How many years did Stalin rule the country? Who ruled after Stalin? Georgy Maximilianovich Malenkov

Over the 69 years of the existence of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, several people became the head of the country. The first ruler of the new state was Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (real name Ulyanov), who led the Bolshevik Party during the October Revolution. Then the role of head of state actually began to be performed by a person who held the position of General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee (Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union).

IN AND. Lenin

The first significant decision of the new Russian government was to refuse to participate in the bloody world war. Lenin managed to achieve it, despite the fact that some party members were against concluding peace on unfavorable terms (Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty). Having saved hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of lives, the Bolsheviks immediately put them at risk in another war - a civil one. The fight against interventionists, anarchists and White Guards, as well as other opponents of Soviet power, brought quite a few casualties.

In 1921, Lenin initiated the transition from the policy of war communism to the New Economic Policy (NEP), which contributed to the rapid restoration of the country's economy and national economy. Lenin also contributed to the establishment of one-party rule in the country and the formation of the Union of Socialist Republics. The USSR in the form in which it was created did not satisfy Lenin’s requirements, however, he did not have time to make significant changes.

In 1922, hard work and the consequences of the assassination attempt on him by Socialist-Revolutionary Fanny Kaplan in 1918 made themselves felt: Lenin became seriously ill. He took less and less part in governing the state and other people took the leading roles. Lenin himself spoke with alarm about his possible successor, Party General Secretary Stalin: “Comrade Stalin, having become General Secretary, concentrated immense power in his hands, and I am not sure whether he will always be able to use this power carefully enough.” On January 21, 1924, Lenin died, and Stalin, as expected, became his successor.

One of the main directions to which V.I. Lenin paid great attention to the development of the Russian economy. At the direction of the first leader of the country of the Soviets, many factories for the production of equipment were organized, and the completion of the AMO automobile plant (later ZIL) in Moscow began. Lenin paid great attention to the development of domestic energy and electronics. Perhaps, if fate had given the “leader of the world proletariat” (as Lenin was often called) more time, he would have raised the country to a high level.

I.V. Stalin

A tougher policy was pursued by Lenin’s successor Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (real name Dzhugashvili), who in 1922 took the post of General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. Now the name of Stalin is associated mainly with the so-called “Stalinist repressions” of the 30s, when several million residents of the USSR were deprived of property (the so-called “dekulakization”), were imprisoned or executed for political reasons (for condemning the current government).
Indeed, the years of Stalin's rule left a bloody mark on the history of Russia, but there were also positive features of this period. During this time, from an agricultural country with a secondary economy, the Soviet Union turned into a world power with enormous industrial and military potential. The development of the economy and industry took its toll during the Great Patriotic War, which, although costly to the Soviet people, was still won. Already during the hostilities, it was possible to establish good supplies for the army and create new types of weapons. After the war, many cities that had been destroyed almost to the ground were restored at an accelerated pace.

N.S. Khrushchev

Soon after Stalin's death (March 1953), Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev became the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee (September 13, 1953). This leader of the CPSU became famous, perhaps, most of all for his extraordinary actions, many of which are still remembered. So, in 1960, at the UN General Assembly, Nikita Sergeevich took off his shoe and, threatening to show Kuzka’s mother, began banging on the podium with it in protest against the speech of the Filipino delegate. The period of Khrushchev's reign is associated with the development of the arms race between the USSR and the USA (the so-called “Cold War”). In 1962, the deployment of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba almost led to a military conflict with the United States.

Among the positive changes that occurred during the reign of Khrushchev, one can note the rehabilitation of victims of Stalin’s repressions (having taken the post of General Secretary, Khrushchev initiated the removal of Beria from his posts and his arrest), the development of agriculture through the development of unplowed lands (virgin lands), as well as the development of industry. It was during the reign of Khrushchev that the first launch of an artificial Earth satellite and the first human flight into space occurred. The period of Khrushchev's reign has an unofficial name - the “Khrushchev Thaw”.

L.I. Brezhnev

Khrushchev was replaced as General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee by Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev (October 14, 1964). For the first time, a change of party leader was made not after his death, but by removal from office. The era of Brezhnev's rule went down in history as “stagnation”. The fact is that the Secretary General was a staunch conservative and an opponent of any reforms. The Cold War continued, which caused most of the resources to go to the military industry to the detriment of other areas. Therefore, during this period, the country practically stopped in its technical development and began to lose to other leading powers in the world (excluding the military industry). In 1980, the XXII Summer Olympic Games were held in Moscow, which were boycotted by some countries (USA, Germany and others) in protest against the introduction of Soviet troops into Afghanistan.

