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Soviet Union [USSR] Control by the Party
The chief vehicle for party control over the MVD was the State
and Legal Department of the Secretariat, which had a special
section for supervising the MVD. This section presumably
participated in the selection of MVD personnel and evaluated the
MVD's work in terms of how well it carried out party directives.
Another means through which the party exercised control over
the MVD was the Political Directorate of the MVD. This directorate,
a network of political organs existing throughout the MVD, was
established in 1983 and operated in a way similar to that of the
Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy. The
Political Directorate was created because local party officials
were not exercising sufficient control over the activities of
internal affairs officials but rather were colluding with them in
commiting economic crimes. Its chief until April 1988 was Viktor
Gladyshev, a former section chief in the Administrative Organs
Department (present-day State and Legal Department). Gladyshev was
replaced by the former personnel chief of the MVD, Anatolii
Anikiev.
The minister of internal affairs was usually a member of the
Central Committee but as of 1989 had never enjoyed membership on
the Politburo. Thus the regular police executed party policy but
had little voice in policy formulation at the national level. At
the local level, however, the police chief may have had more impact
on decision making in the law enforcement realm because he was
generally included on both the local soviet executive committee and
the local party committee.
Data as of May 1989
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