Leadership of the USSR

Leadership of the Soviet Union

Leaders of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1922-1991) (1)

General Secretary
Iosif Vissaryonovich Stalin        3 Apr 1922- 5 Mar 1953  (+1953)
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev      7 Sep 1953- 14 Oct 1964 (+1971)
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev            14 Oct 1964- 10 Nov 1982 (+1982)
Yuriy Vladimirovich Andropov      12 Nov 1982- 9 Feb 1984  (+1984)
Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko   13 Feb 1984-10 Mar 1985  (+1985)
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev     11 Mar 1985-24 Aug 1991

(1) From 1898 to 1918 known as Russian Social Democratic Workers's Party (Bolshevik); from 1918 to 1925 as Russian Communist Party; from 1925 to 1952 as All-Union Communist Party.

Note: Lenin, regardless of his position as Chairman of the Politburo and de facto party leader until his death in Jan 1924, was never General Secretary of the CPSU. Prior to the creation of the position of General Secretary on 3 Apr 1922, the Politburo existed as the collective leadership of the party.

Heads of Government

Chairmen of the Council of People's Commissars
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin				1917-1919
Lev Davydovich (Bronstein) Trotsky 		1919-1924      
Aleksey Ivanovich Rykov				1924-1930 
Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov			1930-1941   
Iosif Vissaryonovich Stalin 			1941-1946     

Chairmen of the Council of Ministers (Premiers)
Iosif Vissaryonovich Stalin			1946-1953     
Georgiy Maksimilianovich Malenkov		1953-1955  
Nikolay Aleksandrovich Bulganin			1955-1958       
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev			1958-1964 
Aleksey Nikolayevich Kosygin			1964-1980  
Nikolay Aleksandrovich Tikhonov			1980-1985        
Nikolay Ivanovich Ryzhkov			1985-1991

Chairman of the Supreme Soviet 
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev			1989-1990

President of the USSR 
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev 			1990-1991

Politburo members of CPSU Central Committee

1917-1922
Vladimir Ilyich (Ulyanov) Lenin
Nikolay Ivanovich Bukharin			
Lev Borisovich (Rozenfeld) Kamenev
Iosif Vissaryonovich (Dzhugashvili) Stalin
Lev Davydovich (Bronstein) Trotsky
Grigoriy Yevseyevich (Radomyslsky) Zinoviev	
Yevgeniy Alekseyevich Preobrazhensky		(+1937) (missing)
Leonid Petrovich Serebryakov			(+1937) (executed)	
Nikolay Nikolayevich Krestinsky			(+1938) (executed)
Grigoriy Yakovlevich Sokolnikov			(+1939) (died in prison)
Andrey Sergeyevich Bubnov			(+1940) (executed)

1922-1927
Vladimir Ilyich (Ulyanov) Lenin			(+1924)
Nikolay Ivanovich Bukharin
Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin
Valerian Vladimirovich Kuibyshev
Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich (Skryabin) Molotov	
Yan Ernestovich Rudzutak
Aleksey Ivanovich Rykov
Iosif Vissaryonovich (Dzhugashvili) Stalin
Mikhail Pavlovich (Yefremov) Tomsky
Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov
Lev Borisovich (Rozenfeld) Kamenev		(+1936) (executed)
Grigoriy Yevseyevich (Radomyslskiy) Zinoviev	(+1936) (executed)
Lev Davydovich (Bronshteyn) Trotsky		(+1940) (assassinated)

1927-1932 
Iosif Vissaryonovich (Dzhugashvili) Stalin
Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin	
Valerian Vladimirovich Kuibyshev	
Lazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich			
Sergey Mironovich (Kostrikov) Kirov	
Stanislav Vikentyevich Kosior
Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich (Skryabin) Molotov
Grigori Konstantinovich 'Sergo' Ordzhonikidze
Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov
Mikhail Pavlovich (Yefremov) Tomsky		(+1936) (suicide)		
Nikolay Ivanovich Bukharin			(+1938) (executed)
Aleksey Ivanovich Rykov				(+1938) (executed)
Yan Ernestovich Rudzutak			(+1938) (executed)

