Putin names FSB Academy after Soviet-era security chief Felix Dzerzhinsky

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree granting an honorary name to the Academy of the Federal Security Service, officially renaming it after Soviet figure Felix Dzerzhinsky.

The decree, published on Russia’s official legal information portal, stipulates that the institution will now carry Dzerzhinsky’s name. The measure entered into force on April 22, 2026.

Dzerzhinsky was a prominent Soviet state and party official and an active participant in the October Revolution. He is best known as the founder and first head of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-Revolution and Sabotage, commonly known as the Cheka.

He gained a reputation for his uncompromising and often harsh methods, which earned him the nickname “Iron Felix.”

By Tamilla Hasanova