From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Okhranka (Okhrana) was the secret police of the Russian Empire. The full name was Security Bureau (Okhrannoje Biuro, in Russian) of the Ministry of the Interior. It was informally called "Okhrana". "Okhranka", or "tsarist okhranka" in the derogatory naming used by revolutionaries and other people dissatisfied with the tsarist regime.
As the name suggests, its primary purpose was state security, i.e., struggle against hostile organizations: plots, terrorists ("bombists"), socialists, and revolutionaries.
The task was performed by all means, including covert operations, undercover agents, "perlustration" -- reading of private correspondence. Even its Foreign Agency served this purpose. The Okhranka is notoriously known for its agents provocateurss Azef, Bogrov, the Bloody Sunday event, and fabrication of the antisemitic Beilis trial.
References
Charles A. Ruud, Sergei A. Stepanov; Fontanka 16 - The Tsars' Secret Police; McGill-Queen's University Press (paperback, 2002) ISBN 0773524843
