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People of the Revolution and the USSR
Activity
Affiliation
Position(set)
Citizenship
Background
Era
People of the Soviet Union
People of the Chinese revolution and the People’s Republic
People of the wider world
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Sergei Sergeevich Kryukov Сергей Сергеевич Крюков
Korolev's key partner in shaping the R-7's packet design
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–2005
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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
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Timofey Borisovich Guzhenko Тимофей Борисович Гуженко
The merchant marine minister who conquered the Arctic with a nuclear icebreaker fleet
Economy, finance and planning · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–2008
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Vitaly Vasilyevich Fedorchuk Виталий Васильевич Федорчук
The brief KGB chairman after Andropov
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–2008
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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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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
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Yevgeny Georgievich Pepelyayev Евгений Георгиевич Пепеляев
A Soviet ace of MiG Alley
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–2013
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Boris Yevgenyevich Paton Борис Евгеньевич Патон
Father of electroslag welding who led Ukraine's Academy of Sciences for 58 years
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1918–2020
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Pierre Félix Georges Pierre Georges
A communist pioneer of armed resistance to the Occupation
Military command · Francs-Tireurs et Partisans (FTP/FTPF)
1919–1944
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Oleg Vladimirovich Penkovsky Олег Владимирович Пеньковский
The GRU colonel who fed the West over 5,000 classified documents on Soviet missile weakness, exposing Khrushchev's strategic bluff
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1919–1963
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Elena Ceaușescu Elena Ceaușescu
The regime insider who fused political power with scientific prestige
Political and party leadership · Romanian Communist Party (PCR)
1919–1989
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Lev Nikolayevich Tolkunov Лев Николаевич Толкунов
From Izvestia editor to Soviet of the Union chairman: a Brezhnev-era media mandarin who became the face of the supreme legislature
Ideology and propaganda · Soviet Union state institutions
1919–1989
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Boris Yevdokimovich Shcherbina Борис Евдокимович Щербина
The Chernobyl commander who built Siberia's oil empire
Industry and production · Soviet Union state institutions
1919–1990
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Viliam Šalgovič Viliam Šalgovič
The deputy interior minister who arrested Dubček and handed him to the Soviets
Security, intelligence and policing · Czechoslovakia state institutions
1919–1990
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Vladimir Sergeyevich Alkhimov Владимир Сергеевич Алхимов
Long-serving head of Gosbank
Economy, finance and planning · Soviet Union state institutions
1919–1993
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Viktor Mikhailovich Bushuyev Виктор Михайлович Бушуев
CC department head who directed the Soviet chemical industry
Social movements and organizing · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1919–1996
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Georgy Emmanuilovich Tsukanov Георгий Эммануилович Цуканов
The quiet gatekeeper who controlled Brezhnev's paper flow
Social movements and organizing · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1919–2001
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Oleg Alexandrovich Troyanovsky Олег Александрович Трояновский
From Stalin's interpreter to UN ambassador, the Soviet diplomat who weathered Cold War crises with wit
Diplomacy and international organization · Soviet Union state institutions
1919–2003
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Pavel Vasilyevich Finogenov Павел Васильевич Финогенов
The defense industry minister who ran Soviet conventional arms production from late Brezhnev through perestroika
Industry and production · Soviet Union state institutions
1919–2004
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Yuri Vsyevolodovich Votintsev Юрий Всеволодович Вотинцев
A missile-defence builder who disclosed a Cold War false alarm
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1919–2005
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Zhao Ziyang 赵紫阳
From Sichuan’s farm reforms to general secretary, the reformer who opposed martial law in 1989 and died under house arrest
Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China state institutions
1919–2005
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Yuri Andreyevich Zhdanov Юрий Андреевич Жданов
Stalin's son-in-law who criticized Lysenko, recanted, then built Rostov University over 31 years as rector
Education · Soviet Union state institutions
1919–2006
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Anatoly Ivanovich Gribkov Анатолий Иванович Грибков
Secret planner of the Cuban Missile Crisis deployment and last Chief of Staff of the Warsaw Pact Joint Armed Forces
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1919–2008
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Boris Grigorievich Dubovsky Борис Григорьевич Дубовский
