1919–1952
The Central Committee Orgburo
The Orgburo (Organisational Bureau) was the Central Committee body that the 8th Congress set up in March 1919 alongside the Politburo and the Secretariat, to handle the party’s organisational and cadre questions. It had full and candidate members, but lost weight as the same work gathered in the standing Secretariat, and the 19th Congress abolished it in October 1952, passing its functions to an enlarged Secretariat.
Tenure chart 81 people
- Member
- Candidate
Matvei Muranov
Nikolai Komarov
Vasily Mikhailov
Ivan Kutuzov
Pyotr Zalutsky
Ivan Tuntul
Isaak Zelensky
Alexander Dogadov
Ivan Lepse
Emmanuil Kviring
Konstantin Ukhanov
Vasily Kotov
Anton Tsikhon
By era
The founding years Nikolay Krestinsky, Mikhail Vladimirsky, Yakov Sverdlov, Alexander Beloborodov …
In March 1919 the 8th Congress set up a Politburo, an Orgburo and a Secretariat inside the Central Committee, and gave the Orgburo charge of the party’s organisational work as a whole. It started with five full members, many of whom also sat on the Politburo or the Secretariat. After the 10th Congress of 1921 Krestinsky, Preobrazhensky and Serebryakov left and Molotov came in.
| Person | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nikolay Krestinsky | Member 1919.01–1921.03 | 1921.03 not re-elected |
| Mikhail Vladimirsky | Member 1919.01–1919.03 | 1919.03 not re-elected |
| Yakov Sverdlov | Member 1919.01–1919.03 | 1919.03 died in office |
| Alexander Beloborodov | Member 1919.03–1919.10 | 1919.10 removed |
| Leonid Serebryakov | Member 1919.03–1921.03 | 1921.03 not re-elected |
| Matvei Muranov | Candidate 1919.03–1920.04 | 1920.04 not re-elected |
| Joseph Stalin | Member 1919.03–1952.10 | 1952.10 served until the body was abolished |
| Elena Stasova | Member 1919.03–1920.04 | 1920.04 not re-elected |
| Felix Dzerzhinsky | Member 1919.08–1920.04Candidate 1920.04–1921.08Member 1921.08–1924.06Candidate 1924.06–1926.01 | 1926.01 not re-elected |
| Lev Kamenev | Member 1919.08–1920.04 | 1920.04 not re-elected |
| Christian Rakovsky | Member 1919.10–1920.04 | 1920.04 not re-elected |
| Mikhail Kalinin | Member 1919.11–1920.04Candidate 1921.03–1924.06Member 1924.06–1926.01 | 1926.01 not re-elected |
| Leon Trotsky | Member 1919.11–1920.04Member 1923.09–1924.06 | 1924.06 not re-elected |
| Yevgeni Preobrazhensky | Member 1920.04–1921.03 | 1921.03 not re-elected |
| Alexei Rykov | Member 1920.04–1924.06 | 1924.06 not re-elected |
| Mikhail Tomsky | Candidate 1920.04–1921.03Member 1921.03–1921.08Member 1922.04–1924.06Candidate 1924.06–1926.01 | 1926.01 not re-elected |
| Emelyan Yaroslavsky | Member 1921.03–1921.08 | 1921.08 removed |
| Vyacheslav Molotov | Member 1921.03–1930.12 | 1930.12 removed |
| Nikolai Komarov | Member 1921.03–1921.08 | 1921.08 removed |
| Jānis Rudzutaks | Candidate 1921.03–1921.08Member 1921.08–1922.04Candidate 1922.04–1923.04Member 1923.04–1924.06 | 1924.06 not re-elected |
| Vasily Mikhailov | Member 1921.03–1922.04Candidate 1923.04–1924.06Candidate 1926.01–1930.07 | 1930.07 not re-elected |
| Ivan Kutuzov | Candidate 1921.05–1922.04 | 1922.04 not re-elected |
| Pyotr Zalutsky | Candidate 1921.05–1921.08Member 1921.08–1922.04 | 1922.04 not re-elected |
| Vasily Schmidt | Candidate 1921.05–1922.04Candidate 1926.01–1930.07 | 1930.07 not re-elected |
| Ivan Tuntul | Candidate 1922.03–1922.04 | 1922.04 not re-elected |
The General Secretary and a larger Orgburo Andrei Andreyev, Isaak Zelensky, Valerian Kuibyshev, Nikolai Bukharin …
After Stalin became General Secretary in April 1922, the Orgburo ran the placement of party cadres together with the Secretariat. From 1924 it had more than ten full members, and Evdokimov and Uglanov, who sided with the oppositions, were removed in mid-term.
