What year was the chairman? Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev. Years of government

Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, whose years of rule fell on the so-called era of stagnation, does not cause such heated debate among compatriots as Stalin or even Khrushchev. However, this person also causes very controversial assessments, and the corresponding period left a variety of impressions in the public mind.

Leonid Brezhnev. Years of government of the USSR

Today, this period is associated primarily with light industry and the growing backlog of the Union from its main Western competitor in

heavy. Leonid Brezhnev, whose years of rule fell on 1964-1982, even in power turned out to be an unusual way for those times. In the previous forty years of the existence of the Soviet state, it was difficult to imagine that its leader could be removed from office through bureaucratic mechanisms. Both Lenin and Stalin, despite the contradictory assessments of their activities, were figures of such magnitude that the change of power could and did take place only after their death. The end of totalitarianism in the state, including party purges, was put by Nikita Khrushchev. The 20th Congress of the CPSU in 1956 contributed a lot to this. The state has never had such a large-scale and individual leader. As a result, Khrushchev was removed by a party decision in 1964. His successor was Leonid Brezhnev, whose years of rule began with the decision of the plenum. This period was the apogee of the development of the Soviet country and at the same time the beginning of its collapse.

Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev. Years of government and trends in domestic politics

Today this page national history It is customary to call it stagnation, recalling the shortage of essential goods and the stagnation of the economy. In fairness, it should be noted that among the first political decisions of Leonid Ilyich in office was the deployment of economic reforms. The activity started in 1965 was aimed at transferring partly to the market track. The independence of large economic enterprises state, instruments were introduced to ensure material

incentives for employees. Indeed, the reform began to give brilliant results. Brezhnev period became the most successful in the history of the country. However, the reformers never completed their undertakings. The reform that included economic liberalization, which provided obvious results, was not supported by social and political liberalization. The introduction of market mechanisms at large economic facilities was not complemented by the liberalization of market relations themselves in the country. Actually, the half-heartedness of the reforms determined the slowdown in the pace of development already in the early 1970s. In addition, at this time, oil fields were discovered in Siberia, promising easy income for the treasury, after which state leaders finally lose interest in reforming the economic and public life. In the future, the well-known tendencies of "tightening the screws" ( mass shootings never happened again, but asylums became the talk of the town), a decrease in the profitability of production, when the industry demanded everything big investments but gave less and less results. The imbalance of the state economy is becoming more and more evident. The need to invest resources in a negative impact on the lung, resulting in the infamous commodity shortage.

L.I. Brezhnev. Years of government and trends in foreign policy

Except internal problems Despite all efforts, mistakes in the international arena are becoming more and more obvious. If in the Khrushchev era, despite all its ridiculous epics, the USSR spoke on equal terms with the United States during the period and was the first in space exploration, then in 1969 the Americans for the first time outstripped the Union in landing on the moon. The last resounding success of the domestic space program was the first successful landing spacecraft on Mars. Increasingly intense fermentation begins in the friendly republics of the socialist camp. to a large extent laid the foundation for problems that frankly manifested themselves during perestroika and pushed the state to the final collapse.

years of government: 1964-1982)

The head of state from October 1964 to November 1982, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev was born in Ukraine in the Ekaterinoslav province, in a Russian family of hereditary workers. His grandfather, father, brother worked at the country's largest plant of the South Russian Metallurgical Society at that time, L. Brezhnev himself practiced here as a fifteen-year-old teenager. After the civil war, the plant is closed for reconstruction, and the Brezhnev family is forced to move to the countryside and take up agricultural work. In 1923, Leonid Brezhnev entered the reclamation technical school, graduated from it four years later, and in 1929, in the year of the "great Stalinist turning point", he became a candidate member of the party and began to engage in then-relevant collective farm construction.

