History glossary
NKVD
the Soviet internal affairs and security agency that carried out much of Stalin's repression.
- Category
- Institution
- Region
- Soviet Union
- Date range
- 1934-1946
What it means
The NKVD was the Soviet internal affairs and security agency that oversaw policing, state security, deportations, prisons, and Gulag administration during Stalin's rule. It became the main instrument of the Great Terror.
