Russian KGB

Shh! Are we alone? You sure? I don't wanna talk about Russian KGB when there's someone else around. The walls have ears, you know!

Even today, KGB secret police is sort of a "boogieman" for westerners. I can't blame you - we did a lot to create that image. Russians ain't that afraid of it today, but in the past - it gave us chills.

My parents remember the times when a phone call from KGB was like an invitation to "the chair". Those guys followed every foreigner, tapped into phone conversations and even censored letters. I guess not everything you see in American movies is a fiction!

So what does KGB stand for? In Russian, it sounds as "Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti", or "Committee of State Security" (pronounced "Ka-Ge-Be").

If we're talking values, I guess the slogan from "Transformers" says it all. When one of evil robots turned into police car, you could see "To Punish and Enslave" written on its emblem. Comrade Dzerzhinsky couldn't say better...

Russian KGB founder Dzerzhinsky by jaggitha at Flickr.com

The father of KGB

KGB was everywhere. You couldn't feel safe even with your friends - there was always a chance some of them was a part-time agent. Reporting each other was widely practiced - of course, not everyone did this!

If you were a foreigner, you were assigned a "guide" that would follow your every move. Kinda like in North Korea today. In addition, Soviet citizens going abroad were briefed by the KGB instructors.

For example, they were told to always walk in groups and not to accept any gifts. Any relations with foreigners were frowned upon - unless the KGB was interested in them.

Russian KGB file by Sphinx The Geek at Flickr.com

Your personal file...

In short - it was a monster, and I'm surely glad it's gone! I remember how Dzerzhinsky monument was dismounted. It was a real celebration, a victory of Russian democracy! KGB was a symbol of Soviet regime, it's evil incarnation. And boy the people were glad they got rid of it!

Things are calmer these days. Russian KGB is now known as "FSB", or "Federal Security Bureau". Can't say its HQ looks more pleasant, but at least you can walk around "Lubianskaia" square without feeling "stare in the back".

Up until recently, we had "KGB" president who hampered the freedoms in Russia. Still, things are not even close to what they used to be. I guess it's just hard to let go of Soviet legacy, but we'll gradually do this.

I think one day I'll have hard time telling my grandchildren of how it used to be. First, they won't believe me and second - I'll barely remember myself. Soviet Union is quickly becoming a history, although we encounter temporary setbacks here and there.

...so go buy mugs and badges while they're still around ;)




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