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People of the Revolution and the USSR
Activity(set)
Affiliation(set)
Position
Citizenship
Background
Era
People of the Soviet Union
People of the wider world
GlossarySoviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks→
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Dmitry Ivanovich Chesnokov Дмитрий Иванович Чесноков
The philosopher Stalin elevated to the Politburo in his final act
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1910–1973
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Gennady Ivanovich Voronov Геннадий Иванович Воронов
The RSFSR premier who never stopped speaking bluntly to Brezhnev
Agriculture and land policy · Soviet Union state institutions
1910–1994
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Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko Константин Устинович Черненко
The last General Secretary of the Brezhnev order
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1912–1985
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Aleksei Pavlovich Shitikov Алексей Павлович Шитиков
From Khabarovsk party boss to Chairman of the Soviet of the Union: the institutional face of federal legislation in the Brezhnev era
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1912–1993
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Dinmukhamed Akhmetuly Kunaev Дінмұхамед Ахметұлы Қонаев
The republic-builder who led Kazakhstan for 24 years as Brezhnev's partner, whose dismissal sparked the Zheltoksan uprising
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1912–1993
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Jabbor Rasulovich Rasulov Джабар Расулович Расулов
Agronomist who led Tajikistan for 21 years, a communist of ascetic modesty and incorruptibility
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1913–1982
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Mikhail Sergeyevich Solomentsev Михаил Сергеевич Соломенцев
Brezhnev-era industrial technocrat who ran the Russian republic for 12 years
Government and administration · Soviet Union state institutions
1913–2008
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Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov Юрий Владимирович Андропов
The paradox: a reformer’s patron inside the KGB
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1914–1984
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Kirill Trofimovich Mazurov Кирилл Трофимович Мазуров
Belarusian partisan leader who rose to Brezhnev's Politburo and served as USSR First Deputy Premier for thirteen years
Government and administration · Soviet Union state institutions
1914–1989
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Konstantin Mikhailovich Simonov Константин Михайлович Симонов
The poet of 'Wait for Me': six-time Stalin Prize-winning war correspondent and literary bureaucrat
Literature and arts · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1915–1979
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Augusts Eduardovich Voss Augusts Voss
Latvian party boss turned Soviet of Nationalities chairman
Political and party leadership · Soviet Union state institutions
1916–1994
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Sharaf Rashidovich Rashidov Шараф Рашидович Рашидов
Writer turned leader who drove Uzbekistan's industrialization and cultural revival for 24 years, later tied to the Cotton Affair
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1917–1983
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Tikhon Yakovlevich Kiselyov Тихон Яковлевич Киселёв
Belarus's premier for nearly 20 years who rose to First Secretary and candidate Politburo member, then died of cancer two years later
Government and administration · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–1983
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Dmitry Stepanovich Polyansky Дмитрий Степанович Полянский
Brezhnev-era official across agriculture and government
Agriculture and land policy · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–2001
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Pyotr Mironovich Masherov Пётр Миронович Машеров
Belarus's partisan-hero leader for 15 years who transformed an agrarian republic into an industrial powerhouse - his death a legend
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1918–1980
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Vladimir Vasilyevich Shcherbitsky Владимир Васильевич Щербицкий
The Brezhnev-era republic-builder who led Ukraine for 17 years, linchpin of the Dnepr clan
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1918–1990
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Alexander Nikolayevich Shelepin Александр Николаевич Шелепин
The Komsomol boss who took over the KGB
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–1994
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Ivan Ivanovich Bodiul Иван Иванович Бодюл
The republic first secretary who ruled Moldavia for nearly 20 years as Brezhnev's close ally
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1918–2013
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Anatoly Fyodorovich Dobrynin Анатолий Фёдорович Добрынин
The ambassador whose 24 years in Washington made him the hidden circuit of Soviet–American diplomacy
Diplomacy and international organization · Soviet Union state institutions
1919–2010
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Turdakun Usubalievich Usubaliev Турдакун Усубалиевич Усубалиев
The builder who transformed Kirghizia from an agrarian to an industrial republic across the Khrushchev-Brezhnev era
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1919–2015
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Alexander Mikhailovich Rekunkov Александр Михайлович Рекунков
Soviet Procurator General who served from Brezhnev to Gorbachev and personally delivered Sakharov's exile decree
Law and justice · Soviet Union state institutions
1920–1996
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Nikolai Nikolayevich Inozemtsev Николай Николаевич Иноземцев
Intellectual architect of Brezhnev-era détente
Scholarship and theory · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1921–1982
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Muhammetnazar Gapurovich Gapurov Мухамедназар Гапурович Гапуров
16-year leader of Brezhnev-era Turkmenistan who integrated its cotton and gas economy into the Soviet center
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1922–1999
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Lev Nikolayevich Zaikov Лев Николаевич Зайков
The technocrat who rose from defense-plant apprentice to Politburo overseer of the military-industrial complex
Industry and production · Soviet Union state institutions
1923–2002
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Heydar Alirza oghlu Aliyev Heydər Əlirza oğlu Əliyev
The KGB general who rose from Baku to the Kremlin and founded independent Azerbaijan
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1923–2003
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Alexander Nikolayevich Yakovlev Александр Николаевич Яковлев
The architect of glasnost: the ideology chief who dismantled the ideology
Ideology and propaganda · Soviet Union state institutions
1923–2005
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Karl Genrikhovich Vaino Карл Генрихович Вайно
First Secretary of the Estonian Communist Party (1978–1988) who resisted perestroika and pushed Russification until Moscow replaced him.
