1917–1991
The Central Committee Secretariat
The Secretariat of the Central Committee was the body the Central Committee elected to direct the party’s day-to-day work and its appointments. First formed in August 1917 and made permanent in 1919, it was headed in turn by a Responsible Secretary (1919–1922), a General Secretary (1922–1934 and 1966–1991) and a First Secretary (1953–1966). From 1923 to 1934 it also had non-voting candidate members.
Tenure chart 110 people
- Secretary
- Candidate secretary
Matvei Muranov
Vasily Mikhailov
Isaak Zelensky
Pyotr Zalutsky
Nikolai Kubyak
Ivan Moskvin
Vasily Polyakov
Vitaly Titov
Andrei Girenko
Gumer Usmanov
Yuri Manayenkov
Boris Gidaspov
Ivan Melnikov
Vladimir Kalashnikov
By era
The early Secretariat Felix Dzerzhinsky, Adolph Joffe, Matvei Muranov, Yakov Sverdlov …
First formed in August 1917, the Secretariat was a small office for the party’s organisational and technical work, run through the civil war by Sverdlov and Stasova. The 8th Congress of 1919 made it a standing body under a Responsible Secretary, a post held in turn by Krestinsky and Molotov.
| Person | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Felix Dzerzhinsky | Secretary 1917.08–1918.03 | 1918.03 not re-elected |
| Adolph Joffe | Secretary 1917.08–1918.03 | 1918.03 not re-elected |
| Matvei Muranov | Secretary 1917.08–1918.03 | 1918.03 not re-elected |
| Yakov Sverdlov | Secretary 1917.08–1919.03 | 1919.03 died in office · Chairman of the Secretariat 1918.03–1919.03 |
| Elena Stasova | Secretary 1917.08–1920.04 | 1920.04 not re-elected · Secretary of the CC Bureau from 1917.03; Responsible Secretary 1919.03–1919.11 |
| Nikolay Krestinsky | Secretary 1919.11–1921.03 | 1921.03 not re-elected · Responsible Secretary 1919.11–1921.03 |
| Yevgeni Preobrazhensky | Secretary 1920.04–1921.03 | 1921.03 not re-elected |
| Leonid Serebryakov | Secretary 1920.04–1921.03 | 1921.03 not re-elected |
| Vyacheslav Molotov | Secretary 1921.03–1930.12 | 1930.12 removed · Responsible Secretary 1921.03–1922.04 |
| Vasily Mikhailov | Secretary 1921.03–1922.04Candidate secretary 1923.06–1924.06 | 1924.06 not re-elected |
| Emelyan Yaroslavsky | Secretary 1921.03–1921.08 | 1921.08 removed |
Stalin as General Secretary Vyacheslav Molotov, Joseph Stalin, Valerian Kuibyshev, Jānis Rudzutaks …
With the creation of the General Secretary post in April 1922 and Stalin’s election to it, the Secretariat became the centre of control over party appointments. From 1923 to 1934 it also had non-voting candidate members. Core figures of the Stalin majority, among them Molotov, Kaganovich, Kosior and Postyshev, passed through it.
| Person | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vyacheslav Molotov | Secretary 1921.03–1930.12 | 1930.12 removed · Responsible Secretary 1921.03–1922.04 |
| Joseph Stalin | Secretary 1922.04–1953.03 | 1953.03 died in office · General Secretary 1922.04–1934.02, thereafter a secretary in title |
| Valerian Kuibyshev | Secretary 1922.04–1923.04 | 1923.04 not re-elected |
| Jānis Rudzutaks | Secretary 1923.04–1924.02 | 1924.02 removed |
| Vasily Mikhailov | Secretary 1921.03–1922.04Candidate secretary 1923.06–1924.06 | 1924.06 not re-elected |
| Isaak Zelensky | Candidate secretary 1923.06–1924.06Secretary 1924.06–1924.08 | 1924.08 removed |
| Andrei Andreyev | Secretary 1924.02–1926.01Secretary 1935.02–1946.03 | 1946.03 not re-elected |
| Lazar Kaganovich | Secretary 1924.06–1925.04Secretary 1928.07–1939.03 | 1939.03 not re-elected |
| Nikolai Antipov | Candidate secretary 1924.06–1926.01 | 1926.01 not re-elected |
