Russia’s Sword and Shield Reforged: From Cheka to KGB, FSB, SVR, and FSO (1917–2025)

This extensive report, "KGB History and Successors to 2025," provides a comprehensive historical overview of Russia's state security apparatus. It traces the evolution from the Cheka's establishment in 1917 through the KGB's Cold War prominence, to its dissolution in 1991 and the subsequent rise of its modern successors: the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), and the Federal Protective Service (FSO). The text highlights a profound continuity in the core function and operational culture of these agencies, emphasizing their role as the ultimate guarantors of state power, even as their organizational forms and ideological underpinnings have shifted. Ultimately, it analyzes how these services, particularly under Vladimir Putin, have not only recovered their influence but now occupy a central, interconnected position within the Russian state, driving both domestic repression and a confrontational foreign policy.

Research done with the help of artificial intelligence, and presented by two AI-generated hosts.