Bloody Ties (Paperback)

From the moment of its formation until 1991 Soviet Russia/USSR was supposedly governed by the State under the leadership of the Communist Party. The secret services in their several incarnations were a key instrument of governance. Technically they were an arm of the State. In actual fact, as this work shows, the secret services received their instructions as much from the Party as from the State. More importantly, they frequently acted as shapers of policy.

In 1991-1992 many Soviet archives became accessible to scholars. Although the archives of the secret services remain largely closed, it has become possible to form a picture of the work of the secret services from reports between the secret police and the Communist Party. Concentrating mainly on Party archives of three Siberian regions, this work presents a vivid picture. The work, written by highly respected Russian political scientist and writer, Professor Gregory Olekh, is divided into three sections, with an introduction and conclusion.