During Brezhnev's time, some attempts were made to defuse tensions in relations with the United States: American-Soviet treaties on the limitation of strategic offensive weapons were concluded. But these attempts were dashed by the introduction of Soviet troops into Afghanistan in 1979. At the end of the 80s, Brezhnev was actually no longer capable of ruling the country and was only considered the leader of the party. On November 10, 1982, he died at his dacha.

Yu. V. Andropov

On November 12, Khrushchev’s place was taken by Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov, who previously headed the State Security Committee (KGB). He achieved sufficient support among party leaders, therefore, despite the resistance of Brezhnev's former supporters, he was elected General Secretary and then Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Having taken the helm, Andropov proclaimed a course for socio-economic transformations. But all the reforms boiled down to administrative measures, strengthening discipline and exposing corruption in high circles. In foreign policy, confrontation with the West only intensified. Andropov sought to strengthen personal power: in June 1983 he took the post of chairman of the presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, while remaining general secretary. However, Andropov did not stay in power for long: he died on February 9, 1984 due to kidney disease, without having time to make significant changes in the life of the country.

K.U. Chernenko

On February 13, 1984, the post of head of the Soviet state was taken by Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko, who was considered a contender for the post of General Secretary even after Brezhnev’s death. Chernenko held this important post at the age of 72, being seriously ill, so it was clear that this was only a temporary figure. During Chernenko's reign, a number of reforms were undertaken, which were never brought to their logical conclusion. On September 1, 1984, Knowledge Day was celebrated for the first time in the country. On March 10, 1985, Chernenko died. His place was taken by Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev, who later became the first and last president of the USSR.

He began his career after graduating from 4 classes of the zemstvo school in the house of the nobleman Mordukhai-Bolotovsky. Here he served as a footman.

Then there were difficult ordeals in search of work, later a position as an apprentice under a turner at the Old Arsenal gun factory.

And then there was the Putilov plant. Here he first encountered underground revolutionary organizations of workers, whose activities he had long heard about. He immediately joined them, joined the Social Democratic Party and even organized his own educational circle at the plant.

After his first arrest and release, he went to the Caucasus (he was prohibited from living in St. Petersburg and the surrounding area), where he continued his revolutionary activities.

After a brief second imprisonment, he moved to Revel, where he also actively established connections with revolutionary figures and activists. He begins to write articles for Iskra, collaborates with the newspaper as a correspondent, distributor, liaison, etc.

Over the course of several years, he was arrested 14 times! But he continued his activities. By 1917, he played an important role in the Petrograd Bolshevik organization and was elected a member of the executive commission of the St. Petersburg party committee. Actively participated in the development of the revolutionary program.

At the end of March 1919, Lenin personally proposed his candidacy for the post of chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. At the same time, F. Dzerzhinsky, A. Beloborodov, N. Krestinsky and others applied for this post.

The first document that Kalinin presented during the meeting was a declaration containing the immediate tasks of the All-Union Central Executive Committee.

During the civil war, he often visited the fronts, conducted active propaganda work among the fighters, and traveled to villages and villages, where he held conversations with peasants. Despite his high position, he was easy to communicate and knew how to find an approach to anyone. In addition, he himself was from a peasant family and worked at a factory for many years. All this inspired confidence in him and forced people to listen to his words.

For many years, people faced with a problem or injustice wrote to Kalinin, and in most cases received real help.

In 1932, thanks to him, the operation to deport several tens of thousands of dispossessed families and expelled from collective farms was stopped.

After the end of the war, issues of economic and social development of the country became a priority for Kalinin. Together with Lenin, he developed plans and documents for electrification, restoration of heavy industry, the transport system and agriculture.

It could not have been done without him when choosing the statute of the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, drawing up the Declaration on the Formation of the USSR, the Union Treaty, the Constitution and other significant documents.

During the 1st Congress of Soviets of the USSR, he was elected one of the chairmen of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR.

The main area of activity in foreign policy was the recognition of the country of the Soviets by other states.

In all his affairs, even after Lenin's death, he clearly adhered to the line of development outlined by Ilyich.

