List of heads of state of the Soviet Union

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The Constitution of the Soviet Union recognised the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (between 1938 and 1989) and the earlier Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the Congress of Soviets (between 1922 and 1938) as the highest organs of state authority in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) between legislative sessions. Under the 1924, 1936 and 1977 Soviet Constitutions these bodies served as the collective head of state of the Soviet Union. [1] The Chairman of these bodies personally performed the largely ceremonial functions assigned to a single head of state [2] but was provided little real power by the constitution.

Contents

The Soviet Union was established in 1922. However, the country's first constitution was only adopted in 1924. Before that time, the 1918 Constitution of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic functioned as the constitution of the USSR. According to the 1918 Constitution, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (CEC), whose chairman was head of state, had the power to determine what matters of income and taxation would go to the state budget and what would go to the local soviets. The CEC could also limit taxes. [3] In periods between convocations of the Congress of Soviets the CEC held supreme power. [4] In between sessions of the Congress of Soviets the CEC was responsible for all the affairs of the Congress of Soviets. [5] The CEC and the Congress of Soviets was replaced by the Presidium and the Supreme Soviet respectively by several amendments to the 1936 Constitution in 1938. [6]

Under the 1977 Constitution, the Supreme Soviet was the highest organ of state power and the sole organ in the country to hold legislative authority. [6] Sessions of the Supreme Soviet were convened by the Presidium twice a year; however, special sessions could be convened on the orders of a Union Republic. [6] In the event of a disagreement between the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities the Presidium could form a conciliation commission. If this commission failed, the Presidium could dissolve the Supreme Soviet and order new elections. [6] The Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, along with the first and fifteen other vice chairmen, would be elected by the deputies of the Supreme Soviet. [7] In practice, the Chairman of the Presidium held little influence over policy ever since the delegation of the office's power to the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) during Joseph Stalin's rule. [8]

The Presidency was established in 1990 and the President would, according to the altered constitution, be elected by the Soviet people by direct and secret ballot. However, the first and only Soviet President, Mikhail Gorbachev, was elected by the democratically elected Congress of People's Deputies. [9] In connection with the dissolution of the Soviet Union national elections for the office of President never took place. To be elected to the office a person must have been a Soviet citizen and older than thirty-five but younger than sixty-five years. The same person could not be elected president more than twice. [10] The Presidency was the highest state office, and was the most important office in the Soviet Union by influence and recognition, eclipsing that of Premier and, with the deletion of Article 6 of the Soviet Constitution, General Secretary. With the establishment of the Presidency executive power was shared between the President and the Prime Minister. The President was given broad powers, such as being responsible for negotiating the membership of the Cabinet of Ministers with the Supreme Soviet; [11] the Prime Minister, however, was responsible for managing the nomenklatura and economic matters. [12]

List of presidents

Of the eleven individuals appointed head of state, three died in office of natural causes (Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko), one held the position in a temporary role (Vasily Kuznetsov), and four held posts of party leader and head of state simultaneously (Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko and Mikhail Gorbachev). The first head of state was Mikhail Kalinin, who was inaugurated in 1922 after the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR. At over twenty years, Kalinin spent the longest time in office; he died shortly after his resignation in 1946. Andropov spent the shortest time in office.

Heads of the Russian Soviet Republic (1917–1922)

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term Congress
Meetings
Took officeLeft officeDuration
Chairmen of the Central Executive Committee of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets
(1917–1922)
1 Lev Kamenev in 1922.jpg Lev Kamenev
(1883–1936)
9 November 191721 November 191712 days 2nd Congress
2 Old Russia - Yakov Sverdlov 1918-1.jpg Yakov Sverdlov
(1885–1919)
21 November 191716 March 1919 †1 year, 115 days 3rd6th Congress
Vladimirskiy Mikhail Fedorovich.jpg Mikhail Vladimirsky
(1874–1951)
Acting
16 March 191930 March 191914 days
3 Kalinin M. I. (1920).jpg Mikhail Kalinin
(1875–1946)
30 March 191930 December 19223 years, 275 days 7th10th Congress

Heads of the Soviet Union (1922–1991)

No.
[note 1]
PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term Supreme Soviet
Convocations
[note 2]
Took officeLeft officeDuration
1Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Congress of Soviets
(1922–1938)
Kalinin M. I. (1920).jpg Mikhail Kalinin
(1875–1946) [13]
30 December 192212 January 193815 years, 13 days 1st8th Convocation
Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
(1938–1989)
Kalinin M. I. (1920).jpg Mikhail Kalinin
(1875–1946) [13]
17 January 193819 March 19468 years, 61 days 1st Convocation
2 Nikolai Mikhailovich Shvernik.jpg Nikolai Shvernik
(1888–1970) [14]
19 March 194615 March 19536 years, 361 days 2nd3rd Convocation
3 Kliment Voroshilov.jpg Kliment Voroshilov
(1881–1969) [15]
15 March 19537 May 19607 years, 53 days 3rd5th Convocation
4 Staatshoofden, portretten, Bestanddeelnr 925-6564.jpg Leonid Brezhnev
(1906–1982) [16]
7 May 196015 July 19644 years, 69 days 5th6th Convocation
5 Anastas Ivanovich Mikoian.jpg Anastas Mikoyan
(1895–1978) [17]
15 July 19649 December 19651 year, 147 days 6th Convocation
6 Nikolai Podgorny in 1973.jpg Nikolai Podgorny
(1903–1983) [18]
9 December 196516 June 197711 years, 189 days 6th9th Convocation
(4) Staatshoofden, portretten, Bestanddeelnr 925-6564.jpg Leonid Brezhnev
(1906–1982) [16]
16 June 197710 November 19825 years, 147 days 9th10th Convocation