In the thirties, Leonid Ilyich studied at the institute in the evenings in a working specialty, worked at a factory during the day, and at the same time carried out party work. Two years, 1935-1936 L. Brezhnev served in the army as a junior commander, then returned and directed the technical school. In 1937, when Trotskyists and other wreckers were being purged from the party, Leonid Ilyich was transferred to party work and, by the beginning of the war, became secretary of the Dnepropetrovsk regional party committee. During these years, L. Brezhnev worked under the direct supervision of N. Khrushchev.

Since June 1941, Leonid Ilyich, as secretary of the regional committee, organizes the mobilization of the population into the Red Army and directs the evacuation of the industry of his region beyond the Urals. After the occupation of the Dnepropetrovsk region by the Nazis, L. Brezhnev was drafted into the army as a political worker. L. Brezhnev participated in the defense of the Caucasus, the liberation of Ukraine, the offensive on the territory of Germany.

The most famous military episode in L. Brezhnev's biography is the landing by troops of the 18th Army in the Novorossiysk region and the holding of a strategically important bridgehead, which later received the name Malaya Zemlya. The bridgehead was held for 225 days while the main forces Soviet troops did not connect with units of the 18th Army. In the rank of colonel, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev during this time more than once found himself under fire, even participated in hand-to-hand fights, drowned along with other paratroopers in the Tsemess Bay. L. Brezhnev ended the war in Prague as a major general in the position of head of the Political Directorate of the 4th Ukrainian Front.

In 1946, L. Brezhnev was demobilized and again returned to party work to lead the regional committees of the party in Ukraine. Showing nice results in recovery National economy from the post-war devastation, Leonid Ilyich received a promotion and in 1950 headed the leadership of the Republican Communist Party - the Central Committee of the Communist Party (b) of Moldova. The day after the death of I.V. Stalin, already on March 6, 1953, rapid personnel changes begin in the country's leadership. L. Brezhnev, receives the rank of lieutenant general and heads the Main Political Directorate of the entire Army and Navy. As a person entrusted to N. Khrushchev, in June 1953 L. Brezhnev is on the side of N. Khrushchev against L. Beria and, among other officers, takes part in the arrest of L. Beria on June 26. As a result of the victory of N. Khrushchev, he becomes the head of the Soviet state, and Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev makes a rapid party career.

In early 1954, L. Brezhnev was sent to work in Kazakhstan, where he was instructed to lead the development of virgin and fallow lands. Panteleimon Kondratievich Ponomarenko was appointed the first secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, L.I. Brezhnev. It is known that shortly before his death, I.V. Stalin considered Ponomarenko as a successor and continuer of his work, and, obviously, N. Khrushchev exiled a possible competitor away from Moscow, putting his most reliable subordinate in his deputies - to keep an eye on him.

The size of the territory on which agricultural work was to begin was 1300 by 900 kilometers, the area of ​​plowed fields was to exceed the territory of England. For two years of work on the virgin lands, millions of specialists from Russia and Ukraine came to work in Northern Kazakhstan, hundreds of thousands of them remained to live in Kazakhstan forever. Thanks to the development of virgin lands in the mid-fifties, the share of the Russian population here is up to 60% of total strength population, which leads to the political and cultural integration of Kazakhstan and Russia after the collapse of the USSR.

L. Brezhnev writes: " The directors of state farms, together with the chief specialists, went to the steppe, having in their pocket only an order for their appointment, a bank account number and a stamp. They came, hammered a peg into the ground with the name of the state farm and began to act ... The directors of state farms also had portfolios, and in them - maps of land in the land management of new farms, where water sources are located, where estates should appear, where - pastures, and where – fields". In 1956 he struck finest hour virgin lands, the republic sold a billion poods of grain to the state, L. Brezhnev reported to the party congress on the work done and was transferred to work in Moscow, in the Central Committee of the CPSU.