On the first day of winter 1934 he signed a decree, which subsequently gave the green light for mass repressions.

In January 1938 he became chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He worked in this position for more than 8 years. He resigned from his post a few months before his death.

Historians call the dates of Stalin's reign from 1929 to 1953. Joseph Stalin (Dzhugashvili) was born on December 21, 1879. Many contemporaries of the Soviet era associate the years of Stalin’s reign not only with the victory over Nazi Germany and the increasing level of industrialization of the USSR, but also with numerous repressions of the civilian population.

During Stalin's reign, about 3 million people were imprisoned and sentenced to death. And if we add to them those sent into exile, dispossessed and deported, then the victims among the civilian population in the Stalin era can be counted at about 20 million people. Now many historians and psychologists are inclined to believe that Stalin’s character was greatly influenced by the situation within the family and his upbringing in childhood.

The emergence of Stalin's tough character

It is known from reliable sources that Stalin’s childhood was not the happiest and most cloudless. The leader's parents often argued in front of their son. The father drank a lot and allowed himself to beat his mother in front of little Joseph. The mother, in turn, took out her anger on her son, beat and humiliated him. The unfavorable atmosphere in the family greatly affected Stalin's psyche. Even as a child, Stalin understood a simple truth: whoever is stronger is right. This principle became the future leader’s motto in life. He was also guided by him in governing the country.

In 1902, Joseph Vissarionovich organized a demonstration in Batumi; this step was his first in his political career. A little later, Stalin became the Bolshevik leader, and his circle of best friends includes Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (Ulyanov). Stalin fully shares Lenin's revolutionary ideas.

In 1913, Joseph Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili first used his pseudonym - Stalin. From that time on, he became known by this last name. Few people know that before the surname Stalin, Joseph Vissarionovich tried on about 30 pseudonyms that never caught on.

Stalin's reign

The period of Stalin's reign begins in 1929. Almost the entire reign of Joseph Stalin was accompanied by collectivization, mass death of civilians and famine. In 1932, Stalin adopted the “three ears of corn” law. According to this law, a starving peasant who stole ears of wheat from the state was immediately subject to capital punishment - execution. All saved bread in the state was sent abroad. This was the first stage of industrialization of the Soviet state: the purchase of modern foreign-made equipment.

During the reign of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, massive repressions of the peaceful population of the USSR were carried out. The repressions began in 1936, when the post of People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of the USSR was taken by N.I. Yezhov. In 1938, on the orders of Stalin, his close friend Bukharin was shot. During this period, many residents of the USSR were exiled to the Gulag or shot. Despite all the cruelty of the measures taken, Stalin's policy was aimed at raising the state and its development.

Pros and cons of Stalin's rule

Minuses:

strict board policy:
the almost complete destruction of senior army ranks, intellectuals and scientists (who thought differently from the USSR government);
repression of wealthy peasants and the religious population;
the widening “gap” between the elite and the working class;
oppression of the civilian population: payment for labor in food instead of monetary remuneration, working day up to 14 hours;
propaganda of anti-Semitism;
about 7 million starvation deaths during the period of collectivization;
the flourishing of slavery;
selective development of sectors of the economy of the Soviet state.

Pros:

creation of a protective nuclear shield in the post-war period;
increasing the number of schools;
creation of children's clubs, sections and circles;
space exploration;
reduction in prices for consumer goods;
low prices for utilities;
development of industry of the Soviet state on the world stage.

During the Stalin era, the social system of the USSR was formed, social, political and economic institutions appeared. Joseph Vissarionovich completely abandoned the NEP policy and, at the expense of the village, carried out the modernization of the Soviet state. Thanks to the strategic qualities of the Soviet leader, the USSR won the Second World War. The Soviet state began to be called a superpower. The USSR joined the UN Security Council. The era of Stalin's rule ended in 1953. He was replaced as Chairman of the USSR Government by N. Khrushchev.

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 inhabitant of the vast country. The political 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 a 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 it were not for the “cult of personality” 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. He took part in the 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, the 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 entry of Soviet troops into 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. During this 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 General Secretary of the CPSU on February 13, 1984.
Chernenko continued Andropov’s policy of identifying corrupt officials. He was in power for 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. He proved himself to be an 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 on the part of citizens of the 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 the Nobel Peace Prize. Gorbachev was Secretary General until August 23, 1991, and headed the USSR until December 25 of the same year.
All deceased general secretaries of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics are 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

General Secretaries (General Secretaries) of the USSR... Once upon a time, their faces were known to almost every resident of our huge country. Today they are only part of history. Each of these political figures committed actions and deeds that were assessed later, and not always positively. It should be noted that the general secretaries were chosen not by the people, but by the ruling elite. In this article we will present a list of general secretaries of the USSR (with photos) in chronological order.

