militsiya

Militsiya refers to the civilian police services used in the Soviet Union and in several post-Soviet states, and historically in some Eastern Bloc countries. The word militsiya is a transliteration of the Russian милиция (militsiya). Unlike military forces, militsiya operated under the ministries of internal affairs and was tasked with maintaining public order, crime prevention and investigation, traffic control, and other routine policing duties. Its organization varied by country but typically included local precincts and a central command structure.

In the Soviet Union, militsiya was the principal police force across the republics, with a formal chain of command under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Police actions were carried out within a framework that sometimes involved coordination with other state security organs for national security matters, but militsiya handled ordinary policing and public safety.

After the dissolution of the USSR, many successor states reformed or renamed their police services. Some retained the militsiya designation for a period; others adopted the term politsiya (police) to emphasize professionalization and Western-style policing. Russia renamed its militsiya to politsiya in 2011 as part of a broad reform program. Ukraine began similar reforms around 2015, replacing militsiya with the National Police of Ukraine, branded as politsiya. In practice, reforms focused on professionalization, anti-corruption measures, improved transparency, and modernized training and equipment.

Usage and legacy: The militsiya model influenced policing in several former socialist states, but it faced criticism for corruption and political influence in some periods. Today, the term is largely historical or used in historical contexts, with active police forces generally referred to as politsiya.