| Pyotr Zalutsky | Candidate secretary 1924.06–1926.01 | 1926.01 not re-elected |
| Klavdiya Nikolaeva | Candidate secretary 1924.06–1926.01 | 1926.01 not re-elected |
| Nikolai Uglanov | Secretary 1924.08–1929.04 | 1929.04 removed |
| Andrei Bubnov | Secretary 1925.04–1926.01Candidate secretary 1926.01–1930.07 | 1930.07 not re-elected |
| Grigory Evdokimov | Secretary 1926.01–1926.04 | 1926.04 removed |
| Stanislav Kosior | Secretary 1926.01–1928.07 | 1928.07 removed |
| Alexandra Artyukhina | Candidate secretary 1926.01–1930.07 | 1930.07 not re-elected |
| Nikolai Shvernik | Secretary 1926.04–1927.02Candidate secretary 1930.07–1934.02 | 1934.02 not re-elected |
| Nikolai Kubyak | Secretary 1927.02–1928.04 | 1928.04 removed |
| Ivan Moskvin | Candidate secretary 1927.12–1932.10 | 1932.10 removed |
| Alexander Smirnov | Secretary 1928.04–1930.07 | 1930.07 not re-elected |
| Karl Bauman | Candidate secretary 1928.04–1929.04Secretary 1929.04–1932.10 | 1932.10 removed |
| Pavel Postyshev | Secretary 1930.07–1934.02 | 1934.02 not re-elected |
The Secretariat of 1934–1953 Joseph Stalin, Lazar Kaganovich, Andrei Zhdanov, Sergei Kirov …
From 1934 no General Secretary was formally elected, and the Secretariat consisted of Stalin and a few secretaries. Zhdanov and Malenkov took turns as the second figure in it. The 19th Congress of 1952 abolished the Orgburo and enlarged the Secretariat to ten.
| Person | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph Stalin | Secretary 1922.04–1953.03 | 1953.03 died in office · General Secretary 1922.04–1934.02, thereafter a secretary in title |
| Lazar Kaganovich | Secretary 1924.06–1925.04Secretary 1928.07–1939.03 | 1939.03 not re-elected |
| Andrei Zhdanov | Secretary 1934.02–1948.08 | 1948.08 died in office |
| Sergei Kirov | Secretary 1934.02–1934.12 | 1934.12 assassinated |
| Andrei Andreyev | Secretary 1924.02–1926.01Secretary 1935.02–1946.03 | 1946.03 not re-elected |
| Nikolai Yezhov | Secretary 1935.02–1939.03 | 1939.03 not re-elected |
| Georgy Malenkov | Secretary 1939.03–1946.05Secretary 1948.07–1953.03 | 1953.03 removed |
| Alexander Shcherbakov | Secretary 1941.05–1945.05 | 1945.05 died in office |
| Alexei Kuznetsov | Secretary 1946.03–1949.01 | 1949.01 removed |
| Georgy Popov | Secretary 1946.03–1949.12 | 1949.12 removed |
| Nikolai Patolichev | Secretary 1946.05–1947.05 | 1947.05 removed |
| Mikhail Suslov | Secretary 1947.05–1982.01 | 1982.01 died in office |
| Panteleimon Ponomarenko | Secretary 1948.07–1953.03 | 1953.03 removed |
| Nikita Khrushchev | Secretary 1949.12–1964.10 | 1964.10 removed · First Secretary 1953.09–1964.10 |
| Averky Aristov | Secretary 1952.10–1953.03Secretary 1955.07–1960.05 | 1960.05 removed |
| Leonid Brezhnev | Secretary 1952.10–1953.03Secretary 1956.02–1960.07Secretary 1963.06–1982.11 | 1982.11 died in office · First Secretary 1964.10–1966.04, General Secretary 1966.04–1982.11 |
| Nikolai Ignatov | Secretary 1952.10–1953.03Secretary 1957.12–1960.05 | 1960.05 removed |
| Nikolai Mikhailov | Secretary 1952.10–1953.03 | 1953.03 removed |
| Nikolai Pegov | Secretary 1952.10–1953.03 | 1953.03 removed |
The Khrushchev years Mikhail Suslov, Nikita Khrushchev, Semyon Ignatiev, Pyotr Pospelov …
After Stalin’s death Malenkov left the Secretariat and Khrushchev became First Secretary in September 1953. After the Anti-Party Group affair of 1957 removed Shepilov, newcomers such as Kirichenko, Ignatov and Mukhitdinov joined, and in October 1964 a plenum removed Khrushchev.