J.V. Stalin (Dzhugashvili)

This politician was born in the Georgian city of Gori on December 18, 1879 in the family of a shoemaker. In 1922, while V.I. was still alive. Lenin (Ulyanov), he was appointed first general secretary. It is he who heads the list of general secretaries of the USSR in chronological order. However, it should be noted that while Lenin was alive, Joseph Vissarionovich played a secondary role in governing the state. After the death of the “leader of the proletariat,” a serious struggle broke out for the highest government post. Numerous competitors of I.V. Dzhugashvili had every chance of taking this post. But thanks to uncompromising and sometimes even harsh actions and political intrigues, Stalin emerged victorious from the game and managed to establish a regime of personal power. Let us note that most of the applicants were simply physically destroyed, and the rest were forced to leave the country. In a fairly short period of time, Stalin managed to take the country into a tight grip. In the early thirties, Joseph Vissarionovich became the sole leader of the people.

The policy of this USSR Secretary General went down in history:

mass repressions;

collectivization;

total dispossession.

In the 37-38 years of the last century, mass terror was carried out, in which the number of victims reached 1,500,000 people. In addition, historians blame Joseph Vissarionovich for his policy of forced collectivization, mass repressions that occurred in all layers of society, and the forced industrialization of the country. Some of the leader’s character traits affected the country’s internal politics:

sharpness;

thirst for unlimited power;

high self-esteem;

intolerance of other people's judgment.

Cult of personality

Photos of the Secretary General of the USSR, as well as other leaders who have ever held this post, can be found in the presented article. We can say with confidence that Stalin’s cult of personality had a very tragic impact on the fate of millions of different people: scientific and creative intelligentsia, government and party leaders, and the military.

For all this, during the Thaw, Joseph Stalin was branded by his followers. But not all the leader’s actions are reprehensible. According to historians, there are also moments for which Stalin deserves praise. Of course, the most important thing is the victory over fascism. In addition, there was a fairly rapid transformation of the destroyed country into an industrial and even military giant. There is an opinion that if it were not for Stalin’s personality cult, which is now condemned by everyone, many achievements would have been impossible. The death of Joseph Vissarionovich occurred on March 5, 1953. Let's look at all the general secretaries of the USSR in order.

N. S. Khrushchev

Nikita Sergeevich was born in the Kursk province on April 15, 1894, into an ordinary working-class family. He took part in the civil war on the side of the Bolsheviks. He was a member of the CPSU since 1918. At the end of the thirties, he was appointed secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine. Nikita Sergeevich headed the Soviet Union some time after the death of Stalin. It should be said that he had to compete for this post with G. Malenkov, who chaired the Council of Ministers and at that time was actually the leader of the country. But still, the leading role went to Nikita Sergeevich.

During the reign of Khrushchev N.S. as Secretary General of the USSR in the country:

The first man was launched into space, and all sorts of developments in this area took place.

A huge part of the fields were planted with corn, thanks to which Khrushchev was nicknamed the “corn farmer.”

During his reign, active construction of five-story buildings began, which later became known as “Khrushchev buildings.”

Khrushchev became one of the initiators of the “thaw” in foreign and domestic policy, the rehabilitation of victims of repression. This politician made an unsuccessful attempt to modernize the party-state system. He also announced a significant improvement (on a par with capitalist countries) in living conditions for the Soviet people. At the XX and XXII Congresses of the CPSU, in 1956 and 1961. accordingly, he spoke harshly about the activities of Joseph Stalin and his cult of personality. However, the construction of a nomenklatura regime in the country, the forceful dispersal of demonstrations (in 1956 - in Tbilisi, in 1962 - in Novocherkassk), the Berlin (1961) and Caribbean (1962) crises, the aggravation of relations with China, the building of communism by 1980 and the well-known political call to “catch up and overtake America!” - all this made Khrushchev’s policy inconsistent. And on October 14, 1964, Nikita Sergeevich was relieved of his position. Khrushchev died on September 11, 1971, after a long illness.
L. I. Brezhnev

