Internal affairs and state security bodies in the fight against banditism in the former occupied territories (1941-1945)

The article presents the organizational and structural characteristics of the internal affairs bodies and state security bodies that carried out the fight against gangs that were created during the Great Patriotic War in the territories of the USSR liberated from temporary occupation, while the gangs had a political component, since they were aimed at crimes against the Soviet government. The elimination of gangs was carried out under the leadership of the NKVD of the USSR and the NKGB of the USSR and was directly carried out by the corresponding territorial divisions at the local level. The stated topic is disclosed using the example of the Krasnodar Territory, where the NKVD and NKGB Directorates operated. Archival materials and scientific publications that touch on this topic are analyzed. It is noted that the structure of the internal affairs and state security agencies was dynamic, including their unification in a single structure and subsequent division, that is, there was a search for optimal options. By the end of the war, the fight against banditry intensified, in connection with which the GUBB - Main Directorate for Combating Banditry - was allocated to the NKVD of the USSR. In general, the above-mentioned structure of the internal affairs and state security agencies made it possible to effectively eliminate gangs in the territories liberated from occupation.