Who was the leader after Brezhnev. Years of Stalin's reign

The first ruler of the young Country of Soviets, which arose as a result of the October Revolution of 1917, was the head of the RCP (b) - the Bolshevik Party - Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin), who led the “revolution of workers and peasants”. All subsequent rulers of the USSR held the post of General Secretary of the central committee of this organization, which, starting in 1922, became known as the CPSU - Communist Party Soviet Union.

Let us note that the ideology of the system ruling the country denied the possibility of holding any national elections or voting. The change of the highest leaders of the state was carried out by the ruling elite itself, either after the death of their predecessor, or as a result of coups, accompanied by serious internal party struggle. The article will list the rulers of the USSR in chronological order and the main stages are marked life path some of the most prominent historical figures.

Ulyanov (Lenin) Vladimir Ilyich (1870-1924)

One of the most famous figures in history Soviet Russia. Vladimir Ulyanov stood at the origins of its creation, was the organizer and one of the leaders of the event, which gave rise to the world's first communist state. Having led a coup in October 1917 aimed at overthrowing the provisional government, he took the post of Chairman of the Council People's Commissars- post of manager new country, formed on the ruins of the Russian Empire.

His merit is considered to be the peace treaty of 1918 with Germany, which marked the end of the NEP - the new economic policy government, which was supposed to lead the country out of the abyss of widespread poverty and hunger. All the rulers of the USSR considered themselves “faithful Leninists” and in every possible way praised Vladimir Ulyanov as a great statesman.

It should be noted that immediately after the “reconciliation with the Germans,” the Bolsheviks, under the leadership of Lenin, unleashed internal terror against dissent and the legacy of tsarism, which claimed millions of lives. The NEP policy also did not last long and was canceled shortly after his death, which occurred on January 21, 1924.

Dzhugashvili (Stalin) Joseph Vissarionovich (1879-1953)

Joseph Stalin became the first General Secretary in 1922. However, right up to the death of V.I. Lenin, he remained in the secondary leadership role of the state, inferior in popularity to his other comrades, who also aimed to become the rulers of the USSR. Nevertheless, after the death of the leader of the world proletariat, Stalin quickly eliminated his main opponents, accusing them of betraying the ideals of the revolution.

By the early 1930s, he became the sole leader of nations, capable of deciding the fate of millions of citizens with the stroke of a pen. His policy of forced collectivization and dispossession, which replaced the NEP, as well as mass repressions against people dissatisfied with the current government, claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of USSR citizens. However, the period of Stalin’s reign is noticeable not only in its bloody trail, it is also worth noting positive points his leadership. In a short time, the Union turned from a country with a third-rate economy into a powerful industrial power that won the battle against fascism.

After the end of the Great Patriotic War many cities in the western part of the USSR, destroyed almost to the ground, were quickly restored, and their industry began to work even more efficiently. The rulers of the USSR, who held the highest position after Joseph Stalin, denied his leading role in the development of the state and characterized his reign as a period of the cult of the leader’s personality.

Khrushchev Nikita Sergeevich (1894-1971)

Coming from a simple peasant family, N.S. Khrushchev took the helm of the party shortly after Stalin’s death, which occurred. During the first years of his reign, he waged a behind-the-scenes struggle with G.M. Malenkov, who held the post of Chairman of the Council of Ministers and was the de facto leader of the state.

In 1956, Khrushchev read a report at the 20th Party Congress on Stalin's repressions, condemning the actions of his predecessor. The reign of Nikita Sergeevich was marked by the development of the space program - the launch artificial satellite and the first human flight into space. His new one allowed many citizens of the country to move from cramped communal apartments to more comfortable separate housing. The houses that were built en masse at that time are still popularly called “Khrushchev buildings.”

Brezhnev Leonid Ilyich (1907-1982)

On October 14, 1964, N. S. Khrushchev was removed from his post by a group of members of the Central Committee under the leadership of L. I. Brezhnev. For the first time in the history of the state, the rulers of the USSR were replaced in order not after the death of the leader, but as a result of an internal party conspiracy. The Brezhnev era in Russian history is known as stagnation. The country stopped developing and began to lose to the leading world powers, lagging behind them in all sectors, excluding military-industrial.

