Savchenko, Sergei Romanovich (1904-1966)

A cadre officer of the Soviet state security agencies (GB) and the head of MGB foreign intelligence from 1949 to 1953.

Savchenko was born in 1904 in the town Scadovsk in the Dneper district of Tavria gubernia in the Russian Empire (now in the Ukraine). According to his official biography, he was born into a peasant family but graduated not only from a territorial school (where he received his primary education) but also from a gymnasium – the name for secondary or high school in the Russian Empire. After holding several odd jobs (including that of night watchman and office clerk), Savchenko began his career at the state security agencies in 1922. After graduating from the OGPU Higher Border Guard School, he served as an officer with the border guard troops and taught for some time at a border guard school. From 1943 to 1949, he was head of the state security agencies in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, then part of the Soviet Union.

From September 19, 1949 to January 5, 1953, Savchenko — by then a Lieutenant-General — was head of MGB foreign intelligence, which from 1947 to 1951 was part of the Committee of Information (KI). In November 1951, following the dissolution of the KI, he was appointed Assistant Minister of State Security (MGB) of the USSR and head of its First Chief Directorate (PGU), as foreign intelligence was then renamed. In January 1953 he was relieved of his post as head of foreign intelligence but remained Assistant Minister of State Security. From March to May 1953, he served briefly as first assistant head of foreign intelligence, but he was soon shifted to the Second Chief Directorate (VGU) of MVD. (After the death of Stalin in March 1953, the MGB became part of the MVD.) On September 28, 1953 Savchenko was shifted again – this time to the MVD Directorate of Construction Forces — and in February 1955 he was released from the service. During the period of his service, Savchenko was awarded two Orders of Lenin and four Orders of the Red Banner, as well as other Soviet orders and medals. He died in 1966. ¹