Part 8/9:
The truth about the purges remained obscured for decades, as any form of dissent against the regime was met with severe repercussions. In the years that followed, those involved in these atrocities faced purges of their own, with many high-ranking officials executed to silence any remaining voices of dissent.
The Untouchables
One notable figure emerged untouched by the terror he had been instrumental in enforcing: Vasily Blokhin, chief executioner of the NKVD. Blokhin personally oversaw the execution of thousands, embodying the chilling reality of the Great Purge where guilt and culpability became irrelevant in the quest for power.