Brezhnev made some attempts to improve relations with the United States, which were damaged in 1962, when N.S. Khrushchev ordered the deployment of missiles with nuclear warheads in Cuba. Agreements were signed with the American leadership that limited the arms race. However, all the efforts of L.I. Brezhnev to defuse the situation were canceled out by the introduction of troops into Afghanistan.

Andropov Yuri Vladimirovich (1914-1984)

After Brezhnev's death on November 10, 1982, his place was taken by Yu. Andropov, who had previously headed the KGB - the USSR State Security Committee. He set a course for reforms and transformations in social and economic spheres. His reign was marked by the initiation of criminal cases exposing corruption in government circles. However, Yuri Vladimirovich did not have time to make any changes in the life of the state, as he had serious health problems and died on February 9, 1984.

Chernenko Konstantin Ustinovich (1911-1985)

Since February 13, 1984, he held the post of General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. He continued the policy of his predecessor to expose corruption in the echelons of power. He was very ill and died in 1985, having held the highest government post for just over a year. All past rulers of the USSR, according to the order established in the state, were buried with K.U. Chernenko was the last on this list.

Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeevich (1931)

M. S. Gorbachev is the most famous Russian politician of the late twentieth century. He won love and popularity in the West, but his rule evokes ambivalent feelings among the citizens of his country. If Europeans and Americans call him a great reformer, many people in Russia consider him the destroyer of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev proclaimed internal economic and political reforms, held under the slogan “Perestroika, Glasnost, Acceleration!”, which led to a massive shortage of food and industrial goods, unemployment and a drop in the standard of living of the population.

To assert that the era of M. S. Gorbachev’s reign had only Negative consequences for the life of our country, it will be wrong. In Russia, the concepts of a multi-party system, freedom of religion and the press appeared. For his foreign policy, Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The rulers of the USSR and Russia, neither before nor after Mikhail Sergeevich, were awarded such an honor.

Authorities in the USSR from 1924 to 1991

Good afternoon dear friends!

In this post we will talk about one of the most difficult topics in the history of Russia - authorities in the USSR from 1924 to 1991. This topic causes not only difficulties for applicants, but sometimes stupor, since if the structure of government bodies Tsarist Russia Although somehow understandable, some kind of confusion is coming from the USSR.

It's understandable soviet history in itself is many times more difficult for applicants than the entire previous history of Russia taken together. However, with this article about authorities in the USSR you can understand this topic once and for all!

Let's start with the basics. There are three branches of government: legislative, executive and judicial. Legislative branch - passes laws that regulate life in the state. Executive branch- fulfills these very laws. Judicial branch - judges people and oversees the legal system as a whole. See my article for more details.

So, now we will look at the authorities that were in the USSR - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which was formed, as you remember, in 1922. But first !

Authorities in the USSR according to the Constitution of 1924.

So, the first Constitution of the USSR was adopted in 1924. According to it, these were the authorities in the USSR:

All legislative power belonged to the Congress of Soviets of the USSR; it was this body of power that adopted all the laws binding on all union republics, of which there were initially 4 - the Ukrainian SSR, the Western SSR, the BSSR and the RSFSR. However, the Congress met only once a year! That's why between conventions performed his functions Central Executive Committee (CEC). He also announced the convening of the Congress of Soviets of the USSR.

However, the sessions of the Central Executive Committee were also interrupted (there were only 3 sessions a year!) - you need to rest! Therefore, between sessions of the Central Executive Committee, the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee acted. According to the Constitution of 1924, the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee is the highest legislative, executive and administrative authority of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. However, he was responsible for his actions to the Central Election Commission. The Presidium of the Central Executive Committee sent all bills submitted for its consideration to two chambers of the Central Executive Committee: the Union Council and the Council of Nationalities.

