Viktor Semyonovich Abakumov

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Viktor Semyonovich Abakumov (Russian: Виктор Семёнович Абакумов) ( (1894 - 1954), (Colonel General), was a high level Soviet security organs official, from 1943 to 1946 the head of GURK (Chief Counterintelligence Directorate) well known as SMERSH by the USSR People's Commissariat of Defense, and from 1946 to 1951 minister of State Security or MGB (ex-NKGB). Abakumov was a notoriously brutal official who was known to torture prisoners with his own hands.

Abakumov, was born in 1894 in Moscow (including to some sources - 1896 or 1908). He joined Soviet security organization (then Joint State Political Directorate under SNK of the USSR) in 1932, and started working in the Economics Department (EKO) in one of the OGPU Moscow field district office. In 1933 he was transferred to OGPU Moscow Hq, (Lubyanka) to the Economics Directorate (EKU-OGPU).
In 1934 after the reorganization of srcurity aparatus (the OGPU was joint to NKVD as a GUGB), Abakumov start his work in a 1st Section of Economics Department (EKO) by the Main Directorate of State Security of NKVD. Then on the first of August 1934 he was transferd to The Chief Directorate of Camps and Labour Colonies well knows as GULAG, where he was serving to 1937, mainly as operative officer in 3rd Section of Security Department of GULAG of the NKVD. In April 1937 Abakumov was moved to 4th Departament (OO) of GUGB of the NKVD where he was serving to March 1938. After next reorganization of NKVD structure in March 1938, he become assistant of chief of 4th Department in 1st Directorate of the NKVD, and then from September 29 to November 1st 1938 he fulfilled duties of assistants of Pyotr Fedotov, he was the head of 2nd Department (Secret Political Dep – or. SPO) of GUGB of the NKVD, and next to the end of 1938 he was working in SPO GUGB NKVD as a head of one of the Sections. Abakumov had survived the great purge, by taking participation in it. He executed each order without scruples, probably it saved him from facing execution squad.

Near the end of December 1938 Abakumov was moved from Moscow to Rostov, where soon he became the head of UNKVD of Rostov Oblast. (the head of local NKVD Office). He came back to Moscow Hq in February 12 1941 as a , Senior Major of State Security, and after the reorganization and creation of new NKGB he became one of the deputys of Lavrentiy Beria who was the People's Commissar for Internal Affairs (head of the NKVD. On July 19, 1941 he become the head of Special Department (OO) of the NKVD witch was responsable for Counterintelligence and internal security in the RKKA (Red Army). In this position after the attack of Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union and the defeats experienced by the Red Army, on the Stalin order he led the purges of RKKA commanders accused for betrayal and cowardice. In 1943 for some time (from April 19 to May 20 1943), Abakumov was a one of a Stalin’s deputys when he held the post of People's Commissar of Defence of the USSR.
In April 1943 when Chief Counterintelligence Directorate of the People's Commissariat of Defence of the USSR (or GURK NKO USSR) better known as SMERSH was cerated, Abakumov was put in charge of it, in the rank of Commissar 2.nd rank of State Security, and he held a title of vice- Commissar of Defense. In 1946 he was appointed head of the Ministry for State Security (MGB) under the general supervision of Beria, replacing Vsevolod Merkulov. In this capacity he was in charge of the 1949 purge known as the "Leningrad Affair," in which the Politburo members Nikolai Voznesensky and Aleksei Kuznetsov were executed.

In 1951 Abakumov was dismissed and arrested on Stalin's orders, apparently because Stalin decided that Beria was growing too powerful. He was replaced by Sergei Ogolcov. On Stalin's death in March 1953, Beria had Abakumov released and returned to security work as Beria's agent. But he was arrested again when Beria was overthrown by the other Soviet leaders in June. He was tried in for his role in the Leningrad Affair and executed on December 18, 1954.

[edit] Further reading

• Pierre de Villemarest, Untouchable - Who protected Bormann & Gestapo Müller after 1945; Aquilion, 2005, ISBN 1-904997-02-3