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Soviet Union [USSR] Leadership
In January 1986, when Fedorchuk was retired, Aleksandr V.
Vlasov was appointed the chief of the MVD. Vlasov had no background
in the police apparatus. In September 1988, Vlasov became a
candidate member of the CPSU Politburo, and the following month he
was replaced as chief of the MVD by Vadim V. Bakatin. Bakatin was
made a full member of the CPSU Central Committee in March 1986, but
his police experience, if any, was not known in the West. In 1989
Leonid G. Sizov and Vasilii P. Trushin were first deputy ministers
of the MVD. In addition, the MVD had approximately eight deputy
ministers.
The MVD published a vast amount of popular literature devoted
to the glorification of the MVD in order to attract well-qualified
cadres to its ranks. The fact that MVD salaries were considerably
lower than those for the KGB and that working conditions were
generally poor (long hours and out-of-date equipment) made
recruitment somewhat difficult. The MVD underwent an extensive
purge in the mid-1980s as part of the party's effort to rid the
organization of corruption and inefficiency. Over 170,000 police
officers were fired between 1983 and 1988 for irresponsibility,
lack of discipline, and violations of the law.
Data as of May 1989
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