However, not all executive power belonged exclusively to the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee! The Central Executive Committee approved the Council of People's Commissars - the Council of People's Commissars. Otherwise he appears in Unified State Exam tests like the Council of People's Commissars! The Council of People's Commissars consisted of people's commissariats. They were led by people's commissars, of whom there were initially ten:

people's commissar on foreign affairs; People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs; People's Commissar for Foreign Trade; People's Commissar of Railways; People's Commissar of Posts and Telegraphs; People's Commissar of the Workers' and Peasants' Inspectorate; chairman Supreme Council National economy; People's Commissar of Labor; People's Commissar for Food; People's Commissar of Finance.

Who exactly held all these positions is at the end of the article! In fact, the Council of People's Commissars is the Government of the USSR, which was also supposed to implement the laws adopted by the Central Executive Committee and the Congress of Soviets of the USSR. Under the Council of People's Commissars, the OGPU was formed - the United State Political Directorate, which replaced the Cheka - the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission ("chekists").

Judicial power was exercised by the Supreme Court of the USSR, which also formed the Congress of Soviets of the USSR.

As you can see, nothing complicated. However, it is worth adding that each of these authorities had its own Chairman, who supervised (headed) it, and had its own deputies. Moreover, the Union Council and the Council of Nationalities had their own Presidiums, which functioned between their sessions. Of course, there was also the Chairman of the Presidium of the Union Council and the Chairman of the Presidium of the Council of Nationalities!

Authorities in the USSR according to the Constitution of 1936.

As can be seen from the diagram, the structure of government bodies in the USSR has become much simpler. However, there is one remark: until 1946, the Council of People's Commissars (Sovnarkom) continued to exist together with the People's Commissariats. In addition, the NKVD was formed - the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs, which included the OGPU and the GUGB - public administration state security.

It is clear that the functions of the authorities were the same. The structure simply changed: the Central Executive Committee no longer existed, and the Council of the Union and the Council of Nationalities became part of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The Supreme Soviet of the USSR is the renamed Congress of Soviets of the USSR; it was now convened 2 times a year. Between congresses of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, its functions were performed by the Presidium.

The Supreme Soviet of the USSR approved the Council of Ministers of the USSR (until 1946 there was the Council of People's Commissars) - the government of the USSR, and the Supreme Court of the USSR.

And you may have a natural question: “Who was the head of state of the USSR?” Formally, the USSR was governed collectively by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and its Presidium. In fact, during this period, the one who held the post of Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars and was the head of the party of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) was the head of the USSR. By the way, there were only three such people: V.I. Lenin, I.V. Stalin and N.S. Khrushchev. At all other times, the post of head of the party and head of government (Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR) were divided. More detailed information about the Chairmen of the Council of People's Commissars (and since 1946 - the Council of Ministers), you can find at the end of this article :)

Authorities in the USSR since 1957.

In 1957, the 1936 Constitution was in force. However, Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev carried out a reform government controlled, during which sectoral Ministries were eliminated and replaced with territorial Economic Councils in order to decentralize industrial management:

By the way, more detailed information about Khrushchev’s activities can be found.

Authorities in the USSR from 1988 to 1991.

I think there is nothing difficult in understanding this scheme. In connection with the reform of public administration under M.S. Gorbachev, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was liquidated, and in its place was created elected by the people Council of People's Deputies !

This is how the structure of government bodies in the USSR changed from 1922 to 1991. I hope you understand that the USSR was a federal state and all the considered authorities were duplicated at the republican level. If so, ask questions in the comments! So as not to miss new materials, !

To people who bought my video course "Russian history. Preparation for the Unified State Exam for 100 points" , on April 28, 2014 I will send 3 additional video lessons on this topic, plus a table of all positions in the USSR and heroes of the Great Patriotic War, front commanders and other useful things.