| Person | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Andrei Andreyev | Member 1922.04–1928.04Member 1935.03–1946.03 | 1946.03 not re-elected |
| Isaak Zelensky | Candidate 1922.04–1924.06Member 1924.06–1924.08 | 1924.08 removed |
| Valerian Kuibyshev | Member 1922.04–1923.04Member 1934.02–1935.01 | 1935.01 died in office |
| Nikolai Bukharin | Candidate 1923.09–1924.06 | 1924.06 not re-elected |
| Ivan Korotkov | Candidate 1923.09–1924.06 | 1924.06 not re-elected |
| Grigory Zinoviev | Member 1923.09–1924.06 | 1924.06 not re-elected |
| Alexander Dogadov | Member 1924.06–1930.07Candidate 1930.07–1932.10 | 1932.10 removed |
| Alexander Smirnov | Member 1924.06–1930.07Candidate 1930.07–1933.01 | 1933.01 removed |
| Andrei Bubnov | Member 1924.06–1934.02 | 1934.02 not re-elected |
| Mikhail Frunze | Candidate 1924.06–1925.10 | 1925.10 died in office |
| Ivan Lepse | Candidate 1924.06–1929.10 | 1929.10 died in office |
| Lazar Kaganovich | Member 1924.06–1926.01Member 1928.07–1946.03 | 1946.03 not re-elected |
| Klavdiya Nikolaeva | Member 1924.06–1926.01 | 1926.01 not re-elected |
| Nikolai Antipov | Candidate 1924.06–1926.01Candidate 1928.04–1930.07 | 1930.07 not re-elected |
| Nikolai Chaplin | Candidate 1924.06–1930.07 | 1930.07 not re-elected |
| Kliment Voroshilov | Member 1924.06–1926.01 | 1926.01 not re-elected |
| Nikolai Uglanov | Member 1924.08–1929.04 | 1929.04 removed |
| Alexandra Artyukhina | Member 1926.01–1930.07 | 1930.07 not re-elected |
| Emmanuil Kviring | Member 1926.01–1927.02 | 1927.02 removed |
| Grigory Evdokimov | Member 1926.01–1926.04 | 1926.04 removed |
| Konstantin Ukhanov | Candidate 1926.01–1930.07 | 1930.07 not re-elected |
| Stanislav Kosior | Member 1926.01–1928.07 | 1928.07 removed |
| Nikolai Shvernik | Member 1926.04–1927.02Candidate 1929.11–1930.07Member 1930.07–1946.03 | 1946.03 not re-elected |
| Daniil Sulimov | Member 1927.02–1930.07 | 1930.07 not re-elected |
| Moisei Rukhimovich | Member 1927.02–1930.07 | 1930.07 not re-elected |
| Nikolai Kubyak | Member 1927.02–1930.07 | 1930.07 not re-elected |
| Semyon Lobov | Candidate 1927.02–1930.07Member 1930.07–1934.02 | 1934.02 not re-elected |
| Ivan Moskvin | Member 1927.12–1934.02 | 1934.02 not re-elected |
| Vasily Kotov | Candidate 1927.12–1930.07 | 1930.07 not re-elected |
| Karl Bauman | Member 1928.04–1932.10 | 1932.10 removed |
| Yan Gamarnik | Member 1929.11–1937.05 | 1937.05 died by suicide |
The 1930s and the Great Terror Aleksandr Kosarev, Anton Tsikhon, Ivan Akulov, Pavel Postyshev …
In the 1930s the Orgburo’s work in effect merged with that of the Secretariat. Of the Orgburo elected in 1934, Kirov was assassinated, Gamarnik killed himself, and Stetsky and Kosarev were arrested in the Terror. By the end of the decade candidate members were no longer elected.
