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People of the Revolution and the USSR
Activity
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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Stanislav Ivanovich Gurenko Станислав Иванович Гуренко
Last First Secretary of the Ukrainian Communist Party on the eve of the Soviet dissolution
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1936–2013
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Grigory Ivanovich Revenko Григорий Иванович Ревенко
From Kiev regional party leader to Gorbachev's last chief of staff
Social movements and organizing · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1936–2014
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Grigory Petrovich Kharchenko Григорий Петрович Харченко
Organizational-Party Work deputy chief who witnessed Sumgait, and said 'we were a day late'
Social movements and organizing · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1936–
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Igor Nikolayevich Rodionov Игорь Николаевич Родионов
The general who gave the operational order to clear Rustaveli Avenue
Military command · Soviet Union
1936–2014
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Vitaly Alekseevich Korotich Виталий Алексеевич Коротич
The editor who turned Ogonyok into the battering ram of glasnost, publishing what the system suppressed for seventy years
Literature and arts · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1936–2025
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Boris Karlovich Pugo Борис Карлович Пуго
From Latvian KGB chief to USSR interior minister, a guardian of order shattered in the coup he backed
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union
1937–1991
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Anatoly Aleksandrovich Sobchak Анатолий Александрович Собчак
Constitutional Assembly chairman and first elected mayor of Saint Petersburg
Government and administration · Russian Federation state institutions
1937–2000
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Valentin Sergeyevich Pavlov Валентин Сергеевич Павлов
The last Soviet premier and an August coup participant
Economy, finance and planning · Soviet Union
1937–2003
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Oleg Semyonovich Shenin Олег Семёнович Шенин
The last Politburo member who tried to save the USSR and went to prison for it
Social movements and organizing · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1937–2009
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Gennady Ivanovich Yanayev Геннадий Иванович Янаев
First and only Vice President of the USSR and the face of the August 1991 coup
Legislature and state representation · Soviet Union
1937–2010
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Nikolai Maximovich Fomin Николай Максимович Фомин
The chief engineer who refused to believe the reactor was destroyed and kept pumping water into its ruins
Science and technology · Soviet Union
1937–
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Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova Валентина Владимировна Терешкова
The textile-worker 'Chaika,' first woman in space
Science and technology · Soviet Union
1937–
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Viktor Petrovich Polyanichko Виктор Петрович Поляничко
A field enforcer of the Soviet Union's final crisis
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1937–1993
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Yuri Dmitrievich Maslyukov Юрий Дмитриевич Маслюков
The last Gosplan generation
Economy, finance and planning · Soviet Union
1937–2010
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Nikolai Yakovlevich Petrakov Николай Яковлевич Петраков
An economist who carried price theory into the transition to a market economy
Scholarship and theory · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1937–2014
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Galina Vladimirovna Semyonova Галина Владимировна Семёнова
Architect of women's and family policy in the perestroika era, the fourth woman ever on the Politburo
Social movements and organizing · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1937–2017
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Vadim Viktorovich Bakatin Вадим Викторович Бакатин
The last KGB chairman, appointed to dismantle it
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union
1937–2022
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Valentin Alexandrovich Kuptsov Валентин Александрович Купцов
The last-generation secretary who rebuilt the Russian Communist Party
Social movements and organizing · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1937–
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Vladimir Makarovich Velichko Владимир Макарович Величко
Technocrat who ran Soviet heavy machine-building in its late decades
Industry and production · Soviet Union
1937–
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Yegor Semyonovich Stroev Егор Семёнович Строев
Gorbachev's last agriculture Politburo member: operational chief of perestroika farm policy
Agriculture and land policy · Soviet Union
1937–
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Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin Виктор Степанович Черномырдин
Last Soviet gas minister who turned his ministry into Gazprom
Industry and production · Soviet Union
1938–2010
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Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov Islom Abdugʻaniyevich Karimov
An authoritarian state-builder who made sovereignty his political principle
Government and administration · Uzbekistan state institutions
1938–2016
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Nina Alexandrovna Andreyeva Нина Александровна Андреева
The Leningrad chemistry lecturer whose 'I Cannot Forsake My Principles' became the manifesto of anti-perestroika forces
Scholarship and theory · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1938–2020
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Jumber Ilyich Patiashvili ჯუმბერ ილიას ძე პატიაშვილი
The Georgian First Secretary who asked Moscow for troops, then resigned after 21 died
Political and party leadership · Soviet Union
1939–