| Person | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mikhail Suslov | Secretary 1947.05–1982.01 | 1982.01 died in office |
| Nikita Khrushchev | Secretary 1949.12–1964.10 | 1964.10 removed · First Secretary 1953.09–1964.10 |
| Semyon Ignatiev | Secretary 1953.03–1953.04 | 1953.04 removed |
| Pyotr Pospelov | Secretary 1953.03–1960.05 | 1960.05 removed |
| Nikolai Shatalin | Secretary 1953.03–1955.03 | 1955.03 removed |
| Averky Aristov | Secretary 1952.10–1953.03Secretary 1955.07–1960.05 | 1960.05 removed |
| Nikolai Belyaev | Secretary 1955.07–1958.11 | 1958.11 removed |
| Dmitri Shepilov | Secretary 1955.07–1956.12Secretary 1957.02–1957.06 | 1957.06 removed |
| Leonid Brezhnev | Secretary 1952.10–1953.03Secretary 1956.02–1960.07Secretary 1963.06–1982.11 | 1982.11 died in office · First Secretary 1964.10–1966.04, General Secretary 1966.04–1982.11 |
| Yekaterina Furtseva | Secretary 1956.02–1960.05 | 1960.05 removed |
| Otto Wille Kuusinen | Secretary 1957.06–1964.05 | 1964.05 died in office |
| Nikolai Ignatov | Secretary 1952.10–1953.03Secretary 1957.12–1960.05 | 1960.05 removed |
| Aleksey Kirichenko | Secretary 1957.12–1960.05 | 1960.05 removed |
| Nuritdin Mukhitdinov | Secretary 1957.12–1961.10 | 1961.10 not re-elected |
| Frol Kozlov | Secretary 1960.05–1964.11 | 1964.11 removed |
| Pyotr Demichev | Secretary 1961.10–1974.12 | 1974.12 removed |
| Leonid Ilyichev | Secretary 1961.10–1965.03 | 1965.03 removed |
| Boris Ponomarev | Secretary 1961.10–1986.03 | 1986.03 not re-elected |
| Ivan Spiridonov | Secretary 1961.10–1962.04 | 1962.04 removed |
| Alexander Shelepin | Secretary 1961.10–1967.09 | 1967.09 removed |
| Yuri Andropov | Secretary 1962.11–1967.06Secretary 1982.05–1984.02 | 1984.02 died in office · General Secretary 1982.11–1984.02 |
| Vasily Polyakov | Secretary 1962.11–1964.11 | 1964.11 removed |
| Aleksandr Rudakov | Secretary 1962.11–1966.07 | 1966.07 died in office |
| Vitaly Titov | Secretary 1962.11–1965.09 | 1965.09 removed |
| Nikolai Podgorny | Secretary 1963.06–1965.12 | 1965.12 removed |
The Brezhnev years Mikhail Suslov, Leonid Brezhnev, Frol Kozlov, Pyotr Demichev …
In 1966 the title of First Secretary reverted to General Secretary. Secretaries held their posts for long stretches. Suslov, in charge of ideology, chaired the Secretariat’s meetings, and in his absence Kirilenko, in charge of industry, took the chair.
| Person | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mikhail Suslov | Secretary 1947.05–1982.01 | 1982.01 died in office |
| Leonid Brezhnev | Secretary 1952.10–1953.03Secretary 1956.02–1960.07Secretary 1963.06–1982.11 | 1982.11 died in office · First Secretary 1964.10–1966.04, General Secretary 1966.04–1982.11 |
| Frol Kozlov | Secretary 1960.05–1964.11 | 1964.11 removed |
| Pyotr Demichev | Secretary 1961.10–1974.12 | 1974.12 removed |
| Leonid Ilyichev | Secretary 1961.10–1965.03 | 1965.03 removed |
| Boris Ponomarev | Secretary 1961.10–1986.03 | 1986.03 not re-elected |
| Alexander Shelepin | Secretary 1961.10–1967.09 | 1967.09 removed |
| Yuri Andropov | Secretary 1962.11–1967.06Secretary 1982.05–1984.02 | 1984.02 died in office · General Secretary 1982.11–1984.02 |
| Vasily Polyakov | Secretary 1962.11–1964.11 | 1964.11 removed |
| Aleksandr Rudakov | Secretary 1962.11–1966.07 | 1966.07 died in office |
| Vitaly Titov | Secretary 1962.11–1965.09 | 1965.09 removed |
| Nikolai Podgorny | Secretary 1963.06–1965.12 | 1965.12 removed |
| Dmitry Ustinov | Secretary 1965.03–1976.10 | 1976.10 removed |
