Russia's Memorial NGO has published a database containing personal data on 40,000 officials of the NKVD, the predecessor to the Soviet KGB. The archive, which was published on Memorial's website, contains records from 1935-1939, covering the whole period known as "The Great Terror."
NKVD staff orders were the main source from which the reference material was compiled. The staff orders contain information such as dates of employment and dismissal, assignments, and information on state awards.
The personal information is supplemented by biographical data information from other sources, primarily for those killed or missing in World War II, as well as those who suffered under the repressions of the Great Terror.
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"The reference book will be useful to those interested in Soviet history," the Memorial website stated. "Thus, in particular, with the help of the book it has become possible to identify many state security employees of the 'Great Terror' epoch, previously known only by surname from signatures in court cases or memoir texts."
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