They almost always remain in the shadows, but leadcolossal work. And from this work directly depends on the fate of the state. The Russian special services are an instrument of power, along with the prosecutor's office, court, army, reflecting the policy of their state and acting in the interests of this state. So it was always and absolutely in all states.

The history of special services goes, perhaps, to the ancientcentury, in those times when Russia hired spies for itself. Then the first search organs appeared, military intelligence. By the way, the emblem of these organs was a bat. Reports were actively used to make decisions about raids on neighbors by Old Russian princes, for conducting wars of conquest.
Officially, the special services of Russia were fixedunder the reign of Tsar Alexis in 1649. Caring about safety, he began to define the art to serve in his personal office. In 1654g. it was called the Secret Order, whose officers had special powers. After the death of the king was disbanded, the cases were transferred to the ambassador's order. The order was now subordinated only to the tsar, followed the activities of the voivode, ambassadors, government agencies, engaged in intelligence and political affairs. Russia's special services were still very weak, but the first steps of the state in their development were made.

During the reforms of Peter I a regularpolice, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (in the subordination of which all the police structures have gone over time), and by the beginning of the 20th century. the police were divided into gendarmerie, district, city and operative-search.
The sites were in the capital and major cities and, inturn, divided into parish, where the service was carried by policemen. In the counties there were camps, with the bailiffs. In villages, the functions of a policeman were carried by village guards. In 1903. with the aim of strengthening the county police, a police guard was created, based on horse and police units.

The security departments along with detective offices carried the functions of operative-search.
The gendarmerie was the most powerful. The gendarmes corps (separate, created in 1827) had a military organization in all respects (combat, economic, administrative) and subordinated directly to the Military Ministry, and in 1880 it was part of the Interior Ministry.

Fast forward to the nineteenth century. After the October Revolution, Russia needs to have information about the enemy and his secret plans in order to protect their interests.
It was decided to create an independentservice of the Cheka - OGPU, with subdivisions of the Chekist and military bodies, with the possibility of independent solutions for reconnaissance and counterintelligence tasks, but the main goal was to fight the counter-revolutionary movement. Then the special services of Russia changed their name many times. 1920g. - The Cheka at the NKVD of the RSFSR.

1941, February - in the power departments again reorganization: the NKVD is divided into the People's Commissariats. One of them - internal affairs, the second - the state. security. Russian special services are becoming independent.

1941, July - the NKGB and the NKVD are united into a single, integral NKVD.

1943 - the State Counterintelligence Service "Smersh" is created and goes under the jurisdiction of the People's Commissariat.

After the war, another reorganization takes place.
1946, March - is created by the USSR MGB, its task is reconnaissance and counterintelligence. Both inside the country, and outside, around the world.

1954, March - the creation of a new body - the KGB (intelligence, counterintelligence), which existed before the collapse of the USSR.

1991. - another reorganization. The KGB is divided into separate services: border guard, state security, government communications, counterintelligence, reconnaissance.

A year before the reorganization of the USSR enters Interpol. And in September 1993, Russia, as a legal successor, is a member of the ICPO-Interpol.
For several months, the NCB accumulates experience, evaluates it and creates the special services of Russia, which still exist.