NKVD (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs)

The NKVD (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs) was a Soviet government agency responsible for internal security, law enforcement, and secret police activities from 1934 to 1946. It managed tasks like political repression, surveillance, and maintaining the Communist Party's control, often through arrests, interrogations, and executions. The NKVD played a key role in enforcing Soviet policies, including during the Great Purge, and also handled border security and labor camp operations. Its actions contributed to widespread fear and repression in the Soviet Union, and it was a central instrument of state control during that era.