The third in order on the list of general secretaries of the USSR is L. I. Brezhnev. Born in the village of Kamenskoye in the Dnepropetrovsk region on December 19, 1906. Member of the CPSU since 1931. He took the position of General Secretary as a result of a conspiracy. Leonid Ilyich was the leader of a group of members of the Central Committee (Central Committee) that removed Nikita Khrushchev. The era of Brezhnev's rule in the history of our country is characterized as stagnation. This happened for the following reasons:

except for the military-industrial sphere, the country's development was stopped;

The Soviet Union began to lag significantly behind Western countries;

Repression and persecution began again, people again felt the grip of the state.

Note that during the reign of this politician there were both negative and favorable sides. At the very beginning of his reign, Leonid Ilyich played a positive role in the life of the state. He curtailed all the unreasonable undertakings created by Khrushchev in the economic sphere. In the first years of Brezhnev's rule, enterprises were given more independence, material incentives, and the number of planned indicators was reduced. Brezhnev tried to establish good relations with the United States, but he never succeeded. But after the introduction of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, this became impossible.

Period of stagnation

By the end of the 70s and the beginning of the 80s, Brezhnev's entourage was more concerned about their own clan interests and often ignored the interests of the state as a whole. The politician’s inner circle pleased the sick leader in everything and awarded him orders and medals. The reign of Leonid Ilyich lasted for 18 years, he was in power the longest, with the exception of Stalin. The eighties in the Soviet Union are characterized as a “period of stagnation.” Although, after the devastation of the 90s, it is increasingly presented as a period of peace, state power, prosperity and stability. Most likely, these opinions have a right to be, because the entire Brezhnev period of rule is heterogeneous in nature. L.I. Brezhnev held his position until November 10, 1982, until his death.

Yu. V. Andropov

This politician spent less than 2 years as Secretary General of the USSR. Yuri Vladimirovich was born into the family of a railway worker on June 15, 1914. His homeland is the Stavropol Territory, the city of Nagutskoye. Party member since 1939. Thanks to the fact that the politician was active, he quickly climbed the career ladder. At the time of Brezhnev’s death, Yuri Vladimirovich headed the State Security Committee.

He was nominated for the post of General Secretary by his comrades. Andropov set himself the task of reforming the Soviet state, trying to prevent the impending socio-economic crisis. But, unfortunately, I didn’t have time. During the reign of Yuri Vladimirovich, special attention was paid to labor discipline in the workplace. While serving as Secretary General of the USSR, Andropov opposed the numerous privileges that were provided to employees of the state and party apparatus. Andropov showed this by personal example, refusing most of them. After his death on February 9, 1984 (due to a long illness), this politician was least criticized and most of all aroused public support.
K. U. Chernenko

On September 24, 1911, Konstantin Chernenko was born into a peasant family in the Yeisk province. He has been in the ranks of the CPSU since 1931. He was appointed to the position of General Secretary on February 13, 1984, immediately after Yu.V. Andropova. While governing the state, he continued the policies of his predecessor. He served as Secretary General for about a year. The death of the politician occurred on March 10, 1985, the cause was a serious illness.

M.S. Gorbachev

The politician's date of birth was March 2, 1931; his parents were simple peasants. Gorbachev’s homeland is the village of Privolnoye in the North Caucasus. He joined the ranks of the Communist Party in 1952. He acted as an active public figure, so he quickly moved up the party line. Mikhail Sergeevich completes the list of general secretaries of the USSR. He was appointed to this position on March 11, 1985. Later he became the only and last president of the USSR. The era of his reign went down in history with the policy of “perestroika”. It provided for the development of democracy, the introduction of openness, and the provision of economic freedom to the people. These reforms of Mikhail Sergeevich led to mass unemployment, a total shortage of goods and the liquidation of a huge number of state-owned enterprises.

Collapse of the Union

During the reign of this politician, the USSR collapsed. All fraternal republics of the Soviet Union declared their independence. It should be noted that in the West, M. S. Gorbachev is considered perhaps the most respected Russian politician. Mikhail Sergeevich has the Nobel Peace Prize. Gorbachev served as General Secretary until August 24, 1991. He headed the Soviet Union until December 25 of the same year. In 2018, Mikhail Sergeevich turned 87 years old.