In 1957, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev again supported N. Khrushchev in the struggle for power and resolutely took his side when the "anti-party group" Molotov-Malenkov-Kaganovich "and Shepilov, who joined them," tried to remove him. In 1960, after K.E. Voroshilov, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev holds his position as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Formally, it was the third most important position in the state, and informally Leonid Ilyich held high positions in the ruling hierarchy. Brezhnev did not aspire at that moment to be a leader. However, the adventurist policy of Nikita Khrushchev aroused more and more discontent within the country. The common people did not like Khrushchev, and expected the return of the old order, the liberal opposition was also dissatisfied, but on the contrary, they expected even greater indulgence in the sphere of ideology from him, the party bureaucracy suffered from his voluntarism.

Economic activity failed, ration cards were introduced in the cities, in one case it was necessary to suppress the discontent of the workers even by military methods, which was nonsense for the Soviet era. In October 1964, a conspiracy of top party and state functionaries formed against N. Khrushchev, initiated by A. Shelepin and KGB chairman V. Semichastny. Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev knew about the existence of the conspiracy, but was not an active participant in it, although he did not take the side of N. Khrushchev. Chosen as a temporary, not very strong and compromise figure, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev was appointed to the post of First Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU and remained in this post for eighteen years, surviving political sense all other "main" conspirators.

The activities of Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev at the first stage of his leadership of the country had clearly positive character. All unreasonable undertakings in the economic sphere, introduced during the Khrushchev era, were curtailed. According to the economic reform initiated by Kosygin, the independence of enterprises was expanded, the number of planned indicators was reduced, material incentives and cost accounting were reduced. At the beginning of L. Brezhnev's rule, the growth rate of manufactured products rose relative to the "Khrushchev" ones, although they continued to remain below the "Stalinist" ones. The damage caused to agriculture by N. Khrushchev could not be compensated during the reign of L. Brezhnev, and the country continued to buy grain abroad.

In 1968, an armed uprising, inspired by the secret services of the West, broke out in Czechoslovakia. Many Czechs who supported the Soviet Union were repressed by the rebels. The USSR could not calmly look at the anti-Russian uprising on its distant borders, therefore, on August 21, 1968, Soviet troops were brought into Prague and, after short skirmishes with the rebels, order in Czechoslovakia was restored. This turn of events did not cause claims from the United States, since the Americans during preliminary consultations confirmed that they recognize the Yalta agreements of 1945 on the post-war division of spheres of influence and do not intend to enter into an armed conflict with the USSR because of Czechoslovakia. The Prague events became an occasion for the subsequent activities of the so-called. dissidents by maliciously discrediting Soviet Union. After the Prague events of 1968, it became clear to the leadership of the USSR that the liberalization and commercialization of economic activity could lead to an increase in the social base of pro-Western forces within the USSR, so further economic transformations were no longer based on market reforms.

The Soviet Union foresaw energy crisis in the western countries of the early seventies and met him with all weapons. In the USSR, geological surveys were carried out, as a result of which the largest Samotlor field was discovered. A large hydrocarbon resource base allowed the country to avoid a crisis that was choking other countries of the world, develop a new branch of the national economy - the chemical industry, and receive an additional $200 billion, using it to re-equip the army and build major economic facilities.

In the seventies, during the heyday of the reign of Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, the world's largest hydroelectric power stations were built, along with aluminum plants associated with them, the "winged metal" smelted there was used in new aircraft plants built, and in the production of cars. In 1970, the first car VAZ-2101, the famous "penny", rolled off the assembly line, in 1974 the grandiose construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline began.

During the early reign of Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, our country was a model of power and glory. Russian cosmonauts set one record after another, automatic interplanetary stations explored near and far planets solar system. The Soviet fleet was present in all corners of the oceans, the country inflicted a number of military defeats on hostile powers, in conflicts on the territory of other states. In particular, supporting the government Democratic Republic Vietnam, the USSR inflicted the most crushing military defeat on the United States for the entire time of their existence. The term "Vietnam Syndrome" is still widely used today, referring to the feeling of fear and humiliation experienced by the United States in 1975. The nuclear missile weapons created in the USSR, their quality and quantity, did not allow other countries to enter into an open military confrontation with our country.

