Okhrana

The Okhrana was the secret police of the Russian Empire, established in the late 19th century to monitor and suppress revolutionary activities and dissent. Its primary role was to investigate and prevent political crimes, targeting groups that threatened the state's stability, such as socialists and anarchists. The Okhrana employed various methods, including surveillance, infiltration, and arrest. It played a significant role in maintaining the autocratic rule of the Tsars until the Russian Revolution of 1917, when the empire collapsed and the Okhrana was dissolved.