Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union
Председатель Совета Министров Советского Союза
Coat of Arms of the Soviet Union
Nikolay Ryzhkov, last in office
ResidenceMoscow Kremlin
AppointerSupreme Soviet of the Soviet Union
PrecursorChairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union
FormationMarch 15, 1946
First holderJoseph Stalin
Final holderNikolay Ryzhkov
AbolishedJanuary 14, 1991
SuccessionPrime Minister of the Soviet Union

The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union was the head of the government of the Soviet Union during the existence of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union from 1946 to 1991.

Powers

The appointment of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union was carried out by the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. The powers of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union included the following:[1]

  • Management of the activities of the government of the Soviet Union;
  • Selection of candidates for government members for approval by the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union;
  • Submission of proposals to the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union on the appointment and dismissal of members of the government (with the approval of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union or the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union);
  • Organization of the work of the Council of Ministers and its Presidium and management of their meetings;
  • Coordination of the activities of their deputies;
  • Ensuring collegiality in the work of the Government;
  • Representation of the Soviet Union in international relations;
  • Taking decisions in urgent cases on certain issues of public administration.
Alexei Kosygin was a member of the government of the Soviet Union for over 40 years (from 1939 to 1980), 16 of which served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers

On October 14, 1964, the Plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, which relieved Nikita Khrushchev of his duties as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, recognized it inappropriate to further combine the highest party post and the post of head of government.[2]

Despite its broad powers, the personal power of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union was significantly limited. For example, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers did not have the right to independently appoint and dismiss members of the government of the Soviet Union – including ministers and chairmen of state committees – and other members of the government; this right belonged to the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (and in the period between its sessions – the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet). The appointment of deputy ministers of the Soviet Union, deputy chairmen of state committees of the Soviet Union and members of collegiums of ministries and state committees, as well as issues of the country's economic policy and its implementation by central government bodies, were the subject of collegial consideration by members of the government. The same applied to decisions on the creation, reorganization, abolition, personnel and activities of subordinate bodies of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, including bodies created to systematically check the implementation of government decisions. These decisions were not taken by the head of government alone, but by a majority vote of the members of the Council of Ministers or its Presidium.[1] The limited influence that the head of the Soviet government could personally exert on the activities of members of the government and government agencies is illustrated by the words of Alexei Kosygin, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, one of the initiators of the 1965 economic reform, said in an interview with the head of the government of Czechoslovakia, Lubomir Strougal in 1971:

Nothing left. Everything collapsed. All work was stopped, and the reforms fell into the hands of people who do not want them at all... The reform is torpedoed. The people with whom I worked out the materials of the congress have already been removed, and completely different people have been called. And I don't expect anything.

— [3]

List (with deputies)

Here are lists of chairmen of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, first deputies and deputy chairmen of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union. The list of the chairmen of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union is given in chronological order. Alphabetical lists of first deputies and deputies are given for each chairman. The dates of the person in office are indicated in parentheses.