| Fyodor Kulakov | Secretary 1965.09–1978.07 | 1978.07 died in office |
| Ivan Kapitonov | Secretary 1965.12–1986.03 | 1986.03 not re-elected |
| Andrei Kirilenko | Secretary 1966.04–1982.11 | 1982.11 removed |
| Mikhail Solomentsev | Secretary 1966.12–1971.11 | 1971.11 removed |
| Konstantin Katushev | Secretary 1968.04–1977.05 | 1977.05 removed |
| Vladimir Dolgikh | Secretary 1972.12–1988.09 | 1988.09 removed |
| Mikhail Zimyanin | Secretary 1976.03–1987.01 | 1987.01 removed |
| Konstantin Chernenko | Secretary 1976.03–1985.03 | 1985.03 died in office · General Secretary 1984.02–1985.03 |
| Yakov Ryabov | Secretary 1976.10–1979.04 | 1979.04 removed |
| Konstantin Rusakov | Secretary 1977.05–1986.02 | 1986.02 removed |
| Mikhail Gorbachev | Secretary 1978.11–1991.08 | 1991.08 resigned as General Secretary · General Secretary 1985.03–1991.08 |
From Andropov to the end Boris Ponomarev, Yuri Andropov, Ivan Kapitonov, Vladimir Dolgikh …
After the short tenures of Andropov and Chernenko, Gorbachev became General Secretary in 1985 and replaced much of the Secretariat. After the 1988 reorganisation it largely stopped meeting, and the suspension of the party’s activity in August 1991 ended its history.
| Person | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Boris Ponomarev | Secretary 1961.10–1986.03 | 1986.03 not re-elected |
| Yuri Andropov | Secretary 1962.11–1967.06Secretary 1982.05–1984.02 | 1984.02 died in office · General Secretary 1982.11–1984.02 |
| Ivan Kapitonov | Secretary 1965.12–1986.03 | 1986.03 not re-elected |
| Vladimir Dolgikh | Secretary 1972.12–1988.09 | 1988.09 removed |
| Mikhail Zimyanin | Secretary 1976.03–1987.01 | 1987.01 removed |
| Konstantin Chernenko | Secretary 1976.03–1985.03 | 1985.03 died in office · General Secretary 1984.02–1985.03 |
| Konstantin Rusakov | Secretary 1977.05–1986.02 | 1986.02 removed |
| Mikhail Gorbachev | Secretary 1978.11–1991.08 | 1991.08 resigned as General Secretary · General Secretary 1985.03–1991.08 |
| Nikolai Ryzhkov | Secretary 1982.11–1985.10 | 1985.10 removed |
| Grigory Romanov | Secretary 1983.06–1985.07 | 1985.07 removed |
| Yegor Ligachev | Secretary 1983.12–1990.07 | 1990.07 not re-elected |
| Viktor Nikonov | Secretary 1985.04–1989.09 | 1989.09 removed |
| Boris Yeltsin | Secretary 1985.07–1986.02 | 1986.02 removed |
| Lev Zaikov | Secretary 1985.07–1990.07 | 1990.07 not re-elected |
| Aleksandra Biryukova | Secretary 1986.03–1988.09 | 1988.09 removed |
| Anatoly Dobrynin | Secretary 1986.03–1988.09 | 1988.09 removed |
| Vadim Medvedev | Secretary 1986.03–1990.07 | 1990.07 not re-elected |
| Georgy Razumovsky | Secretary 1986.03–1990.07 | 1990.07 not re-elected |
| Alexander Yakovlev | Secretary 1986.03–1990.07 | 1990.07 not re-elected |
| Anatoly Lukyanov | Secretary 1987.01–1988.09 | 1988.09 removed |
| Nikolai Slyunkov | Secretary 1987.01–1990.07 | 1990.07 not re-elected |
| Oleg Baklanov | Secretary 1988.02–1991.08 | served until the party ban of 1991.11 |
| Viktor Chebrikov | Secretary 1988.09–1989.09 | 1989.09 removed |
| Andrei Girenko | Secretary 1989.09–1991.08 | served until the party ban of 1991.11 |
| Yuri Manayenkov | Secretary 1989.09–1991.08 | served until the party ban of 1991.11 |
| Yegor Stroev | Secretary 1989.09–1991.08 | served until the party ban of 1991.11 |
| Gumer Usmanov | Secretary 1989.09–1990.07 | 1990.07 not re-elected |
| Ivan Frolov | Secretary 1989.12–1990.07 | 1990.07 not re-elected |
| Vladimir Ivashko | Secretary 1990.07–1991.08 | served until the party ban of 1991.11 · Deputy General Secretary 1990.07–1991.08, acting General Secretary 1991.08 |