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1923–2022
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Vladimir Alexandrovich Kryuchkov Владимир Александрович Крючков
The KGB chairman who designed the August coup
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1924–2007
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Vitaly Ivanovich Vorotnikov Виталий Иванович Воротников
The last RSFSR premier who tried not to break Russia away
Government and administration · Soviet Union state institutions
1926–2012
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Yefrem Yevseyevich Sokolov Яфрэм Евсеевич Сакалоў
A Belarusian party leader who combined agricultural development with late-Soviet reform
Political and party leadership · Soviet Union state institutions
1926–2022
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Rafiq Nishonovich Nishonov Rafiq Nishonovich Nishonov
The last chairman of the Soviet of Nationalities
Political and party leadership · Soviet Union state institutions
1926–2023
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Gennady Vasilyevich Kolbin Геннадий Васильевич Колбин
The unknown Russian party functionary whose appointment to Kazakhstan ignited the Zheltoksan uprising
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1927–1998
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Konstantin Fyodorovich Katushev Константин Фёдорович Катушев
Late Soviet foreign-economic official
Economy, finance and planning · Soviet Union state institutions
1927–2010
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Fyodor Mikhailovich Burlatsky Фёдор Михайлович Бурлацкий
Architect of Khrushchev's reforms and pioneer of Soviet political science
Scholarship and theory · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1927–2014
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Mykolas Martinovich Burokevičius Mykolas Burokevičius
The only Lithuanian to sit in the CPSU Politburo and the last pro-Moscow party leader, imprisoned for the January Events
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1927–2016
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Arnold Rüütel Arnold Rüütel
The agronomist who pushed a sovereignty declaration through the Soviet system and led Estonia out of the empire
Legislature and state representation · Estonia state institutions
1928–2024
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Viktor Petrovich Nikonov Виктор Петрович Никонов
Gorbachev's agriculture successor who became his last internal critic
Agriculture and land policy · Soviet Union state institutions
1929–1993
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Ivan Timofeyevich Frolov Иван Тимофеевич Фролов
The philosopher who gave perestroika its humanist foundations: from defending genetics to founding the science of Man
Scholarship and theory · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1929–1999
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Yevgeny Maksimovich Primakov Евгений Максимович Примаков
The Arabist premier who turned his plane around over the Atlantic
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1929–2015
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Vadim Andreyevich Medvedev Вадим Андреевич Медведев
The last ideology secretary who dismantled ideology opened the spetskhran and abolished party orthodoxy
Ideology and propaganda · Soviet Union state institutions
1929–2025
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Alexander Yevgenyevich Bovin Александр Евгеньевич Бовин
Brezhnev's foreign-affairs speechwriter who put détente into prose, then became its sharpest television commentator
Scholarship and theory · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1930–2004
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Anatoly Ivanovich Lukyanov Анатолий Иванович Лукьянов
Gorbachev's classmate turned critic: the last speaker of the Soviet parliament
Law and justice · Soviet Union state institutions
1930–2019
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Abdurrahman Khalil oglu Vezirov Əbdürrəhman Xəlil oğlu Vəzirov
Gorbachev's man for the Karabakh crisis who fled Baku as Black January consumed Soviet Azerbaijan
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1930–2022
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Genrikh Andreyevich Poghosyan Հենրիկ Անդրեյի Պողոսյան
The last party first secretary who tilted Nagorno-Karabakh toward Armenia
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1931–2000
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Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin Борис Николаевич Ельцин
The man who climbed onto the tank
Government and administration · Russian Federation state institutions
1931–2007
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Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev Михаил Сергеевич Горбачёв
He set out to repair the system, and ended it
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1931–2022
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Vaino Iosipovich Väljas Vaino Väljas
Recalled from Nicaragua in June 1988, he led Estonia's Communists through the sovereignty declaration, the first breach in the Soviet wall.
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1931–2024
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Boris Sarkisovich Kevorkov Բորիս Սարգսի Կևորկով
The Armenian party functionary who enforced Baku's control over Nagorno-Karabakh
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1932–1998
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Karen Serobovich Demirchyan Карен Серобович Демирчян
Modernized Soviet Armenia over 14 years, sacked for siding with Karabakh, returned and assassinated in parliament
Political and party leadership · Soviet Union state institutions
1932–1999
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Algirdas Brazauskas Algirdas Brazauskas
The communist who split his party from Moscow and became independent Lithuania's first president
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1932–2010