The Cheka is well known as an insidious organization that was
used during the Russian Revolution to oppress the various
peoples of Russia. What many fail to realise, however, is that
it was never created with such intent. In fact it all started in
response to a simple game. edit Humble BeginingsThe Cheka was
founded in December of 1917, shortly after the Bolshevik party
came to power. Curiously, one of the first decrees of the new
regime concerned the simple game Lenin had become more and more
frustrated with the ‘compulsory take’ rule in the game. And
finally, after the failed coup in July, Lenin realised that just
because it was incredibly obvious that something could and
should be taken, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to happen.
He felt that this rule made the game of droughts “fundamentally
traitorous to the toiling masses” and declared the rule illegal,
mandating that citizens of Russia were allowed to make any move
they wanted, “so long as it was not one those bourgeois-
capitalist scum would make”.