Vasili Vasilyevich Kuznetsov.jpg

Vasily Kuznetsov
(1901–1990)
Acting
[19]
10 November 198216 June 1983218 days 10th Convocation
7 ANDROPOV1980S.jpg Yuri Andropov
(1914–1984) [20]
16 June 19839 February 1984238 days

Vasili Vasilyevich Kuznetsov.jpg

Vasily Kuznetsov
(1901–1990)
Acting
[19]
9 February 198411 April 198462 days 11th Convocation
8 Cernenko (upscale).jpg Konstantin Chernenko
(1911–1985) [20]
11 April 198410 March 1985333 days

Vasili Vasilyevich Kuznetsov.jpg

Vasily Kuznetsov
(1901–1990) [19]
10 March 198527 July 1985139 days
9 Andrei Gromyko 1972 (cropped).jpg Andrei Gromyko
(1909–1989) [21]
27 July 19851 October 19883 years, 66 days
10 Gorbachev (cropped).png Mikhail Gorbachev
(1931–2022) [22]
1 October 198825 May 1989236 days 11th12th Convocation
Chairman of the Supreme Soviet
(1989–1990) [note 3]
Gorbachev (cropped).png Mikhail Gorbachev
(1931–2022) [22]
25 May 198915 March 1990294 days 12th Convocation
President of the Soviet Union
(1990–1991)
Gorbachev (cropped).png Mikhail Gorbachev
(1931–2022) [22]
15 March 199025 December 1991 [24] 1 year, 285 days 12th Convocation

List of vice presidents

There have been five individuals appointed vice head of state. In 1944, Nikolai Shvernik was the first vice head of state until 1946, the position was abolished and later reestablished in 1977. At over eight years, Vasily Kuznetsov spent the longest time in office. Gennady Yanayev spent the shortest time in office.

No.
[note 1]
PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term Supreme Soviet
Convocations
[note 2]
Took officeLeft officeDuration
First Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
(1944–1946)
(1977–1989)
1 Nikolai Mikhailovich Shvernik.jpg Nikolai Shvernik
(1888–1970)
4 March 194425 June 19462 years, 113 days 1st Convocation
2 Vasili Vasilyevich Kuznetsov.jpg Vasily Kuznetsov
(1901–1990) [19]
7 October 197718 June 19868 years, 254 days 9th11th Convocation
3 Pyotr Nilovich Demichev (cropped).jpg Pyotr Demichev
(1917–2010) [25]
18 June 19861 October 19882 years, 105 days 11th Convocation
4 Anatolii Luk'ianov (deputat) (cropped).jpg Anatoly Lukyanov
(1930–2019) [26]
1 October 198825 May 1989236 days 11th12th Convocation
Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Soviet
(1989–1990)
Anatolii Luk'ianov (deputat) (cropped).jpg Anatoly Lukyanov
(1930–2019) [26]
25 May 198915 March 1990294 days 12th Convocation
Vice President of the Soviet Union
(1990–1991)
5 Gennady Yanayev
(1937–2010) [27]
27 December 199021 August 1991 [note 4] 237 days 12th Convocation
Office abolished [29] 21 August 199126 December 1991 [note 5] 127 days

See also

Soviet Union-related
Russia-related

Notes

  1. 1 2 Repeat head of state and vice heads of state are numbered only once; subsequent terms are marked with their original number italicised. Acting heads of state are not numbered. These numbers are not official.
  2. 1 2 A convocation in the Soviet sense of the word were elected members of Parliament in between elections.
  3. On 15 March 1990 most constitutional powers were transferred to the newly created office of President of the Soviet Union. Anatoly Lukyanov was elected Chairman of the Supreme Soviet to replace Mikhail Gorbachev. Although the Chairman's office retained its name, it was now that of a parliamentary speaker, not a head of state. Real executive powers were retained by Gorbachev. [23]
  4. Yanayev was Acting President of the Soviet Union during the August Coup of 1991, but was jailed following the coup's collapse and Gorbachev returned to his post as President. [28]
  5. Following the failed August Coup of 1991 the State Council was given the power to elect a Vice President in the temporary absence of the President. [29]

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