1932-1937
Iosif Vissaryonovich (Dzhugashvili) Stalin	
Andrey Andreyevich Andreyev
Vlas Yakovlevich Chubar	
Lazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich
Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin	
Stanislav Vikentyevich Kosior
Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich (Skryabin) Molotov	
Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan	
Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov
Valerian Vladimirovich Kuibyshev		(+1935)		
Sergey Mironovich (Kostrikov) Kirov		(+1934) (assassinated)
Grigori Konstantinovich 'Sergo' Ordzhonikidze	(+1937) (suicide)

1937-1942
Iosif Vissaryonovich (Dzhugashvili) Stalin	
Andrey Andreyevich Andreyev
Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin	
Lazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich	
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev
Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan		
Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich (Skryabin) Molotov
Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov	
Andrey Aleksandrovich Zhdanov	
Vlas Yakovlevich Chubar				(+1939) (executed)
Stanislav Vikentyevich Kosior			(+1939) (executed)

1942-1947
Iosif Vissaryonovich (Dzhugashvili) Stalin	
Andrey Andreyevich Andreyev
Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria	
Lazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev
Georgiy Maksimilianovich Malenkov	
Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan		
Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich (Skryabin) Molotov
Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov	
Andrey Aleksandrovich Zhdanov	
Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin			(+1946)

1947-1952
Iosif Vissaryonovich (Dzhugashvili) Stalin
Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria 
Nikolay Aleksandrovich Bulganin	
Lazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich	
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev
Aleksey Nikolayevich Kosygin
Georgiy Maksimilianovich Malenkov		
Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich (Skryabin) Molotov	
Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan
Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov
Andrey Andreyevich Andreyev			(+1971)
Andrey Aleksandrovich Zhdanov			(+1948)		
Nikolay Alekseyevich Voznesensky		(+1950) (executed)

1952-1957
Iosif Vissaryonovich (Dzhugashvili) Stalin	(+1953)		
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev
Nikolay Aleksandrovich Bulganin
Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan
Otto Vilgelmovich Kuusinen
Nikolay Mikhaylovich Shvernik
Mikhail Andreyevich Suslov
Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov
Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich (Skryabin) Molotov	(+1986)	
Georgiy Maksimilianovich Malenkov		(+1988)
Lazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich			(+1991)
Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria 			(+1953) (executed)

STALIN'S ADDITIONS
These additions to the Politburo were made by Stalin at the 19th Party Congress in 1952; it is likely Stalin was preparing for a purge of the existing Politburo members. However, after his death these individuals were immediately demoted from their positions on the Politburo.

Vasiliy Mikhailovich Andrianov			(+1978)
Aleksey Illarionovich Kirichenko		(+1975)
Averkiy Borisovich Aristov			(+1973)
Dmitriy Ivanovich Chesnokov			(+1963)
Semyon Denisovich Ignatiyev			(+1983)
Demyan Sergeyevich Korotchenko			(+1969)
Vasiliy Vasilyevich Kuznetsov			(+1990)
Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Malyshev		(+1957)
Leonid Georgiyevich Melnikov			(+1981)
Nikolay Aleksandrovich Mikhaylov		(+1982)
Mikhail Georgiyevich Pervukhin			(+1978)
Panteleymon Kondratyevich Ponomarenko		(+1984)
Maksim Zakharovich Saburov			(+1977)
Matvey Fyodorovich Shkiryatov			(+1954)

1957-1962	
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev
Aleksey Nikolayevich Kosygin
Frol Romanovich Kozlov
Otto Vilgelmovich Kuusinen
Nuritdin Akramovich Mukhitdinov
Nikolay Viktorovich Podgorny
Dmitriy Stepanovich Polyansky
Mikhail Andreyevich Suslov
Gennadiy Ivanovich Voronov
Nikolay Grigoryevich Ignatov			(+1966)
Nikolay Ilyich Belyayev				(+1966)
Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov			(+1969)
Nikolay Mikhaylovich Shvernik			(+1970)
Averkiy Borisovich Aristov			(+1973)
Yekaterina Alekseyevna Furtseva			(+1974) (suicide)
Nikolay Aleksandrovich Bulganin			(+1975)
Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan			(+1978)

1962-1967	
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev			(+1971)
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev			
Andrey Pavlovich Kirilenko
Aleksey Nikolayevich Kosygin
Kirill Trofimovich Mazurov
Arvid Yanovich Pelshe
Nikolay Viktorovich Podgorny
Dmitriy Stepanovich Polyansky
Aleksandr Nikolayevich Shelepin
Pyotr Yefimovich Shelest
Mikhail Andreyevich Suslov
Gennadiy Ivanovich Voronov
Otto Vilgelmovich Kuusinen			(+1964)	
Frol Romanovich Kozlov				(+1965)

