People of the Revolution and the USSR
- Yegor Kuzmich Ligachev Егор Кузьмич Лигачёв The conservative Second Secretary inside perestroika
- Valentin Ivanovich Varennikov Валентин Иванович Варенников General who received the Victory Banner and stood alone in the coup dock
- Anatoly Ivanovich Lukyanov Анатолий Иванович Лукьянов Gorbachev's classmate turned critic: the last speaker of the Soviet parliament
- Yuli Alexandrovich Kvitsinsky Юлий Александрович Квицинский Gromyko protégé and arms negotiator remembered for the "Walk in the Woods"
- Oleg Semyonovich Shenin Олег Семёнович Шенин The last Politburo member who tried to save the USSR and went to prison for it
- Valentin Alexandrovich Kuptsov Валентин Александрович Купцов The last-generation secretary who rebuilt the Russian Communist Party
- Nikolai Nikolayevich Gubenko Николай Николаевич Губенко The last Soviet culture minister
- Mikhail Semyonovich Surkov Михаил Семёнович Сурков A party cadre who moved from army organization to the late Soviet Politburo