Committee for State Security
Encyclopedia
The Committee for State Security , popularly known as State Security (Държавна сигурност, Darzhavna sigurnost; abbrievated ДС) was the name of the Bulgaria
n secret service
during the Communist rule of Bulgaria and the Cold War
(until 1989).
State Security played an active part in the so-called "Revival Process
" to Bulgarianize the Bulgarian Turks in the 1980s, as well as writer and dissident Georgi Markov
's murder in London
in 1978 known for the "Bulgarian umbrella
" that was used.
An issue often raised by the international community is State Security's alleged control of the weapons, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, gold, silver and antiques traffic through Bulgaria before 1989. Because of this, it is popularly thought that the organized crime
in the country in the 1990s was set up by former State Security agents.
The agency is often incriminated with the ill-famed murder of dissident writer Georgi Markov
using a "Bulgarian umbrella
" on London's Waterloo Bridge
and was formerly accused of the 1981 attempt on Pope John Paul II
's life. The latter allegation has always been sharply criticised and denied by Bulgaria, and the country was officially cleared of any involvement by the Pontiff himself during a 2002 visit.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n secret service
Secret service
A secret service describes a government agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For instance, a country may establish a secret service which has some...
during the Communist rule of Bulgaria and the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
(until 1989).
Structure
- 1st Head Directorate foreign intelligence. Succeeded by the National Intelligence ServiceNational Intelligence ServiceThe National Intelligence Service is the name of several state security agencies:*National Intelligence Service *National Intelligence Service *National Intelligence Service *National Intelligence Service...
in 1990. - 2nd Head Directorate counter-intelligenceCounter-intelligenceCounterintelligence or counter-intelligence refers to efforts made by intelligence organizations to prevent hostile or enemy intelligence organizations from successfully gathering and collecting intelligence against them. National intelligence programs, and, by extension, the overall defenses of...
. Succeeded by the National Security ServiceNational Security ServiceNational Security Service could refer to:*National Security Service *National Security Service *National Security Service *National Security Service *National Security Service...
. - 3rd Directorate military counter-intelligence
- 4th Directorate surveillence
- 5th Directorate government security and protection. Succeeded by the National Protection Service.
- 6th Directorate political police. Succeeded by the Head Service for Combating Organized Crime. It had the following departments:
- 1st Department worked among the intelligentsiaIntelligentsiaThe intelligentsia is a social class of people engaged in complex, mental and creative labor directed to the development and dissemination of culture, encompassing intellectuals and social groups close to them...
and controlling the unions of artists - 2nd Department worked in the universities and among the students
- 3rd Department responsible for the clergyClergyClergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
, the Jews, ArmeniansArmenians in BulgariaArmenians are the fourth largest minority in Bulgaria, numbering 10,832 according to the 2001 census, while Armenian organizations estimate up to 22,000. They have been inhabiting the Balkans since no later than the 5th century, when they moved there as part of the Byzantine cavalry...
and Russian White emigrantsWhite movementThe White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought... - 4th Department specialized in pro-TurkishTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and pro-Macedonian nationalismNationalismNationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what... - 5th Department worked among the political rivals, such as the agrarians and social democratsSocial democracySocial democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
- 6th Department observed pro-Maoist and anti-party activity
- 7th Department information analysis and anonymous activity
- 1st Department worked among the intelligentsia
- 7th Directorate information work
Activity
In 1964 the State Security formed a unit Service 7, led by colonel Petko Kovachev, dedicated to murder, kidnaping and disinformation against Bulgarian dissidents living abroad. The unit executed actions against dissidents in Italy, Britain, Denmark, West Germany, Turkey, France, Ethiopia, Sweden and Switzerland. Documents describing its activities were declassified only in 2010.State Security played an active part in the so-called "Revival Process
Revival Process
The Revival process was the official name of the attempted forceful assimilation of the ethnic Turks of Bulgaria in the period 1984 - 1989....
" to Bulgarianize the Bulgarian Turks in the 1980s, as well as writer and dissident Georgi Markov
Georgi Markov
Georgi Ivanov Markov was a Bulgarian dissident writer.Markov originally worked as a novelist and playwright, but in 1969 he defected from Bulgaria, then governed by President Todor Zhivkov...
's murder in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1978 known for the "Bulgarian umbrella
Bulgarian umbrella
The Bulgarian umbrella is the name of an umbrella with a hidden pneumatic mechanism which shot out a small poisonous pellet containing ricin....
" that was used.
An issue often raised by the international community is State Security's alleged control of the weapons, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, gold, silver and antiques traffic through Bulgaria before 1989. Because of this, it is popularly thought that the organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
in the country in the 1990s was set up by former State Security agents.
The agency is often incriminated with the ill-famed murder of dissident writer Georgi Markov
Georgi Markov
Georgi Ivanov Markov was a Bulgarian dissident writer.Markov originally worked as a novelist and playwright, but in 1969 he defected from Bulgaria, then governed by President Todor Zhivkov...
using a "Bulgarian umbrella
Bulgarian umbrella
The Bulgarian umbrella is the name of an umbrella with a hidden pneumatic mechanism which shot out a small poisonous pellet containing ricin....
" on London's Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, England between Blackfriars Bridge and Hungerford Bridge. The name of the bridge is in memory of the British victory at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815...
and was formerly accused of the 1981 attempt on Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
's life. The latter allegation has always been sharply criticised and denied by Bulgaria, and the country was officially cleared of any involvement by the Pontiff himself during a 2002 visit.