The State Within a State: The KGB and its Hold on Russia - Past, Present, and Future

by Yevgenia Albats

A popular study of the KGB and its post-Soviet incarnation by the courageous and opinionated Russian journalist Yevgenia Albats, who was among the first to report on the organization in the post-Soviet Russian press. Based on extensive personal interviews with current and former agents and on material from the KGB archives, The State Within a State makes a compelling argument that the new incarnation of the KGB has grown not only in size but in influence since the fall of the Soviet Union, making it perhaps the most powerful political force in contemporary Russia.

Genres: History, Russia, Politics, Nonfiction, Espionage

414 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book could probably create the basis for 1984. What is scary: this book is nonfiction.

The author chronicles the atrocities of the NKVD/KGB/FSB. Russian society's complicity with its intelligence/terror apparatus sends chills down my spine.

Horror movies don't scare me. Crap movies like Saw (all 800 iterations) and Texas Weedwacker Massacre are laughable.

This books should give you nightmares because it happened and continues to happen. Beware the society that refuses to repudiate -and embraces- its past wrongs.

[Gisela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a news article the other day, saying, 'pro-Russian brothers' are sending messages to the families of Ukrainian soldiers with threats of murder and rape'. They make me so mad, the news channels: these 'brothers' are not PRO-RUSSIAN they are PRO-PUTIN. Rid the world of that psychopath and I'm sure many millions of 'Russians' will be only too happy to say the same.

Having read this book, my thought was, "Not much has changed, then!"

Why is that Russia seems to lurch from one psychopathic leader to another?

It took me a while to read this. They say there are several routes by which poison can enter the body: breathing, swallowing, etc. I felt as if I was reading poison at times: I could only take it in small doses. As relief, I've been reading, 'The Road to Station X'.

The terror that everyone faced must have felt crushing: to know, be you innocent of any thought of rebellion, one wrong word or deed could mean you and possibly your entire family might just pay the most awful price.

Being aware of this 'Red Terror' and reading about it, in such detail, are two completely different things.

It's mind numbing to think of the families that spent their entire lives living in such fear.

I am glad I read this: I'm no longer just aware of how monstrous the Soviet regime was (still is): I now know.

[Omid Abd · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتابی تحقیقی و حماسی و مسحور کننده که
خط بطلانی  بر  ادعای از بین رفتن مخوف ترین و بی رحم ترین سازمان امنیتی پلیسی تاریخ در سالهای پس از فروپاشی حکومت شوروی بود ... بازگویی این حقیقت که پلیس مخفی استالین که بازوی درهم شکستن توده های مردمی مخالف رژیم کمونیستی بود نه تنها با از بین رفتن حکومت کمونیست شوروی از بین نرفت بلکه با دارا بودن گنجینه ای از اسناد فوق سری و ماموران مخفی جایگاه خودش رو ارتقا بخشید وبا نفوذ در تمام عرصه های زندگی روزمره مردم علارغم تغییر نام ولی نیرومندتر و گسترده تر از گذشته به یک پایگاه قدرت در نظام سیاسی روسیه تبدیل شد که عصاره تلاش های این سازمان در نفوذ به سیاست به قدرت رسیدن ولادیمیر پوتین رییس اسبق این سازمان مخوف و سیطره بر روسیه رها شده از بند کمونیست بود اما این بار با رنگ و نمای افراطی تر و مدرن تر

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

The history of how the fear farm came to be, rose to govern the entire state and continues to do so, today. This is not a history book, it is not fiction, it is mighty scary and most certainly not bedtime reading: nightmares are likely to ensue.

The aim of the fear farm was to breed a culture of fear - and they jolly well did a splendid job. One of the first of the farmers was Lenin, he formed the Cheka. But then along came Stalin, and far more productive was he. I've an inkling I've said this of other reads, but do take heed, this is not for the feint hearted.

It is convenient for some, to talk of resistance, protest even. A Mr Jackson, I believe, I may be wrong, said once, 'Evil exists when not enough good men stand up.' Stalin, as you will realise, if you read this, was most aware of such a threat. I speak with a light-hearted tone, and one could suggest, I should not. On my mother's side, I have family in Russia, family that lived under this regime and some were sent to slaughter.

The question can be asked, 'How and why does an otherwise decent man, with a care for human life, turn on his neighbour, his brother, his son?

Read this.

[امیرمحمد حیدری · Rating 3 out of 5]

از خصایص مثبت این کتاب این است که نویسنده، شخصا به درون این سازمان رفته و تجربیاتی میدانی را به‌رشته‌ی تحریر درآورده است؛ نه از روی پرونده‌ها و مدارک باقی‌مانده.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not too difficult to accept all this as fact. If you changed the names and places creating a fantasy world, the message from the story would be scary. This is happening, and our leaders when dealing with Russia are all very aware of how real this all is.

[Kiarashkp · Rating 4 out of 5]

طولانیه ولی اگر به تاریخ روسیه به خصوص شوروی علاقه‌مند هستین خوبه. روشها و تاکتیکها و کثیف‌کاری نیروهای امنیتی اون دوره (و احتمالا هر دوره ای) رو با مثال میگه.

[Bruce Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yevgenia Albats was a reporter covering the KGB beat during the brief period of Freedom of the Press in the Soviet Union and was covering intelligence services in Russia up to the War in Ukraine. Her message in this book. a) The KGB wasn't just secret police for the state. it was the state, and that wasn't so secret. b) Nothing changed. KGB has as much power upon her writing of the book as it did before. She gets into the past of the KGB, her attempts to make one older agent pay for his atrocities in the 1950's, the August 1991 coup and thereafter. It's scary because it's written in 1994 and the predictions come true for the most part. Worthwhile for anyone wanting to know Soviet history.

[Pauline Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A meticulous account of how the KGB was by turns unmade and remade in various ways, and how, by sleight of hand, only tightened their grip on Russian society. A very good discussion of the smoke and mirrors and doublespeak that operates in the corridors of power. I give 4 stars only because the minute detail makes it challenging to retain a clear picture at times but maybe that’s unfair and just highlights the way that the system of Glasnost blinded and duped so many people.

[Omid Hosseinzadeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some it's a history book, but for me it proves that history is repeatable, and some thoughts go the same way.