People's Commissariat for State Security

The People's Commissariat for State Security (Russian: Народный комиссариат государственной безопасности) or NKGB, was the name of the Soviet secret police, intelligence and counter-intelligence force that existed from February 3, 1941 to July 20, 1941, and again from 1943 to 1946, before being renamed the Ministry for State Security (MGB).

Changes in Soviet apparatus began in February 1941with the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet decision. It started with Military Counterintelligence. On 3 of February 1941, the 4th Department (Special Section, OO) of GUGB within NKVD security service responsible for the Red Army military counter-intelligence, consisting of 12 Sections and one Investigation Unit, was separated from GUGB NKVD. The official liquidation of OO GUGB and GUGB as organized unit within NKVD was announced on 12 February 1941 by a joint order № 00151/003 of NKVD and NKGB USSR.
The rest of GUGB was abolished and staff was moved to newly created People's Commissariat for State Security (NKGB). Departments of former GUGB were renamed Directorates. For example, former Foreign Department (INO) became Foreign Directorate (INU); political police represented by Secret Political Department (SPO) became Secret Political Directorate (SPU), and so on.

Based on NKVD and NKGB directive number 782/B265M, from March 1, 1941, the NKGB tasks were:

The first head of NKGB was Vsevolod Nikolayevich Merkulov who became People's Commissar of State Security. His first deputy was Ivan Serov, a former Commissar 3rd rank of State Security, and two deputies, Bogdan Kobulov and Mikhail Gribov.

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