Arguably the first
secret police in
Russia, these were the
enforcers of
Ivan the Terrible in the late 16th century. Ivan had divided Russia into two parts; one ruled over by the
Council of Boyars, the other ruled by himself, which was called the
oprichnina. In a country where
betrayal was common, the oprichniki served as Ivan's
private army, and he used them to root out and execute anyone he deemed guilty of
treason.
Thanks to an anonymous nodesheller and www.britannica.com.