54/5. Anatolіy Kotsur, Eduard Semeshyn

Anatolіy Kotsur

Doctor of Historical Sciences,

Professor of the Department of Ethnology and Local History,

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv,

Kyiv, Ukraine

E-mail: kotsur_anatolij@knu.ua

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4076-2977
DOI: 10.17721/2522-4611.2026.54.5

Eduard Semeshyn

Master of History,

Romny, Ukraine

E-mail:  edvardhannover@gmail.com

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5022-203X
DOI: 10.17721/2522-4611.2026.54.5

THE EYES AND EARS OF THE REGIME: THE NETWORK OF DPU–NKVD AGENTS IN SUMY REGION DURING STALIN'S REIGN OF TERROR 

This article explores the operation of the DPU–NKVD agent-informant network in the Sumy region during the period of Stalinist terror. Special attention is given to the analysis of archival criminal cases involving repressed teachers who collaborated with Soviet state security agencies as covert informants. The study examines the circumstances of their recruitment, subsequent arrests, the course of investigations, the nature of interrogations, and the specific charges brought against them. Drawing on individual cases, the article analyzes the mechanisms used to establish the agent network, its role in fabricating criminal cases, and its involvement in repressive campaigns against "socially hostile elements" and members of the intelligentsia. The methodological basis of the study is the principles of historicism and objectivity, as well as a combination of systemic and regional approaches, which ensure a scientific and critical analysis of a complex of historical sources and allow the phenomenon to be studied in the context of the specific socio-political conditions of the era. The scientific novelty of this study lies in its pioneering attempt to reconstruct the structure and functioning of the DPU–NKVD agent network within the territory of present-day Sumy region during the political repressions of the 1930s, based on previously unexamined archival sources. The research clarifies the mechanisms of agent recruitment, the nature of their assignments, and their involvement in fabricating criminal cases and conducting investigative operations. Special emphasis is placed on the analysis of archival criminal files of repressed teachers who were engaged in covert cooperation with Soviet state security agencies. The collected materials contribute to a deeper understanding of the local dimensions of Stalinist repressive policies and the operational practices of the agent-investigative apparatus at the regional level.

Key words: Stalinist terror, GPU–NKVD, agent network, Sumyregion, political repression, informants, denunciations.

Received 26.02.2026.

                                                                                       Revised 16.03.2026.

                                                                                        Accepted 20.04.2026.

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