Transformation of state security agencies in the period of the Khrushchev's thaw

Introduction. The epoch of Khrushchev’s “thaw” is a turning point in the history of the development of state security agencies. There is a break in the ideological connection between Cheka agency’s methods of work and the newly formed State Security Committee under the USSR Council of Ministers, a rethinking of the structure, goals and objectives of the department in accordance with the new policy of the ruling authorities. Research methods. In order to study the reform trends in the state security bodies of 1953-1964, in the article the method of historicism was used. It allows to consider the institute of state security bodies in the context of the definitely historical conditions of its existence. Besides the elements of the comparative historical method was used for creating a general idea of the tasks and goals of the department from the beginning of its existence in the RSFSR and until the end of period. Results and discussion. The analysis of publicly available sources of scientific literature has allowed to delineate the boundaries of modernization processes in the state security agencies of the Khrushchev “thaw” period. The actual transition of the heir to the VChK - OGPU - NKVD - NKGB - MGB from subordination of the state to the party power determined the further development of the KGB. Entirely subordinate to the party apparatus, the department was transformed depending on the interests of the political bureaucracy in power. However, the absence of a specific policy and the obvious distrust of N. S. Khrushchev to the state security authorities led to mixed results in regarding the effectiveness of the KGB, designed to ensure the protection of the country. The negative consequences included “the birth trauma” of the KGB after the 20th Congress of the CPSU, denouncing the violation of legality by the past KGB, weakening the moral and psychological climate inside the system and turning the Committee, designed to protect the state and its citizens from internal and external threats, into a party appendage with the inviolability of party employees, which led to a decrease in the rule of law. The positive results of the transformation of the state security bodies consisted in partial liberalization of the established system, softening the methods of the KGB, reorienting to protect the state from external enemies, creating the legal basis of the department’s activities and promoting its positive image.