A member or agent of the Cheka, the early Soviet secret police organization.
From Russian Chekist (Чекист), formed by adding the agent suffix -ist to Cheka. It literally means 'one who belongs to the Cheka.'
The term 'Chekist' was worn as a badge of honor by Soviet agents but struck fear in ordinary citizens—the same word meant loyalty to the state or brutal repression depending on which side you were on.
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