What was the Cheka?

After the October 1917 Revolution, a small group was produced for investigating threats to the Bolsheviki who had gained power and ousted the provisional government. This group of officials, the Cheka, was the first of numerous Soviet government agencies.

The Cheka - full name, All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-Revolution and Sabotage - became the first secret service, although it was well known about, rather than secret. Lenin used this agency to consolidate his power, and this was the beginning of Russia's development of secret service - political police - who were to terrorise the population/ The Cheka became an all-encompassing apparatus for the suppression of internal opposition. Lenin was determined to quash any insurrection, or risk of coup or espionage.

Cheka was an important military and security arm of the feared Bolshevik communist government, though this wasn’t a secret to most Russians. It was the first of a succession of Soviet state security organization. The full name of the agency was “The All Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter – Revolution and Sabotage” but was commonly abbreviated as Cheka or Vcheka. A member of the Cheka was called a Chekists.

Cheka was established in December 1917 by Vladimir Lenin and its first leader was Felix Dzerzhinsky and its headquarters were in Petrograd. It was used by Lenin to consolidate his power after the November 1917 Revolution.