Counter-intelligence in a command economy

This article provides the first thick description of the counter-intelligence function in a command economy of the Soviet type. Based on documentation from Soviet Lithuania, the article considers the KGB (secret police) as a market regulator, commissioned to prevent the disclosure of secret government business and forestall the disruption of government plans. Where market regulation in open societies is commonly intended to improve market transparency, competition, and fair treatment of consumers and employees, KGB regulation was designed to enforce secrecy, monopoly, and discrimination. One consequence of KGB regulation of the labour market may have been adverse selection for talent. Here it is argued that the Soviet economy was designed to minimize costs

HR unit of the KGB of the Lithuanian SSR: 1954-1991

This article describes the structure and operational functions of the HR Unit of the KGB of the Lithuanian SSR. It also provides an analysis of the ethnic composition of the human resources of the KGB, identifies the peculiarities of training and education of the human resources, and describes the role of part-time employees and the intelligence supplementation reserve. The main sources of the research are documents of the HR Unit stored in the Lithuanian Special Archive. The HR Unit of the KGB of the LSSR was established in spring 1954. The Unit organised the selection, distribution and training of human resources, investigated crimes and violations committed by employees, and was responsible for the registration and mobilisation of human resources. Chekas had to be loyal protectors of the Soviet regime and perceive their duty as the implementation of unarguable justice and have no doubts with regard to their actions. Leaders of the party nomenclature were appointed heads of the KGB. The unit sought to engage as many Lithuanians in the apparatus created by communists as possible and to disguise the actual aims of this institution under superficial Lithuanian identity. The majority of them had political education, participated in qualification courses. They were sent for training to special KGB schools of the USSR. The KGB formed a reserve of human resources, thoroughly selected candidates for work in the KGB, since this work was equal to the military services in armed forces. KGB reserve officers were freelance employees of the KGB. They were usually used to monitor activities of foreigners visiting Lithuania and unreliable persons working at industrial objects

KGB agentūrinio-operatyvinio darbo įrankis - konspiraciniai (susitikimų) butai

Basing on KGB archive sources of the Lithuanian SSR available in Lithuanian Special Archives, the publication analyses the purpose specifics of human intelligence instruments, i.e. meeting apartments, and tendencies in the use thereof. It reveals general activities of KGB human intelligence in meeting apartments by reviewing the role of visitors of those apartments, analysing means of communication between KGB intelligence officers and secret service thoroughly conceived from Lithuanian residents. The publication also analyses issues of maintenance of secret KGB apartments and settlement with apartment visitors

Reliable people in net of the KGB in the Lithuanian SSR

Straipsnyje nagrinėjamas KGB slaptųjų bendradarbių fenomenas, konkrečiai – agentų ir patikimų asmenų veikla. Siekiama apibrėžti jų statusą, atskleisti bendras šių bendradarbių verbavimo ir parinkimo tendencijas ideologizuotos sovietinės sistemos diegimo Lietuvos SSR raidos kontekste. Tokie slaptųjų bendradarbių tyrimai ne tik atskleidžia KGB – buvusios sovietinės represinės institucijos – įvairialypę veiklą, bet ir parodo, kaip keitėsi sovietinės visuomenės laikysena politinės sistemos atžvilgiu.[…] In order to use agents more effectively and productively, a reorganization of the KGB was performed in 1952. The category of a liquidated informant (a person supplying information) was substituted by a new one, the category of reliable person. A reliable person was a Soviet citizen who at the request of the KGB reported on individuals and facts which were worth operational attention, and who did particular tasks. Reliable persons were chosen from so-called Soviet patriots on a voluntary principle. […] These reliable people, doing permanently various tasks ordered by the KGB, were eventually recruited as agents. Instead of a not very useful agency, which could be used for watching different individuals, reliable people were used. In the 1950s and 1960s, the KGB in the Lithuanian SSR still had a lot of useless, unemployed agents, most of whom were only used for searches of suspected people. It appeared that reliable people could do the same work. This is the reason why it was decided to use reliable individuals rather than recruiting low-value agents. These spies worked out of ideological conviction, often not hiding their pro-Soviet attitude. While the KGB recruited agents, reliable people were selected just for solving some particular problem. They were mostly selected from people with a loyal view towards the Soviet regime. Reliable people differed from other Soviet security agents because they did not need to sign any cooperation papers. Only agents had to sign cooperation commitments. Reliable people became secret Soviet security collaborators without any commitment, and collaborated with the KGB because of ideological motivation or in consideration of a further career. Depending on the operational circumstances, pending targets, as well as the reliable person's personality, relations with them were maintained in an open or a secret way. It was not permitted to meet them in safe flats, except on special occasions, when the reliable person took part in a security operation. Generally, they informed orally, though if the information to be supplied was of operational interest, they reported in writing. Through the agents and reliable persons, the Soviet regime was provided with political and operational information about the situation in Lithuania. Some Soviet security agents were occasionally given financial rewards; however, the KGB paid money to reliable people, too. To improve the performance of the KGB, some agents' functions such as monitoring and trailing, were partly transferred to reliable persons. They spied on people who had come under the scrutiny of the KGB, and collected all possible information about them. They added to the work of the agents, approving information that was obtained in operations or by supplying new information. Reliable persons were assigned a broad range of tasks, from the search of a state criminal to participation in operational research. In order to undermine the authority of priests, to judge them morally and incriminate them in criminal acts, the KGB invoked reliable persons. With their help and the help of agents, the KGB fought against the Church, human rights and defenders of religious freedom. In fact, not all agents and reliable persons operated voluntarily in the KGB system, some only pretended to be doing tasks. […

