ized ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁anti - ter ror ist ▁co operation ▁and ▁intelligence - sh aring ▁arrang ements ▁with ▁foreign ▁intelligence ▁ag encies , ▁and ▁provides ▁analysis ▁and ▁dis sem ination ▁of ▁intelligence ▁to ▁the ▁Russian ▁president . ▁ ▁Any ▁information ▁per tain ing ▁to ▁specific ▁ident ities ▁of ▁staff ▁employees ▁( o ffic ers ) ▁of ▁the ▁SV R ▁is ▁leg ally ▁class ified ▁as ▁a ▁state ▁secret ; ▁since ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁the ▁same ▁applies ▁to ▁non - st aff ▁personnel , ▁i . e . ▁inform ers ▁and ▁rec ru ited ▁agents . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁SV R ▁R F ▁is ▁the ▁official ▁foreign - oper ations ▁successor ▁to ▁many ▁prior ▁Soviet - era ▁foreign ▁intelligence ▁ag encies , ▁r anging ▁from ▁the ▁original ▁' fore ign ▁department ' ▁of ▁the ▁Che ka ▁under ▁Vladimir ▁Len in , ▁to ▁the ▁O G PU ▁and ▁NK VD ▁of ▁the ▁St alin ist ▁era , ▁followed ▁by ▁the ▁First ▁Chief ▁Director ate ▁of ▁the ▁K GB . ▁ ▁Official ly , ▁the ▁SV R ▁R F ▁dates ▁its ▁own ▁beg inn ings ▁to ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁the ▁Special ▁Section ▁of ▁the ▁Che ka ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁December ▁ 1 9 2 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁Che ka , ▁Felix ▁D zer z hin sky , ▁created ▁the ▁Foreign ▁Department ▁( In ost ran ny ▁O td el ▁– ▁IN O ) ▁to ▁improve ▁the ▁collection ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁dis sem ination ▁of