First People's Commissar for Construction, who built wartime industry from the ground up
When Stalin named him first People's Commissar for Construction in 1939, Ginzburg disclosed his party reprimand. Stalin replied: 'People with tuberculosis live and work perfectly well — live with the reprimand.'
First to unify Soviet construction into a single state apparatus. Born in Minsk to a Jewish family, he joined the Bolsheviks in 1917, studied at MVTU, designed the structures of Lenin's Mausoleum, and headed construction under Ordzhonikidze at the People's Commissariat of Heavy Industry. As the inaugural People's Commissar of Наркомстрой in 1939, he brought the nation's scattered construction capacity under unified command; when war came, he directed the emergency relocation of defense plants to Siberia, the 75-day construction of the Chebarkul steelworks, and the laying of a 30-km underwater gasoline pipeline across Lake Ladoga, all under enemy fire. He remained central to Soviet construction until 1970, serving as minister of military construction, construction materials, and chairman of Stroybank.
Career Timeline
- 1917–1919Secretary of Zhizdra Soviet, 8th Army political dept.
- 1919–1921Commissar, Military-Economic Academy
- 1927–1932MVTU lecturer; head of construction group, Workers' and Peasants' Inspection
- 1932–1937Head of Glavstroyprom, People's Commissariat of Heavy Industry (under Ordzhonikidze)
- 1937–1938Deputy People's Commissar of Heavy Industry
- 1938–1939Chairman, Committee for Construction Affairs, Council of People's Commissars
- 1939–1946First People's Commissar for Construction, USSR
- 1946–1947Commissar then Minister of Construction of Military and Naval Enterprises
- 1947–1950Minister of Construction Materials Industry
- 1963–1970Chairman of Stroybank
Related historical events
- 1928–1937The Five-Year Plans and the Soviet TransformationHead of Construction Directorate of People's Commissariat of Heavy Industry
- 1941–1945The Great Patriotic WarPeople's Commissar for ConstructionAs head of Narkomstroy throughout the war, he personally directed the construction of Siberian defense plants, the 75-day Chebarkul steelworks, and a 30-km gasoline pipeline across Lake Ladoga.