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Dzerzhinsky, Feliks Edmundovich

(Encyclopedia)Dzerzhinsky, Feliks Edmundovich fyĕˈlyĭks ĕdmo͞onˈdəvĭch dzĭrzhēnˈskē [key], 1877–1926, Russian Bolshevik leader, organizer, and first chairman (1917–21) of the Cheka (see secret polic...

Dzerzhinsk

(Encyclopedia)Dzerzhinsk dzĭrzhēnskˈ [key], city (1989 pop. 285,000), W European Russia, a port on the Oka River above. There is a huge chemical complex there. The city was called Chernorech until about 1919 and...

Kamyanske

(Encyclopedia)Kamyanske, formerly Dniprodzerzhynsk dənyĭpˌrōdzĭrzhēnskˈ [key], Rus. Dneprodzerzhinsk, city (1989 pop. 282,000), central Ukraine, a port on the Dnieper River. It is a major industrial center w...

Makarenko, Anton Semyonovich

(Encyclopedia)Makarenko, Anton Semyonovich, 1888–1939, Russian educator. In the 1920s, Makarenko organized the Gorky Colony, a home for children left homeless by the Russian Revolution of Oct., 1917. In 1931 beca...

secret police

(Encyclopedia)secret police, policing organization operating in secrecy for the political purposes of its government, often with terroristic procedures. Many states, including Chile, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Romania,...

Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich

(Encyclopedia)Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich lĕnˈĭn, Rus. vlədyēˈmĭr ĭlyēchˈ lyĕˈnĭn [key], 1870–1924, Russian revolutionary, the founder of Bolshevism and the major force behind the Revolution of Oct., 1917...

Russian Revolution

(Encyclopedia)Russian Revolution, violent upheaval in Russia in 1917 that overthrew the czarist government. The civil war between the Bolsheviks (Reds) and the anti-Bolsheviks (Whites) ravaged Russia until 1920. ...