| Person | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aleksandr Kosarev | Candidate 1930.07–1934.02Member 1934.02–1938.11 | 1938.11 arrested · Formally remained a member after his arrest until he was shot in February 1939 |
| Anton Tsikhon | Candidate 1930.07–1934.02 | 1934.02 not re-elected |
| Ivan Akulov | Member 1930.07–1932.10 | 1932.10 removed |
| Pavel Postyshev | Member 1930.07–1934.02 | 1934.02 not re-elected |
| Aleksei Stetsky | Member 1934.02–1938.04 | 1938.04 arrested · Formally remained a member after his arrest until he was shot in August 1938 |
| Alexander Krinitsky | Candidate 1934.02–1937.10 | 1937.10 removed |
| Sergei Kirov | Member 1934.02–1934.12 | 1934.12 assassinated |
| Mikhail Kaganovich | Candidate 1934.02–1939.03 | 1939.03 not re-elected |
| Nikolai Yezhov | Member 1934.02–1939.03 | 1939.03 not re-elected |
| Andrei Zhdanov | Member 1934.02–1948.08 | 1948.08 died in office |
| Lev Mekhlis | Member 1938.01–1952.10 | 1952.10 served until the body was abolished |
The 1940s and abolition Alexander Shcherbakov, Georgy Malenkov, Nikolai Mikhailov, Alexei Kuznetsov …
In the 1940s Shcherbakov and Zhdanov, and then Malenkov, chaired the Orgburo and tried to revive its role; under Zhdanov it reached into ideology, as in its 1946 resolution on the journals Zvezda and Leningrad. In October 1952 the 19th Congress abolished the Orgburo and handed its functions to an enlarged Secretariat.
| Person | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Shcherbakov | Member 1939.03–1945.05 | 1945.05 died in office |
| Georgy Malenkov | Member 1939.03–1952.10 | 1952.10 served until the body was abolished |
| Nikolai Mikhailov | Member 1939.03–1952.10 | 1952.10 served until the body was abolished |
| Alexei Kuznetsov | Member 1946.03–1949.03 | 1949.03 removed · Arrested in the Leningrad affair in 1949; shot in 1950 |
| Nikolai Bulganin | Member 1946.03–1952.10 | 1952.10 served until the body was abolished |
| Georgy Alexandrov | Member 1946.03–1952.10 | 1952.10 served until the body was abolished |
| Georgy Popov | Member 1946.03–1952.10 | 1952.10 served until the body was abolished |
| Mikhail Rodionov | Member 1946.03–1949.03 | 1949.03 removed · Arrested in the Leningrad affair in 1949; shot in 1950 |
| Nikolai Patolichev | Member 1946.03–1947.05 | 1947.05 removed |
| Nikolai Shatalin | Member 1946.03–1952.10 | 1952.10 served until the body was abolished |
| Mikhail Suslov | Member 1946.03–1952.10 | 1952.10 served until the body was abolished |
| Vasily Andrianov | Member 1946.03–1952.10 | 1952.10 served until the body was abolished |
| Vasily Kuznetsov | Member 1946.03–1952.10 | 1952.10 served until the body was abolished |
| Boris Chernousov | Member 1949.03–1952.10 | 1952.10 served until the body was abolished |
Composition by party congress
Each block’s table lists everyone who passed through that term, mid-term by-elections, promotions and removals included. The counts in the heading are the body’s actual size as elected at the Central Committee plenum after the congress, not the table’s row count. The first block is the three-man Orgburo of January 1919, before the 8th Congress; the last is the reorganisation at the March 1946 plenum.
The January 1919 Orgburo
The first, three-man Orgburo, formed on 16 January 1919 by the Central Committee elected at the 7th Congress. Sverdlov died on 16 March.
Members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mikhail Vladimirsky | elected | not re-elected |
| Nikolay Krestinsky | elected | |
| Yakov Sverdlov | elected | 1919.03 died |
8th Congress
The congress resolved to set up a Politburo, an Orgburo and a Secretariat; on 25 March 1919 the Central Committee plenum elected five full members and one candidate.
Members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Beloborodov | elected | 1919.10 removed |
| Elena Stasova | elected | not re-elected |
| Joseph Stalin | elected | |
| Leonid Serebryakov | elected | |
| Nikolay Krestinsky | re-elected | |
| Felix Dzerzhinsky | 1919.08 by-elected | |
| Lev Kamenev | 1919.08 by-elected | not re-elected |
| Christian Rakovsky | 1919.10 by-elected | not re-elected |
| Leon Trotsky | 1919.11 by-elected | not re-elected |
| Mikhail Kalinin | 1919.11 by-elected | not re-elected |
Candidate members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Matvei Muranov | elected | not re-elected |
9th Congress
Members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alexei Rykov | elected | |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Leonid Serebryakov | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Nikolay Krestinsky | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Yevgeni Preobrazhensky | elected | not re-elected |
Candidate members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Felix Dzerzhinsky | demoted from full membership | |
| Mikhail Tomsky | elected | full member next term |
10th Congress
In August 1921 a plenum dropped Komarov, Tomsky and Yaroslavsky and moved the candidates Dzerzhinsky, Zalutsky and Rudzutak up to full membership.