1967-1972
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev
Viktor Vasilyevich Grishin		
Andrey Pavlovich Kirilenko
Aleksey Nikolayevich Kosygin             
Fyodor Davydovich Kulakov
Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich Kunayev
Kirill Trofimovich Mazurov
Arvid Yanovich Pelshe
Nikolay Viktorovich Podgorny
Dmitriy Stepanovich Polyansky 
Vladimir Vasilyevich Shcherbitsky
Aleksandr Nikolayevich Shelepin
Pyotr Yefimovich Shelest
Mikhail Andreyevich Suslov
Gennadiy Ivanovich Voronov

1972-1977
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev
Yuriy Vladimirovich Andropov
Andrey Andreyevich Gromyko			
Andrey Pavlovich Kirilenko
Aleksey Nikolayevich Kosygin             
Fyodor Davydovich Kulakov
Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich Kunayev
Arvid Yanovich Pelshe
Nikolay Viktorovich Podgorny
Dmitriy Stepanovich Polyansky
Grigoriy Vasilyevich Romanov  
Vladimir Vasilyevich Shcherbitsky
Pyotr Yefimovich Shelest
Mikhail Andreyevich Suslov
Dmitriy Fyodorovich Ustinov 
Gennadiy Ivanovich Voronov			(+1994)
Aleksandr Nikolayevich Shelepin			(+1994)
Kirill Trofimovich Mazurov			(+1996)                
Andrey Antonovich Grechko			(+1976)

1977-1982
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev				(+1982)
Yuriy Vladimirovich Andropov
Nikolay Viktorovich Podgorny	
Arvid Yanovich Pelshe
Andrey Andreyevich Gromyko	
Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich Kunayev
Grigoriy Vasilyevich Romanov
Vladimir Vasilyevich Shcherbitsky
Dmitriy Fyodorovich Ustinov
Nikolay Aleksandrovich Tikhonov	
Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev 
Aleksey Nikolayevich Kosygin			(+1980)
Mikhail Andreyevich Suslov			(+1982)
Kirill Trofimovich Mazurov			(+1989)	
Andrey Pavlovich Kirilenko			(+1990)            
Fyodor Davydovich Kulakov 			(+1978)

1982-1987
Yuriy Vladimirovich Andropov			(+1984)	
Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko			(+1985)
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev
Geydar Ali Rza ogly Aliyev 
Viktor Mikhaylovich Chebrikov
Andrey Andreyevich Gromyko
Yegor Kuzmich Ligachev
Grigoriy Vasilyevich Romanov
Nikolay Ivanovich Ryzhkov
Vladimir Vasilyevich Shcherbitsky
Eduard Amvrosiyevich Shevardnadze
Mikhail Sergeyevich Solomentsev
Vitaliy Ivanovich Vorotnikov
Boris Yeltsin
Lev Nikolayevich Zaykov
Viktor Vasilyevich Grishin			(+1992)
Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich Kunayev			(+1993)
Nikolay Aleksandrovich Tikhonov			(+1997)
Arvid Yanovich Pelshe				(+1983)
Nikolay Viktorovich Podgorny			(+1983)
Dmitriy Fyodorovich Ustinov			(+1984)

1987-1991
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev
Vladimir Aleksandrovich Kryuchkov
Yegor Kuzmich Ligachev
Yuriy Dmitriyevich Maslyukov
Vadim Andreyevich Medvedev
Nikolay Ivanovich Ryzhkov
Eduard Amvrosiyevich Shevardnadze
Nikolay Nikitovich Slyunko
Mikhail Sergeyevich Solomentsev
Vitaliy Ivanovich Vorotnikov
Aleksandr Sergeyevich Yakovlev 
Boris Yeltsin
Viktor Petrovich Nikonov			(+1993)
Vladimir Antonovich Ivashko			(+1994)
Viktor Mikhaylovich Chebrikov			(+1999)
Lev Nikolayevich Zaykov				(+2002)
Andrey Andreyevich Gromyko			(+1989)
Vladimir Vasilyevich Shcherbitsky		(+1990)