Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies <br> There was a succession of Soviet secret police agencies over time. The first secret police after the October Revolution, created by Vladimir Lenin's decree on December 20, 1917, was called "Cheka" (ЧК). Officers were referred to as "chekists", a name that is still informally applied to people under the Federal Security Service of Russia, the KGB's successor in Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. For most agencies listed here secret policing operations were only part of their function; for instance, the KGB was both the secret police and the intelligence agency.
The Man Without a Country (1917 film) The Man Without a Country (1917 film) The Man Without a Country is a 1917 American silent film adaptation of Edward Everett Hale's short story "The Man Without a Country". It was directed by Ernest C. Warde, and starred Florence La Badie, Holmes Herbert, and J. H. Gilmour, and released by Thanhouser Film Corporation. The film follows closely to the storyline of the book, and was a success in film theaters. The original story, with its strong patriotic theme, was written during the American Civil War in order to increase public support for the Union cause. The film had a