“This formidable officine dates from Peter the Great, who formed it in 1697...its historic origins must, however, be looked for much earlier; one finds them in the byzantine traditions and in the operations of the Tartar domination...espionage, delation, torture, and secret executions were the normal and regulating instruments of the |||||||| police.” PoliticsHistoryRussiaIntrigueEspionageSoviet RussiaSpying Author:Maurice Paléologue