NKVD troika
Encyclopedia
NKVD troika or Troika, in Soviet Union
history, were commissions of three persons who convicted people without trial. These commissions were employed as an instrument of extrajudicial punishment
introduced to circumvent the legal system with a means for quick execution or imprisonment. It began as an institution of the Cheka
, then later became prominent again in the NKVD
, when it was used during the Great Purge
. Troikas are credited with the death sentences or exile of over 600,000 people.
'Troika' literally means "a group of three" in Russian.
, and Left SR V. Aleksandrovich.
The first "operational troikas" (оперативная тройка) were introduced in the "centre", in the Moscow military okrug
in 1929. The qualifier "operational" denotes they were based on the operational departments of the OGPU. Gradually, troikas were introduced to other parts of the Soviet Union for various and different purposes: "court troikas" (судебная тройка), "extraordinary troikas" (чрезвычайная тройка), and "special troikas" (специальная тройка).
s, criminals, and other anti-Soviet elements") undersigned by Nikolai Yezhov
. By this order, troikas were created on the levels of republic, krai
, and oblast
. Investigation was to be performed by 'operative groups' "in a speedy and simplified way", the results were to be delivered to troikas for trials.
The chairman of a troika was the chief of the corresponding territorial subdivision of NKVD (People's Commissar of a republican NKVD, etc.) Usually a troika included the prosecutor of the republic/krai/oblast in question; if not, he was allowed to be present at the session of a troika. The third person was usually the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
(CPSU) secretary of the corresponding regional level. The staff of these troikas were personally specified in the Order # 00447.
Protocols of a troika session were passed to the corresponding operative group for executions of sentences. Times and places of executions of death sentences were ordered to be held in secret.
Troikas of this purpose functioned for about a year.
, functioned for about two months. Later the experience was re-used during other national operations of the NKVD
: Romanian, Latvian, Finnish, Ukrainian.
, issued jointly by the Sovnarkom and Central Committee of the CPSU
.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
history, were commissions of three persons who convicted people without trial. These commissions were employed as an instrument of extrajudicial punishment
Extrajudicial punishment
Extrajudicial punishment is punishment by the state or some other official authority without the permission of a court or legal authority. The existence of extrajudicial punishment is considered proof that some governments will break their own legal code if deemed necessary.-Nature:Extrajudicial...
introduced to circumvent the legal system with a means for quick execution or imprisonment. It began as an institution of the Cheka
Cheka
Cheka was the first of a succession of Soviet state security organizations. It was created by a decree issued on December 20, 1917, by Vladimir Lenin and subsequently led by aristocrat-turned-communist Felix Dzerzhinsky...
, then later became prominent again in the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
, when it was used during the Great Purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
. Troikas are credited with the death sentences or exile of over 600,000 people.
'Troika' literally means "a group of three" in Russian.
Background
The first repressive troika was instituted in 1918, the members were Felix Dzerzhinsky, Yakov PetersYakov Peters
Jēkabs Peterss or Yakov Khristoforovich Peters was a Latvian Communist revolutionary, Soviet politician, chekist, and terrorist. Together with Feliks Dzerzhinsky, he was one of the founders and chiefs of the VChK...
, and Left SR V. Aleksandrovich.
The first "operational troikas" (оперативная тройка) were introduced in the "centre", in the Moscow military okrug
Okrug
Okrug is an administrative division of some Slavic states. The word "okrug" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "district", or "region"....
in 1929. The qualifier "operational" denotes they were based on the operational departments of the OGPU. Gradually, troikas were introduced to other parts of the Soviet Union for various and different purposes: "court troikas" (судебная тройка), "extraordinary troikas" (чрезвычайная тройка), and "special troikas" (специальная тройка).
Repression of kulaks
A notable step was the NKVD Order no. 00447 by July 30, 1937 О репрессировании бывших кулаков, уголовников и других антисоветских элементов ("About repression of former kulakKulak
Kulaks were a category of relatively affluent peasants in the later Russian Empire, Soviet Russia, and early Soviet Union...
s, criminals, and other anti-Soviet elements") undersigned by Nikolai Yezhov
Nikolai Yezhov
Nikolai Ivanovich Yezhov or Ezhov was a senior figure in the NKVD under Joseph Stalin during the period of the Great Purge. His reign is sometimes known as the "Yezhovshchina" , "the Yezhov era", a term that began to be used during the de-Stalinization campaign of the 1950s...
. By this order, troikas were created on the levels of republic, krai
Krai
Krai or kray was a type of an administrative division in the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR, and is one of the types of the federal subjects of modern Russia ....
, and oblast
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
. Investigation was to be performed by 'operative groups' "in a speedy and simplified way", the results were to be delivered to troikas for trials.
The chairman of a troika was the chief of the corresponding territorial subdivision of NKVD (People's Commissar of a republican NKVD, etc.) Usually a troika included the prosecutor of the republic/krai/oblast in question; if not, he was allowed to be present at the session of a troika. The third person was usually the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
(CPSU) secretary of the corresponding regional level. The staff of these troikas were personally specified in the Order # 00447.
Protocols of a troika session were passed to the corresponding operative group for executions of sentences. Times and places of executions of death sentences were ordered to be held in secret.
Troikas of this purpose functioned for about a year.
Repression of Poles
On September 15, 1939 the Politburo issued the resolution (# П64/22) about the creation of special troikas (Особая тройка) for the period of Polish operation of the NKVDPolish operation of the NKVD
The Genocide of Poles in the Soviet Union often referred to as, the Polish operation of the NKVD, was a coordinated action of the Soviet NKVD and the Communist Party in 1937–1938 against the entire Polish minority living in the Soviet Union, representing only 0.4 percent of Soviet citizens...
, functioned for about two months. Later the experience was re-used during other national operations of the NKVD
Mass operations of the NKVD
Mass operations of the NKVD were carried out during the Great Purge and targeted specific categories of people. As a rule, they were carried out according to the corresponding order of the People's Commissar of Internal Affairs Nikolai Yezhov....
: Romanian, Latvian, Finnish, Ukrainian.
Abolition
The institution of troikas was abolished in 1938 by the Decree about Arrests, Prosecutor Supervision and Course of InvestigationDecree about Arrests, Prosecutor Supervision and Course of Investigation
The Decree about Arrests, Prosecutor Supervision and Course of Investigation was issued jointly by the Sovnarkom and Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union on November 17, 1938....
, issued jointly by the Sovnarkom and Central Committee of the CPSU
Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , abbreviated in Russian as ЦК, "Tse-ka", earlier was also called as the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party ...
.