Papers of Moscow extraordinary commission (MChK) is the most important source of information for soviet and Party administration.

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Annotation / Аннотация
The author shows that during the civil war MChK (Moscow extraordinary commission) fulfilled various functions – counterrevolution, control and revision, management and administration, carried out economy defense measures and supervised over social and political situation. Information and analytical work of MChK based on these activities. It consisted of informing Party and soviet organs about all positive and negative occurrences, speculations, taking place in the capital and the province. Special attention was paid to surveillance of the attitude to the Soviet rule.
В статье на основе ранее закрытых архивных источников анализируется деятельность Московской чрезвычайной комиссии (MCHK), которая в 1920-е гг. выполняла различные функции — контрразведывательную, контрольно-ревизионную, хозяйственно-организаторскую, а также осуществляла мероприятия по защите экономического потенциала страны и наблюдала за социально-политической обстановкой. На основе этих направлений деятельности строилась информационно-аналитическая работа MCHK, заключавшаяся в информировании партийных и советских органов о всех позитивных и негативных процессах, умонастроениях, имевших место в столице и губернии. Особое внимание уделялось отслеживанию отношения населения к Советской власти.

Keywords / Ключевые слова
Secret services, MChK, information, counterrevolution, administration. Спецслужбы, MCHK, информация, контрреволюция, органы власти.


In days of Civil war the Moscow extraordinary commission (MChK) carried out various functions - counter prospecting, auditing, economic-organizing, and also carried out actions for protection of economic potential of the country and observed of sociopolitical conditions. On the basis of these directions of activity the information-analytical work MChK consisting in informing of party and Soviet bodies about all positive and negative processes, the moods which were taking place in capital and province was under construction. The special attention was given to tracing of the relation to the Soviet power.

It is necessary to notice investigating information work of the MChK, that it covered all parties of social development, classes and levels of population of Moscow and Moscow Region. The information on economic position, counterrevolutionary activity, to crimes in economic sphere in the form of reports, reviews and other documents was delivered to members of Central Committee RKP (b) and MK RKP (b) to the Moscow Council. After transition to the NEW ECONOMIC POLICY the information of all GubChK has got the status of the state. She gave the chance party and state structures to know about problems of a party and economic life of our country.

Each report of the MChK before the Moscow party committee consisted of a report of materials of all departments MChK, given confidential department about “movement of affairs and arrested persons”, applied measures of punishment, quantity of inspectors and their congestion, quantity of considered affairs. All departments in a condensed form informed on the most typical affairs. Besides, in each report the review of a political condition of Moscow and province, presence counterrevolutionary and speculation events was given, the estimation was given to the Soviet work, work of the Political bureau of the Central Committee. Changes in activity of political parties and groups were fixed, conditions in the Soviet establishments and army, and also among representatives of church were analyzed. Reaction of the population to introduction grocery dues, the NEW ECONOMIC POLICY was traced.

Throughout 1921 MChK marked “the spiteful” relation of the majority of the population to the Soviet power because of a lack of the foodstuffs, fuel and closing of parts of factories in republic. Peasants said that «Bolsheviks not in a condition to restore an economy and rumors about “free trade” are often heard. In province rumors were spread that “in the Kremlin at Lenin and Trotsky is to 600 persons of employees under private affairs, therefore to the Kremlin there are cars foodstuffs – rice, raisin and wine flanks”.

In July, 1921 MChK reported that in Moscow and province considerable revival among any anti-Soviet elements was appreciable. Oral propaganda, distribution of the provocative hearings, open performances was observed. As a basis the aggravation of food position has served.

In the second half of July, 1921 MChK brought to the notice of MK RKP (b) about strengthening in Moscow propaganda of Socialist Revolutionary Party among workers on food soil (at factory AMO), the Prohorovsky manufactory, factory “Bromley” and others. However the relation of working weight to political problems continued to remain indifferent enough. “All diligence of members of Socialist Revolutionary Party to incline working weight on its side do not result, everywhere they receive one answer from workers: All the same and you do not feed us”.

Not less attentively MChK observed of actions of representatives of orthodox church. In May in the Spasa-Preobrazheniya Church (Lubjansky journey, 11) “in a window it is possible to see an icon on which by large [font] besides it is below printed “Is more light the sun shined with a wreath imperishable pious emperor Nikolay Aleksandrovich II autocrat satisfied power the Russian love, pure spirit and humility” etc. Priests can be released from hopes of autocracy return in any way”.

In reports on activity of MChK the condition of military units and military facilities also was analyzed. MChK reported that mood of Red Army parts satisfactory, except for the Moscow and Serpukhov districts where there is a strong discontent because of a lack of a food and absolute absence of footwear and regimentals.
The timely it is information-state-of-the-art reviews of MChK allowed to create conditions for sociopolitical stability in a city and area.