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Valery Mikhailovich Sablin Валерий Михайлович Саблин
The naval officer who mutinied for Leninist principles against the Brezhnev regime
Military command · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1939–1976
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Konstantin Ivanovich Kobets Константин Иванович Кобец
The highest-ranking general who sided with Yeltsin during the August coup, commanding the White House defense
Military command · Soviet Union
1939–2012
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Romualdas Ozolas Romualdas Ozolas
The Sąjūdis philosopher who launched the 2-million-signature campaign demanding Red Army withdrawal
Political and party leadership · Sąjūdis (Reform Movement of Lithuania)
1939–2015
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Mikhail Alekseyevich Moiseyev Михаил Алексеевич Моисеев
The last Soviet Chief of General Staff, undone by the August coup
Military command · Soviet Union
1939–2022
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Yuri Anatolyevich Prokofyev Юрий Анатольевич Прокофьев
A Moscow party organizer at the Soviet Union's end
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1939–
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Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev Нұрсұлтан Әбішұлы Назарбаев
Kazakhstan's thirty-year ruler, defender of the union to its last day
Political and party leadership · Kazakhstan state institutions
1940–
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Pyotr Luchinsky Petru Lucinschi
A politician who moved from Soviet party leadership to Moldova's presidency
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1940–
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Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov Saparmyrat Ataýewiç Nyýazow
A Turkmen leader who turned late-Soviet rule into personal rule over an independent state
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1940–2006
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Andrei Serafimovich Grachev Андрей Серафимович Грачёв
An insider witness to the collapse of reform
Government and administration · Soviet Union
1941–
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Lembit Annus Lembit Annus
An Estonian communist leader who chose to preserve the Soviet Union
Political and party leadership · Soviet Union
1941–2018
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Nikolai Nikolayevich Gubenko Николай Николаевич Губенко
The last Soviet culture minister
Literature and arts · Soviet Union
1941–2020
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Anatolijs Gorbunovs Anatolijs Gorbunovs
The Communist Party secretary who led Latvia's Supreme Council through the restoration of independence
Legislature and state representation · Latvia state institutions
1942–
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Yevgeny Ivanovich Shaposhnikov Евгений Иванович Шапошников
The last Soviet defence minister and final Marshal of Aviation
Military command · Soviet Union
1942–2020
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Ruslan Imranovich Khasbulatov Руслан Имранович Хасбулатов
The Supreme Soviet chairman who stood with Yeltsin against the coup, then fell to Yeltsin's tanks
Legislature and state representation · Russian Federation state institutions
1942–2023
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Boris Vsevolodovich Gromov Борис Всеволодович Громов
The last Soviet soldier to leave Afghanistan, the face of the Soviet withdrawal
Military command · Soviet Union
1943–
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Kazimiera Danutė Prunskienė Kazimira Danutė Prunskienė
She tried to negotiate independence through pragmatism; her resignation removed the last obstacle to the military option
Government and administration · Lithuania state institutions
1943–2026
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Askar Akayevich Akayev Аскар Акаевич Акаев
Scientist-president who moved from reformist promise to prolonged rule
Government and administration · Kyrgyzstan state institutions
1944–
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Enn-Arno Augustovich Sillari Enn-Arno Augustovich Sillari
The last Soviet-aligned communist leader of Estonia amid a party split
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1944–
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Gennady Eduardovich Burbulis Геннадий Эдуардович Бурбулис
The philosopher who proposed the one sentence that declared the Soviet Union dead at Belovezh
Government and administration · Russian Federation state institutions
1945–2022
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Givi Grigorievich Gumbaridze Гиви Григорьевич Гумбаридзе
A Georgian party official at the edge of Soviet collapse
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1945–
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Jahangir Movsum oglu Muslimzade Cahangir Mövsüm oğlu Müslümzadə
The Sumgait party boss handed a flag and photographed at the head of the mob
Political and party leadership · Soviet Union
1945–
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Mikhail Semyonovich Surkov Михаил Семёнович Сурков
A party cadre who moved from army organization to the late Soviet Politburo
Military command · Soviet Union
1945–
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Vladislav Alekseyevich Achalov Владислав Алексеевич Ачалов
Soviet airborne forces commander and deputy defence minister in the August 1991 coup
Military command · Soviet Union
1945–2011
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Dzhumgalbek Beksultan uulu Amanbayev Жумгалбек Бексултан уулу Аманбаев
A Kyrgyz party leader at the Soviet Union's end
Political and party leadership · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1946–2005
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Alexander Vladimirovich Rutskoy Александр Владимирович Руцкой
Russia's only vice president: stood with Yeltsin against the coup, then fell to Yeltsin's tanks
Military command · Soviet Union
1947–
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Pavel Sergeyevich Grachev Павел Сергеевич Грачёв
The airborne commander who held the coup's key and handed it to Yeltsin
Military command · Soviet Union
1948–2012