Warnings

   One of the key weapons of the KGB’s battle against dissidents was the “prophylactic warning.” In 1967–1975, more than 130,000 Soviet citizens were called into the KGB’s offices and warned. The warning may have revolved around an unauthorized meeting with a foreigner, possession of a banned book, or attendance at an unregistered church. Warnings were often conducted by the KGB’s Fifth Directorate. Warnings occasionally led to expulsion from a school, loss of a job, removal from an apartment, or even arrest. Warnings also allowed the security service to keep its finger on the pulse of public opinion. According to memoirs written by dissidents, the KGB often used the meetings as an opportunity to recruit informers.