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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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Agostinho André Mendes de Carvalho Agostinho André Mendes de Carvalho
Angolan nationalist and writer 'Uanhenga Xitu', a nursing auxiliary turned minister
Literature and arts · Independent activity
1924–2014
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Karen Nersesovich Brutents Карен Нерсесович Брутенц
The International Department theorist who designed Soviet Third World policy under Brezhnev
Ideology and propaganda · Soviet Union state institutions
1924–2017
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Dmitry Timofeyevich Yazov Дмитрий Тимофеевич Язов
The last Marshal of the Soviet Union and defence minister of the August coup
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1924–2020
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Vladimir Ivanovich Dolgikh Владимир Иванович Долгих
The CC secretary who ran Soviet heavy industry and energy for 16 years under Brezhnev
Industry and production · Soviet Union state institutions
1924–2020
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Lubomír Štrougal Lubomír Štrougal
Husák's right hand who ran the normalization cabinet for eighteen years, then fell backing Gorbachev's perestroika
Government and administration · Czechoslovakia state institutions
1924–2023
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Pavel Ivanovich Belyayev Павел Иванович Беляев
The fighter pilot who commanded the first spacewalk
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1925–1970
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Ruth First Ruth First
The investigative journalist who exposed apartheid, the communist revolutionary who endured 117 days of solitary confinement
Literature and arts · African National Congress (ANC)
1925–1982
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Vladlen Mikhailovich Mikhailov Владлен Михайлович Михайлов
The last chief of Soviet GRU who led military intelligence through the USSR's dissolution
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1925–2004
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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
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Ramiz Alia Ramiz Alia
Albania after Hoxha
Political and party leadership · Party of Labour of Albania
1925–2011
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Yuri Filippovich Solovyov Юрий Филиппович Соловьёв
Ligachev protégé who led Leningrad during early perestroika
Social movements and organizing · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1925–2011
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Gury Ivanovich Marchuk Гурий Иванович Марчук
Last President of the USSR Academy of Sciences and pioneer of computational mathematics in Siberia
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1925–2013
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Czesław Jan Kiszczak Czesław Jan Kiszczak
Poland's interior minister who imposed martial law then co-chaired the Round Table
Security, intelligence and policing · Poland state institutions
1925–2015
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Vladislav Grigoryevich Kolesnikov Владислав Григорьевич Колесников
The last Soviet Minister of Electronics, who led microelectronics through perestroika's final years
Industry and production · Soviet Union state institutions
1925–2015
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Yuri Ivanovich Drozdov Юрий Иванович Дроздов
Legendary Soviet spymaster who headed KGB illegal intelligence for 12 years
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1925–2017
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Boris Ivanovich Aristov Борис Иванович Аристов
The last Minister of Foreign Trade, who inherited a 27-year incumbent's post only to see the ministry itself abolished on his watch
Economy, finance and planning · Soviet Union state institutions
1925–2018
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Filip Denisovich Bobkov Филипп Денисович Бобков
Architect of KGB ideological counterintelligence, 45-year Chekist under 12 chiefs
Security, intelligence and policing · Soviet Union state institutions
1925–2019
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Robert W. Davies Robert W. Davies
The British economic historian who built the seven-volume chronicle of Soviet industrialisation
Scholarship and theory · Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB)
1925–2021
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Pavel Auersperg Pavel Auersperg
The ideology cadre who drafted the Action Programme, then served normalization to the end
Political and party leadership · Czechoslovakia state institutions
1926–1987
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Vasily Aleksandrovich Arkhipov Василий Александрович Архипов
Soviet submarine officer who refused to launch a nuclear torpedo and prevented nuclear war
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1926–1998
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Vasily Aleksandrovich Shamshin Василий Александрович Шамшин
Engineer-turned-minister who led the modernization of Soviet communications infrastructure
Economy, finance and planning · Soviet Union state institutions
1926–2009
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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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Fidel Castro Fidel Castro
Leader of the hemisphere's first socialist revolution: forty-seven years against imperialism
Government and administration · Cuba state institutions
1926–2016