Well, as promised - table of all heads of the chairmen of the Council of People's Commissars:

Sincerely, Andrey (Dreammanhist) Puchkov

Due to the stampede that occurred during his coronation, many people died. Thus, the name “Bloody” was attached to the kindest philanthropist Nikolai. In 1898, caring for world peace, he issued a manifesto calling on all countries in the world to completely disarm. After this, a special commission met in The Hague to develop a number of measures that could further prevent bloody clashes between countries and peoples. But the peace-loving emperor had to fight. First in the First World War, then the Bolshevik coup broke out, as a result of which the monarch was overthrown, and then he and his family were shot in Yekaterinburg.

The Orthodox Church canonized Nikolai Romanov and his entire family as saints.

Lvov Georgy Evgenievich (1917)

After February revolution became Chairman of the Provisional Government, which he headed from March 2, 1917 to July 8, 1917. Subsequently he emigrated to France after the October Revolution.

Alexander Fedorovich (1917)

He was the chairman of the Provisional Government after Lvov.

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (Ulyanov) (1917 - 1922)

After the revolution in October 1917, in a short 5 years, a new state was formed - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1922). One of the main ideologists and leader of the Bolshevik revolution. It was V.I. who proclaimed two decrees in 1917: the first on ending the war, and the second on the abolition of land private property and the transfer of all territories previously owned by landowners for the use of workers. He died before the age of 54 in Gorki. His body rests in Moscow, in the Mausoleum on Red Square.

Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (Dzhugashvili) (1922 - 1953)

General Secretary of the Central Committee communist party. A totalitarian regime and a bloody dictatorship were established in the country. He forcibly carried out collectivization in the country, driving peasants into collective farms and depriving them of property and passports, essentially resuming serfdom. At the cost of hunger he arranged industrialization. During his reign, massive arrests and executions of all dissidents, as well as “enemies of the people,” were carried out in the country. Most of the country's intelligentsia perished in Stalin's Gulags. Won Second world war, defeating Hitler's Germany with its allies. Died of a stroke.

Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev (1953 - 1964)

After Stalin's death, having entered into an alliance with Malenkov, he removed Beria from power and took the place of General Secretary of the Communist Party. He debunked Stalin's personality cult. In 1960, at a meeting of the UN Assembly, he called on countries to disarmament and asked to include China in the Security Council. But foreign policy The USSR has become increasingly tough since 1961. The agreement on a three-year moratorium on nuclear weapons testing was violated by the USSR. The Cold War began with Western countries and, first of all, with the United States.

Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev (1964 - 1982)

He led a conspiracy against N.S., as a result of which he was removed from the position of General Secretary. The time of his reign is called “stagnation”. Total shortage of absolutely all consumer goods. The whole country is standing in kilometer-long queues. Corruption is rampant. Many public figures, persecuted for dissent, leave the country. This wave of emigration was later called the “brain drain.” L.I.'s last public appearance took place in 1982. He hosted the Parade on Red Square. That same year he passed away.

Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov (1983 - 1984)

Former head of the KGB. Having become the General Secretary, he treated his position accordingly. IN work time prohibited the appearance of adults on the streets without a good reason. Died of kidney failure.

Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko (1984 - 1985)

No one in the country took the appointment of the seriously ill 72-year-old Chernenok to the post of General Secretary seriously. He was considered a kind of “intermediate” figure. Most He spent his reign of the USSR in the Central Clinical Hospital. He became the last ruler of the country to be buried near the Kremlin wall.

Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev (1985 - 1991)

The first and only president of the USSR. He began a series of democratic reforms in the country, called “Perestroika”. Rid the country of " iron curtain", stopped persecuting dissidents. Freedom of speech appeared in the country. Opened the market for trade with Western countries. Stopped Cold War. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin (1991 - 1999)

Twice elected to the presidency Russian Federation. The economic crisis in the country caused by the collapse of the USSR exacerbated contradictions in the country's political system. Yeltsin's opponent was Vice President Rutskoi, who stormed the Ostankino television center and the Moscow City Hall and launched a coup d'état, which was suppressed. I was seriously ill. During his illness, the country was temporarily ruled by V.S. Chernomyrdin. B.I. Yeltsin announced his resignation in his New Year's address to the Russians. He died in 2007.