Stalin's Government (1946–1953)
№ Chairman First Deputy chairman
1
Joseph Stalin
(March 19, 1946 – March 5, 1953)
Deputy Chairmen
Malenkov's Government (1953–1955)
№ Chairman First Deputy Chairmen
2
Georgy Malenkov
(March 5, 1953 – February 8, 1955)
Deputy Chairmen
Bulganin's Government (1955–1958)
№ Chairman First Deputy Chairmen
3
Nikolay Bulganin
(February 8, 1955 – March 27, 1958)
Deputy Chairmen
Khrushchev's Government (1958–1964)
№ Chairman First Deputy Chairmen
4
Nikita Khrushchev
(March 27, 1958 – October 15, 1964)
Deputy Chairmen
Kosygin's Government (1964–1980)
№ Chairman First Deputy Chairmen
5
Alexey Kosygin
(October 15, 1964 – October 23, 1980)
Deputy Chairmen
  • Ivan Arkhipov (March 21, 1974 – October 27, 1980)
  • Nikolay Baibakov (October 2, 1965 – October 14, 1985)
  • Veniamin Dymshits (July 17, 1962 – December 20, 1985)
  • Mikhail Efremov (November 13, 1965 – October 29, 1971)
  • Konstantin Katushev (March 16, 1977 – July 29, 1982)
  • Vladimir Kirillin (October 2, 1965 – January 22, 1980)
  • Tikhon Kiselev (December 5, 1978 – October 23, 1980)
  • Mikhail Lesechko (November 24, 1962 – October 24, 1980)
  • Peter Lomako (November 10, 1962 – October 2, 1965)
  • Nikolay Martynov (June 25, 1976 – November 15, 1985)
  • Guriy Marchuk (January 28, 1980 – October 28, 1986)
  • Vladimir Novikov (March 26, 1965 – December 19, 1980)
  • Ignatiy Novikov (November 24, 1962 – July 20, 1983)
  • Ziya Nuriev (April 3, 1973 – November 1, 1985)
  • Dmitry Polyansky (November 23, 1962 – October 2, 1965)
  • Konstantin Rudnev (June 10, 1961 – October 2, 1965)
  • Leonid Smirnov (March 13, 1963 – November 15, 1985)
  • Nikolay Tikhonov (October 2, 1965 – September 2, 1976)
  • Alexander Shelepin (November 23, 1962 – December 9, 1965)
  • Peter Shelest (May 19, 1972 – May 7, 1973)
Tikhonov's Government (1980–1985)
№ Chairman First Deputy Chairmen
6
Nikolay Tikhonov
(October 23, 1980 – September 27, 1985)
Deputy Chairmen
  • Alexey Antonov (December 19, 1980 – October 1, 1988)
  • Ivan Arkhipov (March 21, 1974 – October 27, 1980)
  • Nikolay Baibakov (October 2, 1965 – October 14, 1985)
  • Ivan Bodul (December 19, 1980 – May 30, 1985)
  • Veniamin Dymshits (July 17, 1962 – December 20, 1985)
  • Leonid Kostandov (November 4, 1980 – September 5, 1984)
  • Valentin Makeev (October 23, 1980 – January 20, 1983)
  • Nikolay Martynov (June 25, 1976 – November 15, 1985)
  • Guriy Marchuk (January 28, 1980 – October 28, 1986)
  • Vladimir Novikov (March 26, 1965 – December 19, 1980)
  • Ignatiy Novikov (November 24, 1962 – July 20, 1983)
  • Ziya Nuriev (April 3, 1973 – November 1, 1985)
  • Konstantin Katushev (March 16, 1977 – July 29, 1982)
  • Yakov Ryabov (September 27, 1984 – June 19, 1986)
  • Leonid Smirnov (March 13, 1963 – November 15, 1985)
  • Nikolay Talyzin (October 24, 1980 – October 14, 1985)
  • Boris Shcherbina (January 13, 1984 – June 7, 1989)
Ryzhkov's Government (1985–1990)
№ Chairman First Deputy Chairmen
7
Nikolay Ryzhkov
(September 27, 1985 – January 14, 1991)[4]
Deputy Chairmen
  • Leonid Abalkin (July 17, 1989 – January 14, 1991)
  • Alexey Antonov (December 19, 1980 – October 1, 1988)
  • Nikolay Baibakov (October 2, 1965 – October 14, 1985)
  • Yuri Batalin (December 20, 1985 – June 7, 1989)
  • Igor Belousov (February 12, 1988 – January 14, 1991)
  • Alexandra Biryukova (October 1, 1988 – September 17, 1990)
  • Gennady Vedernikov (June 19, 1986 – June 7, 1989)
  • Vladimir Gusev (June 19, 1986 – December 26, 1990)
  • Veniamin Dymshits (July 17, 1962 – December 20, 1985)
  • Vladimir Kamentsev (September 1, 1986 – June 7, 1989)
  • Nikolay Laverov (July 17, 1989 – December 26, 1990)
  • Nikolay Martynov (June 25, 1976 – November 15, 1985)
  • Guriy Marchuk (January 28, 1980 – October 28, 1986)
  • Yuri Maslyukov (November 15, 1985 – February 5, 1988)
  • Pavel Mostovoy (July 17, 1989 – January 14, 1991)
  • Ziya Nuriev (April 3, 1973 – November 1, 1985)
  • Lev Ryabev (July 17, 1989 – December 26, 1990)
  • Yakov Ryabov (September 27, 1984 – June 19, 1986)
  • Ivan Silaev (November 1, 1985 – July 2, 1990)
  • Stepan Sitaryan (October 24, 1989 – December 26, 1990)
  • Leonid Smirnov (March 13, 1963 – November 15, 1985)
  • Nikolay Talyzin (October 1, 1988 – June 7, 1989)
  • Boris Tolstykh (February 6, 1987 – June 7, 1989)
  • Boris Shcherbina (January 13, 1984 – June 7, 1989)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "On the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union: Law of the Soviet Union of July 5, 1978" (28) (Vedomosti of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union ed.). 1978: 436. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) (With changes and additions made in 1981, 1985, 1989 and 1990)
  2. ↑ Resolution of the Plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union "On Comrade Nikita Khrushchev" (1964)
  3. ↑ Victor Andriyanov. Kosygin – Moscow: Young Guard, 2003 – (The Life of Wonderful People. Issue 1064 (864)) – ISBN 5-235-02623-3
  4. 1 2 Biography: Ryzhkov Nikolay Ivanovich // The Rulers of Russia and the Soviet Union
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