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Vsevolod Serafimovich Murakhovsky Всеволод Серафимович Мураховский
First chairman of Gosagroprom
Agriculture and land policy · Soviet Union state institutions
1926–2017
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Valentin Mikhailovich Falin Валентин Михайлович Фалин
The Soviet Union's foremost Germany expert who opposed Gorbachev's concessions during reunification negotiations
Diplomacy and international organization · Soviet Union state institutions
1926–2018
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Nuon Chea នួន ជា
Deputy Secretary of the CPK, 'Brother Number Two'
Political and party leadership · Democratic Kampuchea state institutions
1926–2019
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Jiang Zemin 江泽民
The “core” plucked from Shanghai in 1989 who led post-Tiananmen China into the market economy and the “Three Represents”
Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China state institutions
1926–2022
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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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Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov Владимир Михайлович Комаров
Voskhod 1 commander and the first human to perish in a spaceflight
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1927–1967
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Vasile Milea Vasile Milea
Ceaușescu's last defence minister: his death on 22 December 1989 triggered the army's mass defection to the revolution
Military command · Romania state institutions
1927–1989
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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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Peter Fryer Peter Fryer
A communist journalist who chose the scene over the party line
Literature and arts · Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB)
1927–2006
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Vadim Valentinovich Zagladin Вадим Валентинович Загладин
A Brezhnev favorite who became the Soviet face of dialogue with Eurocommunism
Ideology and propaganda · Soviet Union state institutions
1927–2006
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Nikolai Semyonovich Konarev Николай Семёнович Конарев
The last chief of the Soviet railways
Economy, finance and planning · Soviet Union state institutions
1927–2007
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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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Mikhail Ivanovich Shchadov Михаил Иванович Щадов
The last Soviet coal minister, who drove open-pit mining and led the miners into the Chernobyl tunnel
Industry and production · Soviet Union state institutions
1927–2011
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Yuri Petrovich Batalin Юрий Петрович Баталин
The perestroika-era construction chief who built the West Siberian oil and gas complex and the Chernobyl sarcophagus
Economy, finance and planning · Soviet Union state institutions
1927–2013
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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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Boris Ivanovich Gostev Борис Иванович Гостев
The last orthodox Soviet finance minister who rejected market reform during perestroika
Economy, finance and planning · Soviet Union state institutions
1927–2015
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Oleg Timofeyevich Bogomolov Олег Тимофеевич Богомолов
An economist of socialist economic integration and reform
Scholarship and theory · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1927–2015
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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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Nguyễn Thị Bình Nguyễn Thị Bình
PRG foreign minister, the only woman to sign the Paris Peace Accords, and later vice president of Vietnam
Diplomacy and international organization · Vietnam state institutions
1927–
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Che Guevara Ernesto "Che" Guevara
The internationalist icon who traded a stethoscope for a rifle
Military command · 26th of July Movement
1928–1967
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Nikolai Yefimovich Kruchina Николай Ефимович Кручина
The last treasurer who guarded the party coffers through perestroika
Social movements and organizing · Soviet Communist Party and Bolsheviks
1928–1991
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Dmitry Antonovich Volkogonov Дмитрий Антонович Волкогонов
From Soviet military propagandist to the historian who opened the secret archives
Military command · Soviet Union state institutions
1928–1995
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Viktor Pavlovich Karpov Виктор Павлович Карпов
The face of Soviet arms control diplomacy across SALT, INF, and START
Diplomacy and international organization · Soviet Union state institutions
1928–1997
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Nikolai Alexeyevich Maltsev Николай Алексеевич Мальцев
The minister who led Soviet oil to its peak through the West Siberian fields
Industry and production · Soviet Union state institutions
1928–2001
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Lev Petrovich Feoktistov Лев Петрович Феоктистов
From nuclear-weapon designer to critic of the arms race
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1928–2002
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Dzhermen Mikhailovich Gvishiani Джермен Михайлович Гвишиани
Philosopher who bridged Soviet planning science and Western systems analysis
Science and technology · Soviet Union state institutions
1928–2003