Members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alexei Rykov | re-elected | |
| Emelyan Yaroslavsky | elected | 1921.08 removed |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Mikhail Tomsky | promoted from candidate | 1921.08 removed |
| Nikolai Komarov | elected | 1921.08 removed |
| Vasily Mikhailov | elected | not re-elected |
| Vyacheslav Molotov | elected | |
| Felix Dzerzhinsky | 1921.08 promoted | |
| Jānis Rudzutaks | 1921.08 promoted | |
| Pyotr Zalutsky | 1921.08 promoted | not re-elected |
Candidate members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Felix Dzerzhinsky | re-elected | 1921.08 promoted to full member |
| Jānis Rudzutaks | elected | 1921.08 promoted to full member |
| Mikhail Kalinin | elected | |
| Ivan Kutuzov | 1921.05 by-elected | not re-elected |
| Pyotr Zalutsky | 1921.05 by-elected | 1921.08 promoted to full member |
| Vasily Schmidt | 1921.05 by-elected | not re-elected |
| Ivan Tuntul | 1922.03 by-elected | not re-elected |
11th Congress
Members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alexei Rykov | re-elected | |
| Andrei Andreyev | elected | |
| Felix Dzerzhinsky | re-elected | |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Mikhail Tomsky | elected | |
| Valerian Kuibyshev | elected | not re-elected |
| Vyacheslav Molotov | re-elected |
Candidate members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Isaak Zelensky | elected | |
| Jānis Rudzutaks | demoted from full membership | full member next term |
| Mikhail Kalinin | re-elected |
12th Congress
Members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alexei Rykov | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Andrei Andreyev | re-elected | |
| Felix Dzerzhinsky | re-elected | |
| Jānis Rudzutaks | promoted from candidate | not re-elected |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Mikhail Tomsky | re-elected | |
| Vyacheslav Molotov | re-elected | |
| Grigory Zinoviev | 1923.09 by-elected | not re-elected |
| Leon Trotsky | 1923.09 by-elected | not re-elected |
Candidate members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Isaak Zelensky | re-elected | full member next term |
| Mikhail Kalinin | re-elected | full member next term |
| Vasily Mikhailov | elected | not re-elected |
| Ivan Korotkov | 1923.09 by-elected | not re-elected |
| Nikolai Bukharin | 1923.09 by-elected | not re-elected |
13th Congress
Members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Dogadov | elected | |
| Alexander Smirnov | elected | |
| Andrei Andreyev | re-elected | |
| Andrei Bubnov | elected | |
| Isaak Zelensky | promoted from candidate | 1924.08 removed |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Klavdiya Nikolaeva | elected | not re-elected |
| Kliment Voroshilov | elected | not re-elected |
| Lazar Kaganovich | elected | not re-elected |
| Mikhail Kalinin | promoted from candidate | not re-elected |
| Vyacheslav Molotov | re-elected | |
| Nikolai Uglanov | 1924.08 by-elected |
Candidate members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Felix Dzerzhinsky | demoted from full membership | not re-elected |
| Ivan Lepse | elected | |
| Mikhail Frunze | elected | 1925.10 died |
| Mikhail Tomsky | demoted from full membership | not re-elected |
| Nikolai Antipov | elected | not re-elected |
| Nikolai Chaplin | elected |
14th Congress
The February 1927 changes (Kviring and Shvernik out; Kubyak, Rukhimovich, Sulimov and Lobov in) were made by a Politburo decision.
