Skip to content
People of the Revolution and the USSR
Activity
Affiliation(set)
Position
Citizenship
Background(set)
Era
People of the Soviet Union
People of the wider world
-
Pavel Anatolyevich Sudoplatov Павел Анатольевич Судоплатов
Stalin’s spymaster who eliminated Trotsky, then spent fifteen years in Stalin’s prisons
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1907–1996
-
Arkhip Mikhailovich Lyulka Архип Михайлович Люлька
The designer who opened the Soviet jet age without copying a single German engine
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1908–1984
-
Valentin Petrovich Glushko Валентин Петрович Глушко
Founder of Soviet liquid rocketry: his engines carried Sputnik, Gagarin, and Buran
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1908–1989
-
Ivan Grigoryevich Pavlovsky Иван Григорьевич Павловский
The ground forces commander who invaded Czechoslovakia and opposed Afghanistan
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1909–1999
-
Pavel Yakovlevich Meshik Павел Яковлевич Мешик
Beria's inner circle and an organiser of the Great Terror
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1910–1953
-
Pyotr Fyodorovich Krivonos Пётр Фёдорович Кривонос
The locomotive driver who carried productivity innovation onto the railways
Economy, finance and planning · Soviet Union state institutions
1910–1980
-
Pavel Fyodorovich Batitsky Павел Фёдорович Батицкий
The marshal who built Soviet air defence and personally executed Beria
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1910–1984
-
Pyotr Stepanovich Neporozhny Пётр Степанович Непорожний
The longest-serving energy minister who built the Unified Energy System
Industry and production · Soviet Union state institutions
1910–1999
-
Vladimir Fyodorovich Tolubko Владимир Фёдорович Толубко
The SRF commander who brought Soviet missile forces to strategic parity with the United States
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1914–1989
-
Alexander Pavlovich Lyashko Александр Павлович Ляшко
The Donetsk-born Soviet economic manager who led Ukraine's government for 15 years through the Brezhnev era
Government and administration · Soviet Union state institutions
1915–2002
-
Stepan Vasilievich Chervonenko Степан Васильевич Червоненко
Soviet ambassador for 24 years across the Sino-Soviet split, Prague Spring, and détente
Diplomacy and international organization · Soviet Union state institutions
1915–2003
-
Semyon Kuzmich Tsvigun Семён Кузьмич Цвигун
Brezhnev's watcher planted beside Andropov
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–1982
-
Dmitry Stepanovich Polyansky Дмитрий Степанович Полянский
Brezhnev-era official across agriculture and government
Agriculture and land policy · Soviet Union state institutions
1917–2001
-
Grigory Vasilyevich Kisunko Григорий Васильевич Кисунько
Soviet military scientist who designed the world's first operational anti-ballistic missile defense system
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–1998
-
Grigory Fyodorovich Grigorenko Григорий Фёдорович Григоренко
Architect of Soviet counterintelligence for 40 years, from SMERSH radio games to chief of the KGB Second Chief Directorate
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–2007
-
Vitaly Vasilyevich Fedorchuk Виталий Васильевич Федорчук
The brief KGB chairman after Andropov
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–2008
-
Ivan Pavlovich Kazanets Иван Павлович Казанец
From Ukrainian premier to USSR steel minister: a Dnieper-born technocrat who ran Soviet ferrous metallurgy for twenty years
Industry and production · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–2013
-
Boris Yevdokimovich Shcherbina Борис Евдокимович Щербина
The Chernobyl commander who built Siberia's oil empire
Industry and production · Soviet Union state institutions
1919–1990
-
Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub Иван Никитович Кожедуб
Top Allied fighter ace who scored 64 victories and was never downed by an enemy
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1920–1991
-
Boris Pavlovich Bugayev Борис Павлович Бугаев
Brezhnev's personal pilot who became Chief Marshal and the head of Soviet civil aviation
Economy, finance and planning · Soviet Union state institutions
1923–2007
-
Ivan Moiseevich Tretyak Иван Моисеевич Третьяк
Soviet air defence chief who ordered the KAL 007 shootdown
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1923–2007
-
Georgy Markovich Korniyenko Георгий Маркович Корниенко
Gromyko's point man on America who ran arms-control talks, opposed the Afghan invasion, and demanded truth over KAL 007
Diplomacy and international organization · Soviet Union state institutions
1925–2006
-
Anatoly Ivanovich Mayorets Анатолий Иванович Майорец
The last Soviet energy minister sent into the Chernobyl disaster zone
Industry and production · Soviet Union state institutions
1929–2016
-
Pavel Romanovich Popovich Павел Романович Попович
Cosmonaut No. 4, Vostok 4 pilot of the first simultaneous crewed spaceflight
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1930–2009
-
Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk Леонід Макарович Кравчук
The communist propagandist who became Ukraine's first president and signed the Soviet Union out of existence
Legislature and state representation · Soviet Union state institutions
1934–2022
-
Valentyna Semenivna Shevchenko Валентина Семенівна Шевченко
Ukrainian SSR head of state during Chernobyl who pushed the evacuation of 526,000 children from Kyiv against Moscow's resistance
Legislature and state representation · Soviet Union state institutions
1935–2020
-
Nikolai Mikhailovich Golushko Николай Михайлович Голушко
The last chairman of the KGB of the Ukrainian SSR, who went on to serve the security services of three states: USSR, Ukraine, and Russia
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1937–2025
-
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 state institutions
1939–2012
-
Nikolai Nikolayevich Gubenko Николай Николаевич Губенко
The last Soviet culture minister
Literature and arts · Soviet Union state institutions
1941–2020
-
Valery Ilyich Khodemchuk Валерий Ильич Ходемчук
The first victim of Chernobyl, standing in the pump hall when the reactor exploded, his body never recovered
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1951–1986
-
Vladimir Nikolayevich Shashenok Владимир Николаевич Шашенок
A commissioning engineer caught in the Chernobyl disaster
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1951–1986
-
Volodymyr Pavlovych Pravyk Володимир Павлович Правик
The first firefighter at Chernobyl, who climbed onto the roof of Unit 3 without being told of the radioactive danger
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1962–1986
-
Nykyfor Hryhoriv Никифор Григор'єв
Ukrainian otaman who took Odesa for the Reds, then turned to revolt and pogrom
Military command · Independent activity
c.1885–1919