| Boris Gidaspov | Secretary 1990.07–1991.08 | served until the party ban of 1991.11 |
| Alexander Dzasokhov | Secretary 1990.07–1991.08 | served until the party ban of 1991.11 |
| Valentin Kuptsov | Secretary 1990.07–1991.08 | served until the party ban of 1991.11 |
| Galina Semyonova | Secretary 1990.07–1991.08 | served until the party ban of 1991.11 |
| Valentin Falin | Secretary 1990.07–1991.08 | served until the party ban of 1991.11 |
| Oleg Shenin | Secretary 1990.07–1991.08 | served until the party ban of 1991.11 |
| Gennady Yanayev | Secretary 1990.07–1991.01 | 1991.01 removed · Moved to become Vice President of the USSR |
| Pyotr Luchinsky | Secretary 1991.01–1991.08 | served until the party ban of 1991.11 |
| Vladimir Kalashnikov | Secretary 1991.07–1991.08 | served until the party ban of 1991.11 |
| Ivan Melnikov | Secretary 1991.07–1991.08 | served until the party ban of 1991.11 · Non-secretary member of the Secretariat 1990.07–1991.07 |
Composition by party congress
Each block’s table lists everyone who passed through that term, mid-term by-elections, promotions and removals included. The counts in the heading are the body’s actual size as elected at the Central Committee plenum after the congress, not the table’s row count. Candidate secretaries existed only in 1923–1934, and the 21st (extraordinary) Congress of 1959 elected no new Secretariat.
6th Congress
On 19 (6) August 1917 the inner group of the Central Committee chose the first Secretariat to handle organisational and technical work. Earlier, in March, Stasova had been appointed secretary of the CC Bureau.
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Adolph Joffe | elected | not re-elected |
| Elena Stasova | elected | |
| Felix Dzerzhinsky | elected | not re-elected |
| Matvei Muranov | elected | not re-elected |
| Yakov Sverdlov | elected |
7th Congress
The plenum after the congress made Sverdlov chairman of the Secretariat and Stasova its secretary; the two of them did the actual work.
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Elena Stasova | re-elected | |
| Yakov Sverdlov | re-elected | 1919.03 died |
8th Congress
The congress resolution on organisation made the Secretariat a standing body alongside the Politburo and Orgburo, to consist of one Responsible Secretary from the Orgburo plus technical secretaries.
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Elena Stasova | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Nikolay Krestinsky | 1919.11 by-elected |
9th Congress
For the first time three Central Committee members served as secretaries. All three sided with Trotsky in the 1921 trade-union debate and were replaced after the 10th Congress.
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Leonid Serebryakov | elected | not re-elected |
| Nikolay Krestinsky | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Yevgeni Preobrazhensky | elected | not re-elected |
10th Congress
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Emelyan Yaroslavsky | elected | 1921.08 removed |
| Vasily Mikhailov | elected | not re-elected |
| Vyacheslav Molotov | elected |
11th Congress
The plenum after the congress created the post of General Secretary and elected Stalin to it.
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph Stalin | elected | |
| Valerian Kuibyshev | elected | not re-elected |
| Vyacheslav Molotov | re-elected |
12th Congress
In June 1923 a Politburo decision appointed the first candidate members of the Secretariat, a category that lasted until 1934.
