Armenian party functionary who managed the international communist movement in late Stalinism
In August 1953, CC official A. L. Dedov reported to Khrushchev that Grigoryan's colleagues 'point to close relations between Grigoryan and Beria.'
Born in an Armenian village in Azerbaijan, Grigoryan rose from army newspaper editor to head of publishing and propaganda in the Moscow party apparatus. In 1949 he succeeded Mikhail Suslov as chairman of the Foreign Policy Commission (International Department), overseeing CPSU relations with communist parties worldwide until 1953. His tenure coincided with the deepening Tito–Stalin split after the Cominform's founding, the victory of the Chinese Revolution, and the Korean War. Elected a candidate member of the Central Committee at the 19th Party Congress in 1952, he was removed after Beria's fall, transferred to the Foreign Ministry, and dropped from the Central Committee.
Career Timeline
- 1920–1924Head of press department, CC of CP of Azerbaijan; army newspaper editor
- 1924–1927Head of press, Khamovniki district committee; head of press, Moscow Party Committee
- 1927–1933Secretary, deputy editor, and editor of 'Rabochaya Pravda', 'Proletar', 'Na Rubezhe Vostoka', Tiflis
- 1933–1946Executive editor of 'Zarya Vostoka', Tbilisi
- 1946–1947Head of central newspapers section, Propaganda and Agitation Directorate, CC VKP(b)
- 1947–1949Deputy editor-in-chief, 'For a Lasting Peace, for People's Democracy'
- 1949–1953Chairman, Foreign Policy Commission of the CC (head of International Department)
- 1952–1954Candidate member, CC CPSU
- 1953Collegium member and sector head, USSR Foreign Ministry; CC plenipotentiary for Ajarian ASSR