The KGB headquarters was formerly the Rossiya Insurance Building, built in 1897. In the 19. century Lubyanskaya Lubyanka Ploshchad was dominated by stabling for horses and various establishments connected with coaching. Insurance companies moved into the district in the 1890s
The building was occupied by the Cheka in March 1918.
On 6 Feb 1922, the Cheka was renamed as GPU, and placed under the NKVD, the Peoples's Commisar for Internal affairs. It later became the OGPU, independent of the NKVD.
Yagoda, Ezhov headed the NKVD in 1930s
Genrikh Yagoda was charged with murder of Gorky and executed. The NKVD was headed by Beria.
Now occupied by the FSB, the Federal Security Service (Federalnaya Dluzhba Bezopasnostii) with responsibiltity for interior intelligence. The exterior intelligence body, the SVR, is located in the outskirts.
In 1957, the city's largest toy shop was built opposite.
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