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Jānis Rudzutaks | elected | 1924.02 removed |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Vyacheslav Molotov | re-elected | |
| Andrei Andreyev | 1924.02 by-elected |
Candidate secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Isaak Zelensky | 1923.06 by-elected | full member next term |
| Vasily Mikhailov | 1923.06 by-elected | not re-elected |
13th Congress
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Andrei Andreyev | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Isaak Zelensky | promoted from candidate | 1924.08 removed |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Lazar Kaganovich | elected | 1925.04 removed |
| Vyacheslav Molotov | re-elected | |
| Nikolai Uglanov | 1924.08 by-elected | |
| Andrei Bubnov | 1925.04 by-elected | demoted to candidate |
Candidate secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Klavdiya Nikolaeva | 1924.06 by-elected | not re-elected |
| Nikolai Antipov | 1924.06 by-elected | not re-elected |
| Pyotr Zalutsky | 1924.06 by-elected | not re-elected |
14th Congress
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Grigory Evdokimov | elected | 1926.04 removed |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Nikolai Uglanov | re-elected | |
| Stanislav Kosior | elected | |
| Vyacheslav Molotov | re-elected | |
| Nikolai Shvernik | 1926.04 by-elected | 1927.02 removed |
| Nikolai Kubyak | 1927.02 by-elected |
Candidate secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandra Artyukhina | elected | |
| Andrei Bubnov | demoted from full membership |
15th Congress
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Nikolai Kubyak | re-elected | 1928.04 removed |
| Nikolai Uglanov | re-elected | 1929.04 removed |
| Stanislav Kosior | re-elected | 1928.07 removed |
| Vyacheslav Molotov | re-elected | |
| Alexander Smirnov | 1928.04 by-elected | not re-elected |
| Lazar Kaganovich | 1928.07 by-elected | |
| Karl Bauman | 1929.04 promoted |
Candidate secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandra Artyukhina | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Andrei Bubnov | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Ivan Moskvin | elected | |
| Karl Bauman | 1928.04 by-elected | 1929.04 promoted to full member |
16th Congress
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Karl Bauman | re-elected | 1932.10 removed |
| Lazar Kaganovich | re-elected | |
| Pavel Postyshev | elected | not re-elected |
| Vyacheslav Molotov | re-elected | 1930.12 removed |
Candidate secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Ivan Moskvin | re-elected | 1932.10 removed |
| Nikolai Shvernik | elected | not re-elected |
17th Congress
From this point no General Secretary was formally elected, and Stalin was in title one of the secretaries. Candidate members of the Secretariat were no longer appointed.
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Andrei Zhdanov | elected | |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Lazar Kaganovich | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Sergei Kirov | elected | 1934.12 assassinated |
| Andrei Andreyev | 1935.02 by-elected | |
| Nikolai Yezhov | 1935.02 by-elected | not re-elected |
18th Congress
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Andrei Andreyev | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Andrei Zhdanov | re-elected | |
| Georgy Malenkov | elected | |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Alexander Shcherbakov | 1941.05 by-elected | 1945.05 died |
Central Committee plenum of March 1946
A plenum, with no congress, re-formed the Secretariat. Most later changes were made by written poll (opros) without a meeting.
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alexei Kuznetsov | elected | 1949.01 removed |
| Andrei Zhdanov | re-elected | 1948.08 died |
| Georgy Malenkov | re-elected | 1946.05 removed |
| Georgy Popov | elected | 1949.12 removed |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | |
| Nikolai Patolichev | 1946.05 by-elected | 1947.05 removed |
| Mikhail Suslov | 1947.05 by-elected | |
| Georgy Malenkov | 1948.07 by-elected | |
| Panteleimon Ponomarenko | 1948.07 by-elected | |
| Nikita Khrushchev | 1949.12 by-elected |
19th Congress
The Orgburo was abolished and its functions passed to the Secretariat, which grew to ten secretaries. Right after Stalin’s death in March 1953 it was cut back again, and in September Khrushchev was elected First Secretary.
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Averky Aristov | elected | 1953.03 removed |
| Georgy Malenkov | re-elected | 1953.03 removed |
| Joseph Stalin | re-elected | 1953.03 died |
| Leonid Brezhnev | elected | 1953.03 removed |
| Mikhail Suslov | re-elected | |
| Nikita Khrushchev | re-elected | |
| Nikolai Ignatov | elected | 1953.03 removed |
| Nikolai Mikhailov | elected | 1953.03 removed |
| Nikolai Pegov | elected | 1953.03 removed |
| Panteleimon Ponomarenko | re-elected | 1953.03 removed |
| Nikolai Shatalin | 1953.03 by-elected | 1955.03 removed |
| Pyotr Pospelov | 1953.03 by-elected | |
| Semyon Ignatiev | 1953.03 by-elected | 1953.04 removed |
| Averky Aristov | 1955.07 by-elected | |
| Dmitri Shepilov | 1955.07 by-elected | |
| Nikolai Belyaev | 1955.07 by-elected |
20th Congress
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Averky Aristov | re-elected | 1960.05 removed |
| Dmitri Shepilov | re-elected | 1956.12 removed |
| Leonid Brezhnev | elected | 1960.07 removed |
| Mikhail Suslov | re-elected | |
| Nikita Khrushchev | re-elected | |
| Nikolai Belyaev | re-elected | 1958.11 removed |
| Pyotr Pospelov | re-elected | 1960.05 removed |
| Yekaterina Furtseva | elected | 1960.05 removed |
| Dmitri Shepilov | 1957.02 by-elected | 1957.06 removed |
| Otto Wille Kuusinen | 1957.06 by-elected | |
| Aleksey Kirichenko | 1957.12 by-elected | 1960.05 removed |
| Nikolai Ignatov | 1957.12 by-elected | 1960.05 removed |
| Nuritdin Mukhitdinov | 1957.12 by-elected | not re-elected |
| Frol Kozlov | 1960.05 by-elected |
22nd Congress
In October 1964 a plenum removed Khrushchev as First Secretary and elected Brezhnev.
