Okhrana

Okhrana, short for Okhrannoye otdeleniye (Department for Protecting Public Security and Order), was the secret police and internal security service of the Russian Empire from the early 1880s until 1917. Positioned under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it was charged with detecting, preventing, and suppressing political dissent, revolutionary movements, and other activities deemed subversive by the state.

Origins and remit: The Okhrana emerged in the wake of rising opposition and political violence, consolidating and expanding police intelligence powers that had previously existed in weaker forms. It established centralized control with local offices across major cities and provinces, aiming to monitor students, workers, and clandestine organizations. Its network relied on informants, undercover agents, and routine surveillance of suspected groups.

Activities and methods: The organization focused on infiltrating and disrupting revolutionary organizations such as Narodnik circles, socialist and anarchist groups, and later Marxist movements. It conducted warrantless surveillance, censorship of presses and publications, and investigations through special tribunals. Suspects were interrogated, arrested, and often exiled to Siberia or detained in forced residence. The Okhrana’s operations extended beyond political circles to border control and counter-espionage, reflecting a broad security mandate.

Dissolution and legacy: Following the February Revolution of 1917, the Okhrana was dissolved as imperial authority collapsed. Many former officers and agents joined the new Soviet security apparatus, including the Cheka and its successors. The Okhrana remains a key reference point in studies of state surveillance and political policing, illustrating how a centralized security service attempted to manage political opposition in a late imperial regime.