The physicist who built the dosimetry for F-1's first criticality and founded the Soviet reactor radiation safety system
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1919–2008
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Dmitry Ilyich Kozlov Дмитрий Ильич Козлов
Korolev's right hand who led the R-7 through design, mass production, and every successive variant
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1919–2009
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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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Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane
From US-educated anthropologist to founder of Mozambique's liberation front
Political and party leadership · Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO)
1920–1969
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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
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Kaysone Phomvihane ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ
Lao revolution and economic reform
Political and party leadership · Laos state institutions
1920–1992
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Hussein Kulmiye Afrah Xuseen Kulmiye Afrax
Leadership of Somalia’s revolutionary council
Security, intelligence and policing
1920–1993
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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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Tố Hữu Tố Hữu
Revolutionary poet laureate who, as the Party's ideology chief, policed its writers
Literature and arts · Communist Party of Vietnam / Workers' Party of Vietnam
1920–2002
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Nikolai Grigoryevich Yegorychev Николай Григорьевич Егорычев
The Moscow party boss who challenged Brezhnev and was exiled to diplomacy
Social movements and organizing · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1920–2005
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Yadgar Sadykovna Nasriddinova Ядгар Садыковна Насриддинова
Uzbek SSR figure who chaired the Soviet of Nationalities
Legislature and state representation · Soviet Union state institutions
1920–2006
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Nikolai Nikolayevich Mesyatsev Николай Николаевич Месяцев
The official who exposed the fabricated Doctors' Plot
Ideology and propaganda · Soviet Union state institutions
1920–2011
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Ivan Lavrentievich Ustinov Иван Лаврентьевич Устинов
Military counterintelligence chief of the Brezhnev era
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1920–2020
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Yegor Kuzmich Ligachev Егор Кузьмич Лигачёв
The conservative Second Secretary inside perestroika
Social movements and organizing · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1920–2021
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Vasily Iosifovich Stalin Василий Иосифович Сталин
Lieutenant general of aviation and founder of Soviet ice hockey, the leader's son
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1921–1962
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Tafari Benti ተፈሪ በንቲ
Early chairman of the Derg
Government and administration · Ethiopia state institutions
1921–1977
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Vadim Stepanovich Tikunov Вадим Степанович Тикунов
Shelepin-network RSFSR interior minister who led Khrushchev-era policing
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1921–1980
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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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Alois Indra Alois Indra
The KSČ hardliner who signed the letter inviting Soviet intervention to end the Prague Spring
Political and party leadership · Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ)
1921–1990
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Vladimir Mikhailovich Vinogradov Владимир Михайлович Виноградов
Soviet Middle East diplomat who witnessed the 1973 war and the Iranian Revolution from inside
Diplomacy and international organization · Soviet Union state institutions
1921–1997
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Hua Guofeng 华国锋
Mao’s designated successor — “With you in charge, I am at ease” — who arrested the Gang of Four and was eased out by Deng Xiaoping
Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China state institutions
1921–2008
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Gerhard Schürer Gerhard Schürer
The GDR State Planning Commission chief who warned of bankruptcy but could not save the system
Economy, finance and planning · East Germany state institutions
1921–2010
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Viktor Georgiyevich Kulikov Виктор Георгиевич Куликов
Longest-serving Warsaw Pact supreme commander, who led its forces for twelve years
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1921–2013
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Wolfgang Leonhard Wolfgang Leonhard
Youngest member of the Ulbricht Group who fled to Yugoslavia in 1949 and became a leading Western scholar of Soviet communism
Ideology and propaganda · Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED)
1921–2014
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Anatoly Sergeyevich Chernyaev Анатолий Сергеевич Черняев
Gorbachev's pen and conscience: architect of New Thinking diplomacy
Diplomacy and international organization · Soviet Union state institutions
1921–2017
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Agostinho Neto Agostinho Neto
Physician-poet who led Angola's liberation struggle and became its first president
Political and party leadership · Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA)
1922–1979