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Shelepin | elected | |
| Boris Ponomarev | elected | |
| Frol Kozlov | re-elected | 1964.11 removed |
| Ivan Spiridonov | elected | 1962.04 removed |
| Leonid Ilyichev | elected | 1965.03 removed |
| Mikhail Suslov | re-elected | |
| Nikita Khrushchev | re-elected | 1964.10 removed |
| Otto Wille Kuusinen | re-elected | 1964.05 died |
| Pyotr Demichev | elected | |
| Aleksandr Rudakov | 1962.11 by-elected | |
| Vasily Polyakov | 1962.11 by-elected | 1964.11 removed |
| Vitaly Titov | 1962.11 by-elected | 1965.09 removed |
| Yuri Andropov | 1962.11 by-elected | |
| Leonid Brezhnev | 1963.06 by-elected | |
| Nikolai Podgorny | 1963.06 by-elected | 1965.12 removed |
| Dmitry Ustinov | 1965.03 by-elected | |
| Fyodor Kulakov | 1965.09 by-elected | |
| Ivan Kapitonov | 1965.12 by-elected |
23rd Congress
The title of First Secretary reverted to General Secretary.
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Aleksandr Rudakov | re-elected | 1966.07 died |
| Alexander Shelepin | re-elected | 1967.09 removed |
| Andrei Kirilenko | elected | |
| Boris Ponomarev | re-elected | |
| Dmitry Ustinov | re-elected | |
| Fyodor Kulakov | re-elected | |
| Ivan Kapitonov | re-elected | |
| Leonid Brezhnev | re-elected | |
| Mikhail Suslov | re-elected | |
| Pyotr Demichev | re-elected | |
| Yuri Andropov | re-elected | 1967.06 removed |
| Mikhail Solomentsev | 1966.12 by-elected | |
| Konstantin Katushev | 1968.04 by-elected |
24th Congress
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Andrei Kirilenko | re-elected | |
| Boris Ponomarev | re-elected | |
| Dmitry Ustinov | re-elected | |
| Fyodor Kulakov | re-elected | |
| Ivan Kapitonov | re-elected | |
| Konstantin Katushev | re-elected | |
| Leonid Brezhnev | re-elected | |
| Mikhail Solomentsev | re-elected | 1971.11 removed |
| Mikhail Suslov | re-elected | |
| Pyotr Demichev | re-elected | 1974.12 removed |
| Vladimir Dolgikh | 1972.12 by-elected |
25th Congress
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Andrei Kirilenko | re-elected | |
| Boris Ponomarev | re-elected | |
| Dmitry Ustinov | re-elected | 1976.10 removed |
| Fyodor Kulakov | re-elected | 1978.07 died |
| Ivan Kapitonov | re-elected | |
| Konstantin Chernenko | elected | |
| Konstantin Katushev | re-elected | 1977.05 removed |
| Leonid Brezhnev | re-elected | |
| Mikhail Suslov | re-elected | |
| Mikhail Zimyanin | elected | |
| Vladimir Dolgikh | re-elected | |
| Yakov Ryabov | 1976.10 by-elected | 1979.04 removed |
| Konstantin Rusakov | 1977.05 by-elected | |
| Mikhail Gorbachev | 1978.11 by-elected |
26th Congress
Brezhnev (1982.11), Andropov (1984.02) and Chernenko (1985.03) died in office as General Secretary in quick succession, and in March 1985 Gorbachev became General Secretary.
