Editing Cheka (section)

=== Creation ===
[[File:Menzhinsky V 1921-2.jpg|thumb|Members of the [[presidium]] of VCheKa (left to right) [[Yakov Peters]], [[Józef Unszlicht]], [[Abram Belenky]] (standing), [[Felix Dzerzhinsky]], [[Vyacheslav Menzhinsky]], 1921]]

In the first month and a half after the [[October Revolution]] (1917), the duty of "extinguishing the resistance of exploiters" was assigned to the [[Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee]] (or PVRK). It represented a temporary body working under directives of the [[Council of People's Commissars]] (Sovnarkom) and [[Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Central Committee]] of [[Russian Social Democratic Labour Party|RDSRP]]([[Bolshevik|b]]). The VRK created new bodies of government,{{Clarify|date=April 2011}} organized food delivery to cities and the Army, requisitioned products from [[bourgeoisie]], and sent its emissaries and agitators into provinces. One of its most important functions was the security of [[revolutionary]] order, and the fight against [[counterrevolutionary]] activity (see: [[Anti-Soviet agitation]]).

On December 1, 1917, the [[All-Russian Central Executive Committee]] (VTsIK or TsIK)<ref>[[All-Russian Central Executive Committee]] (VTsIK or TsIK) is not to be confused with the [[Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Central Committee]] of [[Russian Social Democratic Labour Party|RDSRP]]([[Bolshevik|b]])</ref> reviewed a proposed reorganization of the VRK, and possible replacement of it. On December 5, the [[Petrograd]] VRK published an announcement of dissolution and transferred its functions to the department of TsIK for the fight against "counterrevolutionaries".<ref name="Mozokhin">[http://mozohin.ru/article/a-4.html Mozokhin, O.B. ''out of history of activities of VChK, OGPU, NKVD, MGB'']. FSB archives.{{in lang|ru}}</ref> On December 6, the Council of People's Commissars (Sovnarkom) strategized how to persuade government workers to strike across Russia. They decided that a special commission was needed to implement the "most energetically revolutionary" measures. [[Felix Dzerzhinsky]] (the Iron Felix) was appointed as Director and invited the participation of the following individuals: [[Vasiliy Averin|V. K. Averin]], [[Vasily Yakovlev|V.V Yakovlev]], [[D. G. Yevseyev]], [[N. A. Zhydelev]], [[Ivan Ksenofontov|I. K. Ksenofontov]], [[Grigoriy Ordzhonikidze|G. K. Ordjonikidze]], [[Yakov Peters|Ya. Kh. Peters]], [[Karl Peterson|K. A. Peterson]], [[Valentin Trifonov|V. A. Trifonov]].

On December 7, 1917, all invited except Zhydelev and Vasilevsky gathered in the [[Smolny Institute]] to discuss the competence and structure of the commission to combat counterrevolution and sabotage. The obligations of the commission were: "to liquidate to the root all of the counterrevolutionary and sabotage activities and all attempts to them in all of Russia, to hand over counter-revolutionaries and saboteurs to the [[revolutionary tribunal (Russia)|revolutionary tribunals]], develop measures to combat them and relentlessly apply them in real-world applications. The commission should only conduct a preliminary investigation".{{clarify|date=November 2011}} The commission should also observe the press and counterrevolutionary parties, sabotaging officials and other criminals.

[[File:Sankt Petersburg-Regierungssitz Smolny.jpg|thumb|left|[[Smolny Institute|Smolny]], the seat of the Soviet government, 1917]]

Three sections were created: informational, organizational, and a unit to combat counter-revolution and sabotage. Upon the end of the meeting, Dzerzhinsky reported to the [[Sovnarkom]] with the requested information. The commission was allowed to apply such measures of repression as 'confiscation, deprivation of ration cards, publication of lists of enemies of the people etc.'".<ref name="Mozokhin" /> That day, Sovnarkom officially confirmed the creation of VCheKa. The commission was created not under the VTsIK as was previously anticipated, but rather under the Council of the People's Commissars.<ref name="People's Commissars">{{cite web |url=http://memory.irk.ru/zp1.htm |title=Partial protocol of the 21st session of the Council of the People's Commissars |publisher=Memory.irk.ru |date=1998-12-26 |access-date=2011-07-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804181732/http://memory.irk.ru/zp1.htm |archive-date=2017-08-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On December 8, 1917, some of the original members of the VCheka were replaced. Averin, Ordzhonikidze, and Trifonov were replaced by V. V. Fomin, S. E. Shchukin, Ilyin, and Chernov.<ref name="People's Commissars" /> On the meeting of December 8, the presidium of VChK was elected of five members, and chaired by Dzerzhinsky. The issues of "[[speculation]]" or profiteering, such as by black market grain sellers<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lewis |first=Oliver |date=2007-12-03 |title=How much did the Bolsheviks need the Cheka and how well did they make use of it? |url=https://www.e-ir.info/2007/12/02/76/ |access-date=2022-11-02 |website=E-International Relations }}</ref> and "[[corruption]]" was raised at the same meeting,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Carr |first=E. H. |date=1958 |title=The Origin and Status of the Cheka |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/149095 |journal=Soviet Studies |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.1080/09668135808410134 |jstor=149095 |issn=0038-5859}}</ref> which was assigned to Peters to address and report with results to one of the next meetings of the commission. A circular, published on {{OldStyleDate|December 28|1917|December 15}}, gave the address of VCheka's first headquarters as "Petrograd, Gorokhovaya 2, 4th floor".<ref name="People's Commissars" /> On December 11, Fomin was ordered to organize a section to suppress "speculation." And in the same day, VCheKa offered Shchukin to conduct arrests of counterfeiters.

In January 1918, a subsection of the anti-counterrevolutionary effort was created to police bank officials. The structure of VCheKa was changing repeatedly. By March 1918, when the organization came to Moscow, it contained the following sections: against counterrevolution, speculation, non-residents, and information gathering. By the end of 1918–1919, some new units were created: secretly operative, investigatory, of transportation, military (special), operative, and instructional. By 1921, it changed once again, forming the following sections: directory of affairs, administrative-organizational, secretly operative, economical, and foreign affairs.