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (1999 - 2008)

Appointed by Yeltsin as acting President, after the elections he became the full-fledged president of the country.

Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev (2008 - 2012)

Protégé V.V. Putin. He served as president for four years, after which V.V. became president again. Putin.

The General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee is the highest position in the hierarchy of the Communist Party and, by and large, the leader of the Soviet Union. In the history of the party there were four more positions of the head of its central apparatus: Technical Secretary (1917-1918), Chairman of the Secretariat (1918-1919), Executive Secretary (1919-1922) and First Secretary (1953-1966).

The people who filled the first two positions were mainly engaged in paper secretarial work. The position of Executive Secretary was introduced in 1919 to perform administrative activities. The post of General Secretary, established in 1922, was also created purely for administrative and personnel internal party work. However, the first Secretary General Joseph Stalin, using the principles of democratic centralism, managed to become not only the leader of the party, but the entire Soviet Union.

At the 17th Party Congress, Stalin was not formally re-elected to the post of General Secretary. However, his influence was already enough to maintain leadership in the party and the country as a whole. After Stalin's death in 1953, Georgy Malenkov was considered the most influential member of the Secretariat. After his appointment to the post of Chairman of the Council of Ministers, he left the Secretariat and Nikita Khrushchev, who was soon elected First Secretary of the Central Committee, took the leading positions in the party.

Not limitless rulers

In 1964, the opposition within the Politburo and the Central Committee removed Nikita Khrushchev from the post of First Secretary, electing Leonid Brezhnev in his place. Since 1966, the position of the party leader was again called the General Secretary. In Brezhnev's times, the power of the General Secretary was not unlimited, since members of the Politburo could limit his powers. The leadership of the country was carried out collectively.

Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko ruled the country according to the same principle as the late Brezhnev. Both were elected to the party's top post while their health was failing and served only a short time as secretary general. Until 1990, when the Communist Party's monopoly on power was eliminated, Mikhail Gorbachev led the state as General Secretary of the CPSU. Especially for him, in order to maintain leadership in the country, the post of President of the Soviet Union was established in the same year.

After the August 1991 putsch, Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as General Secretary. He was replaced by his deputy, Vladimir Ivashko, who worked as acting General Secretary for only five calendar days, until that moment Russian President Boris Yeltsin suspended the activities of the CPSU.

General Secretaries of the USSR in chronological order

General secretaries of the USSR in chronological order. Today they are simply part of history, but once upon a time their faces were familiar to every single resident. huge country. Politic system in the Soviet Union was such that citizens did not elect their leaders. The decision to appoint the next secretary general was made by the ruling elite. But, nevertheless, the people respected government leaders and, for the most part, took this state of affairs as a given.

Joseph Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (Stalin)

Joseph Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, better known as Stalin, was born on December 18, 1879 in the Georgian city of Gori. Became the first General Secretary of the CPSU. He received this position in 1922, when Lenin was still alive, and until the latter’s death he played minor role in government.

When Vladimir Ilyich died, a serious struggle began for the highest post. Many of Stalin's competitors had a much better chance of taking over, but thanks to tough, uncompromising actions, Joseph Vissarionovich managed to emerge victorious. Most of the other applicants were physically destroyed, and some left the country.

In just a few years of rule, Stalin took the entire country into a tight grip. By the beginning of the 30s, he finally established himself as the sole leader of the people. The dictator's policies went down in history:

· mass repressions;

· total dispossession;

· collectivization.

For this, Stalin was branded by his own followers during the “thaw”. But there is also something for which Joseph Vissarionovich, according to historians, is worthy of praise. This is, first of all, the rapid transformation of a collapsed country into an industrial and military giant, as well as the victory over fascism. It is quite possible that if the “cult of personality” had not been so condemned by everyone, these achievements would have been unrealistic. Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin died on the fifth of March 1953.

Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev

Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev was born on April 15, 1894 in the Kursk province (Kalinovka village) into a simple working-class family. Participated in Civil War, where he took the side of the Bolsheviks. Member of the CPSU since 1918. At the end of the 30s he was appointed secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

Khrushchev headed the Soviet state shortly after Stalin's death. At first, he had to compete with Georgy Malenkov, who also aspired to the highest position and at that time was actually the leader of the country, presiding over the Council of Ministers. But in the end, the coveted chair still remained with Nikita Sergeevich.

When Khrushchev was Secretary General Soviet country:

· launched the first man into space and developed this area in every possible way;

· was actively built up with five-story buildings, today called “Khrushchev”;

· planted the lion's share of the fields with corn, for which Nikita Sergeevich was even nicknamed “the corn farmer.”

This ruler went down in history primarily with his legendary speech at the 20th Party Congress in 1956, where he condemned Stalin and his bloody policies. From that moment on, the so-called “thaw” began in the Soviet Union, when the grip of the state was loosened, cultural figures received some freedom, etc. All this lasted until Khrushchev was removed from his post on October 14, 1964.

Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev

Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev was born in the Dnepropetrovsk region (village of Kamenskoye) on December 19, 1906. His father was a metallurgist. Member of the CPSU since 1931. He took the main post of the country as a result of a conspiracy. It was Leonid Ilyich who led the group of members of the Central Committee that removed Khrushchev.

The Brezhnev era in the history of the Soviet state is characterized as stagnation. The latter manifested itself as follows:

· the country's development has stopped in almost all areas except military-industrial;

· The USSR began to seriously lag behind Western countries;

· citizens again felt the grip of the state, repression and persecution of dissidents began.

Leonid Ilyich tried to improve relations with the United States, which had worsened during the time of Khrushchev, but he was not very successful. The arms race continued, and after the introduction Soviet troops In Afghanistan, it was impossible to even think about any reconciliation. Brezhnev held a high post until his death, which occurred on November 10, 1982.

Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov

Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov was born in the station town of Nagutskoye (Stavropol Territory) on June 15, 1914. His father was a railway worker. Member of the CPSU since 1939. He was active, which contributed to his rapid rise up the career ladder.

At the time of Brezhnev's death, Andropov headed the State Security Committee. He was elected by his comrades to the highest post. The reign of this Secretary General covers a period of less than two years. Behind given time Yuri Vladimirovich managed to fight a little against corruption in power. But he didn’t accomplish anything drastic. On February 9, 1984, Andropov died. The reason for this was a serious illness.

Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko

Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko was born in 1911 on September 24 in the Yenisei province (village of Bolshaya Tes). His parents were peasants. Member of the CPSU since 1931. Since 1966 - deputy of the Supreme Council. Appointed Secretary General CPSU February 13, 1984.

Chernenko continued Andropov’s policy of identifying corrupt officials. Was in power less than a year. The cause of his death on March 10, 1985 was also a serious illness.

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev

Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev was born on March 2, 1931 in the North Caucasus (the village of Privolnoye). His parents were peasants. Member of the CPSU since 1952. Showed himself to be active public figure. He quickly moved up the party line.

He was appointed Secretary General on March 11, 1985. He entered history with the policy of “perestroika,” which included the introduction of glasnost, the development of democracy, and the provision of certain economic freedoms and other liberties to the population. Gorbachev's reforms led to mass unemployment, the liquidation of state-owned enterprises, and a total shortage of goods. This causes an ambiguous attitude towards the ruler from citizens former USSR, which collapsed precisely during the reign of Mikhail Sergeevich.

But in the West, Gorbachev is one of the most respected Russian politicians. He was even awarded Nobel Prize peace. Gorbachev was Secretary General until August 23, 1991, and headed the USSR until December 25 of the same year.

All dead general secretaries Union of Soviet Socialist republics buried near the Kremlin wall. Their list was completed by Chernenko. Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev is still alive. In 2017, he turned 86 years old.

Photos of the secretaries general of the USSR in chronological order

Stalin

Khrushchev

Brezhnev

Andropov

Chernenko