Telegram, L. Beria and G. Malenkov to Cde. Stalin

3^rd UNIT

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Top Secret

BY CIPHER

To Cde. STALIN.

We submit for your consideration candidates to strengthen the leadership of the NKGB.

V. S. Ryasnoy, who works at the present time as the People’s Commissar of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, can be named as the first candidate. In the first two years of the war Ryasnoy was the Chief of the NKGB of Gor’ky Oblast’. From this work he was promoted in July 1943 and appointed  People’s Commissar of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. Before the war Ryasnoy was in operational work in the organs of State Security for four years, but was taken into Chekist work from Party work (Secretary of a rayon committee of Stalingrad Oblast’). We consider it possible to recommend Ryasnoy as First Deputy People’s Commissar of State Security in order to approve him as People’s Commissar after one or two months.

We consider it necessary to name the following most capable and tested Chekists who have great experience in local oblast’ work as the other candidates for work as Deputies to the People’s Commissar of State Security: N. K. Bogdanov, People’s Commissar of Internal Affairs of the Kazakh SSR; M. I. Zhuravlev, Chief of the NKVD for Moscow and Moscow Oblast’; N. D. Gorlinsky, authorized representative of the NKVD and NKGB for Estonia and before this the Chief of the NKGB Directorate for Krasnodar Kray.

If you approve these candidates, then we will talk with these comrades and submit a draft decision. Nº 1285/sh.

L. BERIA

G. MALENKOV

31 October

VKP(b)

31 October 1945 Authenticated: [signature] (Kozlov)

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