Juozas Keliuotis in the target of KGB in 1956-1978

The life of Juozas Keliuotis, one of the most conspicuous cultural workers of Lithuania, in Soviet times shows the specificity of the psychological pressure on intellectuals. The KGB unit in Lithuania involved many personalities in its manipulatory games. J. Keliuotis was of no exception. Persecuted and morally broken he wrote the memoirs revealing sufferings in the camp and violations of human rights. In 1962-1975, KGB spared no efforts seeking to find and obtain the memoirs of the intellectual in question. Even though the security failed to fetch the manuscripts of the intellectual, it succeeded in hindering for a long time their passing over to the West. In 1956-1978, J. Keliuotis was shadowed by quite a number of agents. It was people from the environment of the intellectual that were mostly hired. Most frequently he had to communicate with the agents of influence. Due to constant and active spying by KGB, J. Keliuotis lost trust in his close people. KGB aimed at neutralizing the cultural influence of intellectuals. It was useful to discredit the authoritative persons by instigating them to be in conflict with émigré in terms of cultural relations. In 1971, J. Keliuotis spoke forcibly in the press, not only condemning the activity of emigrants, but also demonstrating economic and cultural "achievements" of Soviet Lithuania. Nevertheless, in the eyes of the public of Soviet Lithuania J. Keliuotis remained as the enlightened person from the times of independence and the advocate of Western modern art. J. Keliuotis was persecuted until his death 1983. The LSSR Supreme Court rehabilitated the intellectual on December 16, 1998

Governing bodies of the KGB of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1954-1991

The USSR Committee for State Security (KGB) service in Lithuania was a triple organisation; their main functions – foreign intelligence, fight against the intelligence operations of foreign special services and fight against “nationalism and anti-Soviet activities” – were organised and coordinated by ideologically prepared persons of Lithuanian nationality. The leaders of the Central Committee (CC) of the Lithuanian Communist Party (LCP) and KGB helped to control the Lithuanian political and social life. However, already after the death of Sniečkus KGB chairmen became more independent in their relations with the local highest ranking nomenclature, whereas other secretaries of the LCP CC failed to retain their previous power. KGB proposed to the LCP CC the directions of ideological activities and possible pressure, indicated other-minded people to be persecuted and measures to be undertaken. Developing relations with foreign countries, increasing tourism, and the technical potential of intelligence forced to improve the KGB structure and activities. New units were established, improved technical means and top secret operational means began to be used for surveillance, and a more intelligent agency was formed. The objective of the Lithuanian nation to re-establish the independent state was attributed to the spread of emigrants’ political ideas and the influence against which KGB attempted to fight by using previous measures. Until the very liquidation of the KGB service in the summer of 1991, the functions of the activities of this Soviet security structure remained unchanged, the main direction was the fight against the re-established State of Lithuania, discrediting its political leadership and the political course within the country and abroad