The attitude of Russian society towards a special gendarme corps at the beginning of the XX century

The political police have always been viewed ambiguously by society. In the early XX century, the Russian Empire’s primary political police organization was the Special Gendarme Corps. Society held a largely negative view of this organization. Cultural figures depicted gendarme officers as rough and cruel suppressors of free thought, as stern guardians of autocracy. This article attempts to ascertain whether this perception was deserved. A comparison is drawn between the Special Gendarme Corps and another political police institution, Secret Police Department. An assessment is provided of the moral and ethical qualities of the gendarmes, their activities, and their relations with broad segments of society. The specifics of the selection process for candidates entering the corps and the content of their training are described. Memories of gendarme officers regarding their work, specific episodes of detective work, and interactions with revolutionaries are recounted. Also, an attempt is being made to find out whether they could change this attitude, and whether they could preserve the Russian monarchy entrusted to them.