Members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Dogadov | re-elected | |
| Alexander Smirnov | re-elected | |
| Alexandra Artyukhina | elected | |
| Andrei Andreyev | re-elected | |
| Andrei Bubnov | re-elected | |
| Emmanuil Kviring | elected | 1927.02 removed |
| Grigory Evdokimov | elected | 1926.04 removed |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Nikolai Uglanov | re-elected | |
| Stanislav Kosior | elected | |
| Vyacheslav Molotov | re-elected | |
| Nikolai Shvernik | 1926.04 by-elected | 1927.02 removed |
| Daniil Sulimov | 1927.02 by-elected | |
| Moisei Rukhimovich | 1927.02 by-elected | |
| Nikolai Kubyak | 1927.02 by-elected |
Candidate members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Ivan Lepse | re-elected | |
| Konstantin Ukhanov | elected | |
| Nikolai Chaplin | re-elected | |
| Vasily Mikhailov | elected | |
| Vasily Schmidt | elected | |
| Semyon Lobov | 1927.02 by-elected |
15th Congress
Members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Dogadov | re-elected | |
| Alexander Smirnov | re-elected | |
| Alexandra Artyukhina | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Andrei Andreyev | re-elected | 1928.04 removed |
| Andrei Bubnov | re-elected | |
| Daniil Sulimov | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Ivan Moskvin | elected | |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Moisei Rukhimovich | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Nikolai Kubyak | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Nikolai Uglanov | re-elected | 1929.04 removed |
| Stanislav Kosior | re-elected | 1928.07 removed |
| Vyacheslav Molotov | re-elected | |
| Karl Bauman | 1928.04 by-elected | |
| Lazar Kaganovich | 1928.07 by-elected | |
| Yan Gamarnik | 1929.11 by-elected |
Candidate members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Ivan Lepse | re-elected | 1929.10 died |
| Konstantin Ukhanov | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Nikolai Chaplin | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Semyon Lobov | re-elected | full member next term |
| Vasily Kotov | elected | not re-elected |
| Vasily Mikhailov | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Vasily Schmidt | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Nikolai Antipov | 1928.04 by-elected | not re-elected |
| Nikolai Shvernik | 1929.11 by-elected | full member next term |
16th Congress
Members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Andrei Bubnov | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Ivan Akulov | elected | 1932.10 removed |
| Ivan Moskvin | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Karl Bauman | re-elected | 1932.10 removed |
| Lazar Kaganovich | re-elected | |
| Nikolai Shvernik | promoted from candidate | |
| Pavel Postyshev | elected | not re-elected |
| Semyon Lobov | promoted from candidate | not re-elected |
| Vyacheslav Molotov | re-elected | 1930.12 removed |
| Yan Gamarnik | re-elected |
Candidate members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Aleksandr Kosarev | elected | full member next term |
| Alexander Dogadov | demoted from full membership | 1932.10 removed |
| Alexander Smirnov | demoted from full membership | 1933.01 removed |
| Anton Tsikhon | elected | not re-elected |
17th Congress
Members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Aleksandr Kosarev | promoted from candidate | 1938.11 arrested |
| Aleksei Stetsky | elected | 1938.04 arrested |
| Andrei Zhdanov | elected | |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Lazar Kaganovich | re-elected | |
| Nikolai Shvernik | re-elected | |
| Nikolai Yezhov | elected | not re-elected |
| Sergei Kirov | elected | 1934.12 assassinated |
| Valerian Kuibyshev | elected | 1935.01 died |
| Yan Gamarnik | re-elected | 1937.05 died by suicide |
| Andrei Andreyev | 1935.03 by-elected | |
| Lev Mekhlis | 1938.01 by-elected |
Candidate members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Krinitsky | elected | 1937.10 removed |
| Mikhail Kaganovich | elected | not re-elected |
18th Congress
Only full members were elected; there were no candidates.
Members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Shcherbakov | elected | 1945.05 died |
| Andrei Andreyev | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Andrei Zhdanov | re-elected | |
| Georgy Malenkov | elected | |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Lazar Kaganovich | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Lev Mekhlis | re-elected | |
| Nikolai Mikhailov | elected | |
| Nikolai Shvernik | re-elected | not re-elected |
March 1946 Central Committee plenum
The Central Committee elected at the 18th Congress re-formed the Orgburo without a congress. This composition lasted until the 19th Congress abolished the Orgburo in October 1952.
Members
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alexei Kuznetsov | elected | 1949.03 removed |
| Andrei Zhdanov | re-elected | 1948.08 died |
| Georgy Alexandrov | elected | |
| Georgy Malenkov | re-elected | |
| Georgy Popov | elected | |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Lev Mekhlis | re-elected | |
| Mikhail Rodionov | elected | 1949.03 removed |
| Mikhail Suslov | elected | |
| Nikolai Bulganin | elected | |
| Nikolai Mikhailov | re-elected | |
| Nikolai Patolichev | elected | 1947.05 removed |
| Nikolai Shatalin | elected | |
| Vasily Andrianov | elected | |
| Vasily Kuznetsov | elected | |
| Boris Chernousov | 1949.03 by-elected |
Rosters and dates follow the composition lists of the Orgburo in knowbysight.info (Spravochnik po istorii KPSS), checked against the Russian Wikipedia list of Orgburo compositions and the English Wikipedia article “Orgburo”. The three-man Orgburo chosen by the Central Committee in January 1919 is included at the start, and the February 1927 changes are dated by the Politburo decision (English Wikipedia gives an April 1927 plenum).
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