On April 30, 2002, Russia issued a sheetlet with six stamps with the topic “80 years of creation of counterintelligence departments - Outstanding espionage officers”. Each of the six stamps showed an individual in this context. The public raised concerns that these stamps would send a certain government message which officials denied. While the departments tasks were mainly to uncover foreign spies, some of the depicted individuals were involved in actions towards their own population.

Sergei Vasilievich Puzitsky (left stamp bottom row) organised the killing of half a million Cossacks in 1931. Vladimir Andreevich Styrne (middle stamp bottom row) killed thousands of Usbeks in the 1920s. Five of the six depicted individuals were put to death in the 1937 Stalin purges.