The NKVD People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (Russian : НКВД ; Народный Комиссариат Внутренних Дел) as a government department in the Soviet Union operated from 1934-1946 . It was the law enforcement agency which did the will of the All Union Communist Party. The NKVD underwent many organizational changes; between 1938 and 1939 alone, the NKVD's structure changed three times. It was lead by Genrikh Yagoda (1891-1938) (Chief from 1934-1938) Nikolai Yezhov (1895-1938) (Chief from 1936-1938) and Lavrentiy Beria (1899-1953) (Chief from 1938-1945). Both Yagoda and Yezhov were executed in 1938 and 1940. Beria was removed from power and executed in 1953. 