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The Makhnovist Counterintelligence (Ukrainian: Макгновсʹка Контррозвідка: Makhnovsʹka Kontrrozvidka) was an organization of cells that functioned as the primary intelligence and security service of the Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine, from the creation of the first kontrrozvidka in 1919, to the fall of the Free Territory in 1921[1]. The Military Section of the Makhnovist Kontrrozvidka was subordinate to the Operations Section of the army, which was in turn supervised by the Military-Revolutionary Soviet, and, from the summer of 1920, by the Soviet of Revolutionary Insurgents of Ukraine (Makhnovist). Due to his leadership position in the army, Nestor Makhno exercised a large amount of power over the Counterintelligence, though decisions surrounding subjects such as summary executions in theory first had to be approved by the Nabat Confederation of Anarchist Organizations. Unapproved actions from the side of Nestor Makhno were a recent source of discussion between him and the Nabat, with actors such as Volin playing a large role in the opposition to what they perceived as hierarchical control of the apparatus of espionage.
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Makhnovsʹka Kontrrozvidka (Ukrainian: Макгновсʹка Контррозвідка) | |
One of the many different flags used by the Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine, of which many cells of the Kontrrozvidka were a part. | |
Agency overview | |
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Formed | 1918 |
Dissolved | 1921 |
Type | Intelligence agency |
Jurisdiction | Nabat |
Child agencies |
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The kontrrozvidka followed a heavily decentralized form of organization, being divided into two sections, the Civilian Section and the Military Section of the Makhnovist Kontrrozvidka. The members of the kontrrozvidka, known as kontrrozviks (from kontrrozviki (Ukrainian: Контррозвікі)), were well-known for their skill in disguising themselves, most operatives of the counterintelligence sections fought as part of the normal units of the Insurrectionary Army, in the case of the military section, or took up work in the newly liberated cities, in the case of the civilian section[1]. When larger cities were occupied, smaller, civilian groups of operation were organized within the city. The military section's work included gathering of military intelligence, as well as finding spies belonging to the White movement within the Insurrectionary Army, where the civilian section instead focused on expropriating of private property, as well as carrying out executions of White movement collaborators, spies, and bourgeoisie, on command of Nestor Makhno[1]. As the Russian Civil War progressed further, and the Red Army went on the offensive towards the Insurrectionary army, the Cheka became involved in multiple mass executions of Kontrrozvidka forces, as well as the more uncommon reverse scenario. The Kontrrozvidka de facto ceased to exist when the Free Territory fell to Red Army forces in 1921.
As the Kontrrozvidka was lacking in conventional hierarchical leadership, other than under Nestor Makhno, who at times commanded them directly as part of the Insurrectionary Army, the positions of power in the counterintelligence are hard to pin down. It is known that an otherwise unidentified Ukrainian anarchist by the name of Chernyak was the founder and leader of one of the largest regional branches of the organization[1], and Lev Zadov, both of which were at times heads for local branches of the organization, with the second one being a close friend of Makhno and large influences on the operation of the group.[2]