Architect of perestroika cadres, last surviving Politburo member
In January 1989, Vilnius city party leaders sent Razumovsky a second appeal for a response to their criticisms — none came, and that December the Lithuanian CP declared independence.
Gorbachev's cadre chief, Razumovsky headed the CC Organizational-Party Work Department (1985–1988) and chaired the Party Building and Cadre Policy Commission (1988–1990), driving the largest personnel turnover of perestroika. An agronomist who rose to First Secretary of Krasnodar Kraikom (1983–1985), he became CC Secretary and candidate Politburo member in 1986. Under Gorbachev's banner of intra-party democracy, his rigid delegate quotas fueled a backlash in Lithuania's Communist Party that contributed to its secession. He later served as Consul General in Shanghai (1990–1992) and is, as of 2025, the last living member of the 1986 Politburo.
Career Timeline
- 1958Graduated Kuban Agricultural Institute, collective farm agronomist
- 1959–1961First Secretary, district Komsomol committee
- 1964–1967First Secretary, Korenovsk District Party Committee
- 1967–1971Head, Organizational-Party Work Dept, Krasnodar Kraikom
- 1971–1973Deputy then head of sector, CC Org-Party Work Dept
- 1973–1981Chairman, Krasnodar Krai Executive Committee
- 1981–1983Head, Agricultural Dept, USSR Council of Ministers Admin
- 1983–1985First Secretary, Krasnodar Kraikom CPSU
- 1985–1988Head, CC Org-Party Work Dept (succeeding Ligachev)
- 1986–1990Secretary, CPSU Central Committee
- 1988Head, CC Party Building and Cadre Work Dept
- 1988–1990Chairman, CC Commission on Party Building and Cadre Policy; candidate PB member
- 1990–1992USSR Consul General in Shanghai