other side of the border area
and cooperate with NKGB agents who are working on the other.
side. In water boundaries areas, the border troops own special
border patrol vessels and it is believed these sections also
have airforce detacheMents at their disposal. Border patrol
troops wear green shoulder patches. -Along the border in a front
line area, these troops also act as reserves, one group being
placed near the front and another in the reserve area. They
are also charged with control of roads and communications lines
as well as supervision of assembly and concentration points.
These detachments are in intimate contact with the Smersj
Detachments
The troops of the interior wear red shoulder patches
and are organized in military units such as dividions, regiments,
etc. Their function is to guard thelsecurity within the country.
Under the NKVD comes the function of control and
administration of the local air defense. Granovsky has served
in Moscow's airfdeffense and as a result can give the following
data regarding that. organization: the chief of the air defense
organization from 1941 to 1944 was Lt. General OSOKIN. A
department of local air defense was organized in each of the
Soviet republids under which was organized each cities air
defense staff. This staff had at its disposal several regiments
which were divided among the cities regions. The regional
staff then divided its battalions within its specific airdefense
area Special air defense units were organized to cover important
industrial areas. the personnel included regular army troops
and a large number of volunteer civilians. In Moscow, Granovsky
estimated the organization's number at 21,000 ment.
A particular group of NKGB officers carried out a more
detached counter!-espionage activity and are attached to the
Red army. This organization is ordinarily called Smersj. The
chief of this organization was Lt. General ABAKUMOV who was the
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chief of the counter-espionage section, Smersj. This
organization was in constant contact with MARKULOV and BERLIA
and was established directly under the Ministry for Defense.
During the war, the Smersj organization had its sections
placed within the front line area. Granovsky was aware of
the following sections and their chiefs: (1) White Russian
front, Smersj detachment, Lt. General VADIS, (2) Utkrainian
front, Smersj detachment Lt.. General MESJIK, (3) The 4th
Ukrainian front, ,Smersj detachment, Lt. General KOVALTJUK or
KRAVTJENKO. Of these sections, all detachments of the army
had a chief with the grade of coldnel or higher. With each
army corps or division was located a chief of the Smersj
organization. With each regiment or battalion,:tlt Smersj
officer must be of a,litutenant-colonel grade or major grade.
In lower units, captain and lieutenant grades and also unofficial
Smersj agents are found.
Under wartime conditions this organization had as its
main objective to control and observe the political opinions �
of the troops. Officers and ten were observed in the same light
and in necessary cases, arrests were made by this organization.
In the occupied areas, it appears this organization took over
the duties of the NKGB as regards to political espionage. In
this respect, Granovsky. stated Lt. General VADIS had the
responsibility of investigating the circumstances involved in
Hitler's death. Smersj offices are reported to wear regular
army uniforms
In conclusion, Granovsky informed regarding other activities
in which the KGB organization played a leading role with
regard to Partisan' activities in the enemy rear areas. The
following organization cooperated to carry out this activity:
(1) The NKGB Sections 1-2-4, (2) The central staff for partisan
activity, (3). The people's commissar for defense,. (4) The people's
commissar for foreign activities. Through the previously
named NKGB sections, personnel were training in: espionage, counter-
espionage, diversionary tactics, and then placed at the disposal
of the Partisan Activities group. Chief for the Partisan
resistance central staff was Major-General PONOMARENKO who is
presently White Russia's prime minister. The ohief of staff
within the White Russian Partisan movement was HRUSJTJEV.
Within the partisan movement were also officers who'had escaped
from prison camps.
In addition, the Soviet's foreign espionage is arranged
to cooperate between several different authorities. They have
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developed four lines of espionage: the defense minister's
military espionage which is established under the NIK.O.'s
espionage division, the foreign minister's diplomatic e6pionage,
the foreign commercial espionage, and the NKGB's political
espionage. Stalin's personal information is gained from the
defense minister, Foreign minister Molotov, and Foreign commerce
minister MIKOjAN and BERIJA.
Regarding the Ministry of State Control (WGK), Granovsky
had the following information; before the one Ministry of
Control was established, the activities were carried out by two
control commissions for the purpose of increasing the commeriial
and industrial standards. These two commissions reported the
results of their activities to the People's Commissar Council.
1) The first commission was called the Party Control
Commission. Its direct mission was party control but also
administered control over commercial and industrial activities.
2) The second commission was called the Soviet Control
Commission 'and was placed directly under the People's Commissioners'
.Council, Its primary function was the control of commercial and
industrial activity. From these, two was created the Ministry
of State Control in 1943.
Gtanovsky informed the highest political officials,
administrative etployees, and military leaders are equipped
with high frequency telephones. The communication is carried on
special lines and guarded by inner security troops.. This system
facilitates the communications as it is much faster than ordinary
service. Very few persons have such telephones, for example, in
the Ukrainian NKGB, only Minister SAVTJENKO had such an instrument.
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Diagram illustrating existing Sections, Departments
and authorized Agents of the NKGB and NKVD with
respect to Railroad Lines and Sea Traffic.
Ministry of
Merchant Marine
_
Black Sea
Area
Baltic
Area
1
Pacific
Area
NKGB Sect. NKGB Sect. NOB Sect.
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Diagram illustrating contacts of Special
Sections, Special Sectors and Special 'Departments
in all Ministries and other Enterprises.
NKGB USSR
Section 2.
C. Espionage
EWE Area.Administ�
ration
�I Section 3.
Transport System
1 .1
Regional
SeCtions
Spec. Section
Special Doper
�Special Sectors (SECRET)
ontact of CounterZspionage,
,etc.
Agional Section ROB
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S'ite
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BERIJA
NEGB
OEXKULOVY
(ions)
DIAGRAM COVERING "SNERSJ" ORGANIZATION (1945)
MINISTER OF DERN=
(S IN)
- SNERSJ SECTIONS-
,
Ames
(Smersj Sect.)
CORPS .
(Smarsj Dept. or
Agents)
DIVISIONS
(Smersj Dept.
Aginto
Gen.
VADIS
Companies, eta
(Smerej.tbofficial reporters
among officers sad man)
Chiefldministration
for Counter-Espionage
- SUM
Chief4W.GenaBAKUMOV
NESJIIC
ft
1LTJUK
KRAVTJENKO
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