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Andrei Kirilenko | re-elected | 1982.11 removed |
| Boris Ponomarev | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Ivan Kapitonov | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Konstantin Chernenko | re-elected | 1985.03 died |
| Konstantin Rusakov | re-elected | 1986.02 removed |
| Leonid Brezhnev | re-elected | 1982.11 died |
| Mikhail Gorbachev | re-elected | |
| Mikhail Suslov | re-elected | 1982.01 died |
| Mikhail Zimyanin | re-elected | |
| Vladimir Dolgikh | re-elected | |
| Yuri Andropov | 1982.05 by-elected | 1984.02 died |
| Nikolai Ryzhkov | 1982.11 by-elected | 1985.10 removed |
| Grigory Romanov | 1983.06 by-elected | 1985.07 removed |
| Yegor Ligachev | 1983.12 by-elected | |
| Viktor Nikonov | 1985.04 by-elected | |
| Boris Yeltsin | 1985.07 by-elected | 1986.02 removed |
| Lev Zaikov | 1985.07 by-elected |
27th Congress
The July 1988 plenum decided to reorganise the apparatus, and once standing Central Committee commissions headed by secretaries were set up in November, the Secretariat, though it formally remained, largely stopped meeting.
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Aleksandra Biryukova | elected | 1988.09 removed |
| Alexander Yakovlev | elected | not re-elected |
| Anatoly Dobrynin | elected | 1988.09 removed |
| Georgy Razumovsky | elected | not re-elected |
| Lev Zaikov | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Mikhail Gorbachev | re-elected | |
| Mikhail Zimyanin | re-elected | 1987.01 removed |
| Vadim Medvedev | elected | not re-elected |
| Viktor Nikonov | re-elected | 1989.09 removed |
| Vladimir Dolgikh | re-elected | 1988.09 removed |
| Yegor Ligachev | re-elected | not re-elected |
| Anatoly Lukyanov | 1987.01 by-elected | 1988.09 removed |
| Nikolai Slyunkov | 1987.01 by-elected | not re-elected |
| Oleg Baklanov | 1988.02 by-elected | |
| Viktor Chebrikov | 1988.09 by-elected | 1989.09 removed |
| Andrei Girenko | 1989.09 by-elected | |
| Gumer Usmanov | 1989.09 by-elected | not re-elected |
| Yegor Stroev | 1989.09 by-elected | |
| Yuri Manayenkov | 1989.09 by-elected | |
| Ivan Frolov | 1989.12 by-elected | not re-elected |
28th Congress
The congress itself elected the General Secretary and his deputy. Besides the secretaries, five non-secretary members of the Secretariat were chosen (Viktor Aniskin, Valentin Gaivoronsky, Ivan Melnikov, Alexander Teplenichev, Gulchekhra Turgunova), with Alexander Maltsev added in July 1991; this table lists secretaries only. On 29 August 1991 the USSR Supreme Soviet suspended the party’s activity, and in November it was banned.
Secretaries
| Person | Entry | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Dzasokhov | elected | party banned 1991.11 |
| Andrei Girenko | re-elected | party banned 1991.11 |
| Boris Gidaspov | elected | party banned 1991.11 |
| Galina Semyonova | elected | party banned 1991.11 |
| Gennady Yanayev | elected | 1991.01 removed |
| Mikhail Gorbachev | re-elected | 1991.08 resigned |
| Oleg Baklanov | re-elected | party banned 1991.11 |
| Oleg Shenin | elected | party banned 1991.11 |
| Valentin Falin | elected | party banned 1991.11 |
| Valentin Kuptsov | elected | party banned 1991.11 |
| Vladimir Ivashko | elected | party banned 1991.11 |
| Yegor Stroev | re-elected | party banned 1991.11 |
| Yuri Manayenkov | re-elected | party banned 1991.11 |
| Pyotr Luchinsky | 1991.01 by-elected | party banned 1991.11 |
| Ivan Melnikov | 1991.07 by-elected | party banned 1991.11 |
| Vladimir Kalashnikov | 1991.07 by-elected | party banned 1991.11 |
Rosters and dates follow the Secretariat composition list of knowbysight.info (Spravochnik po istorii KPSS), cross-checked against the Russian Wikipedia lists of Secretariat compositions and members. Errors in Wikipedia were corrected from knowbysight and individual biographies: the July 1955 appointee (Shepilov, not Shvernik), Dolgikh’s departure (1988.09, not 1986.03) and the date Andropov became General Secretary (1982.11). Non-secretary members of the Secretariat elected in 1990 are not included.
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