The majority of the population of the USSR, during the reign of Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, lived happily and freely. Economic growth in the country was ensured not due to overwork and tension of the entire national organism, as, for example, in the days of Stalinist industrialization or post-war reconstruction, but at the expense of the industrial base created earlier and updated under Brezhnev.

Dissatisfied with the regime and supported by the enemies of the country, dissidents during the Brezhnev era were under the control of the KGB. The USSR was one of the ten countries with the most high income per capita, the education system was the best in the world, and higher education was available to almost everyone. Soviet system health care provided universal access to medicine for all citizens of the country. In the field of sports and in the field of culture Brezhnev times reminiscent of today's golden age.

In 1979, Soviet troops entered Afghanistan. As practice has shown, this decision was correct and justified. The danger of armed conflicts was removed from the borders of the country, the war was carried out beyond its borders.

The entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan was the reason for the US demarche to boycott the Olympics-80 in Moscow. Only athletes from friendly USSR or neutral states came to the competitions, but, nevertheless, the Olympics became an unforgettable sporting event for the country. Soviet athletes confidently outperformed all other states in terms of the number of medals they won, once again confirming the strength of Soviet sports.

Along with undoubted successes in the life of the country, negative processes began to develop in the seventies. The main problem of that period was the degeneration of the ruling stratum, the leadership of the Komsomol and the CPSU. so-called. the elite of that time was mired in double-dealing, lies and opportunism. Declaring some values ​​in words, the Komsomol leaders themselves professed others, calling on the people to selflessness, they were more interested in personal consumption than in the affairs of the country. Communist phraseology has reached the point of absurdity. The ruling stratum broke away from the people, the people fenced themselves off from their formal leaders with a wall of apathy or humor.

The second problem was the growth of corruption processes. Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev was by nature a non-confrontational person, therefore criminal prosecution there were practically no unscrupulous civil servants under him. Economic leaders of all levels practiced illegal economic schemes, the leadership of many regions and even republics felt like specific princes. For example, in Central Asia some republican leaders had their own prisons, in which they held objectionable people without trial or investigation. As a result of corruption, and foreign policy changes overlooked by economists (in 1971, the United States invented a system that allows exploiting other countries, including the USSR) economic situation in our country by the beginning of the eighties worsened, there was a shortage of goods. L. Brezhnev several times asked his entourage to accept his resignation for health reasons, but the system with a weak and sick leader was beneficial to those close to him.

Brezhnev's entourage in the late seventies and early eighties took care of their clan interests and often ignored the interests of the state as a whole. The closest associates indulged the sick leader in his weaknesses, awarded orders and medals, the abundance of which already caused general laughter. L. Brezhnev became Marshal of the USSR, four times Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of Socialist Labor, holder of the Order of Victory, had more than two hundred other insignia.

The period of the reign of Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev had both its positive and its negative sides. At the first stage of his reign, L. Brezhnev played a noticeable positive role in the life of our state; in the second half, negative processes began to grow in the country. L. Brezhnev ruled for eighteen years, more than any other Soviet ruler, with the exception of I.V. Stalin. During the crisis of the eighties, the period of Leonid Ilyich's rule was called the "period of stagnation", but now, after the devastation of the nineties, it is more and more presented as a period of prosperity, peace, stability and power of the state. Most likely, both of these opinions have the right to exist, since the Brezhnev period is very heterogeneous in nature.

Leonid Ilya Brezhnev (1906-1982) - famous statesman Soviet Union.

From about the age of 30, Brezhnev held leadership positions.

If we talk about the highest posts in the state, then the period from 1966 to 1982 (by the date of death) can be called the period of Brezhnev's rule. During these years, he served as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU.

Brezhnev also served as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (from 1960 to 1964 and from 1977 to 1982). The period of Brezhnev's rule went down in history as a period of stagnation.

War, virgin lands, the construction of Baikonur - with his participation. Started career with light hand Stalin. Brezhnev organized the removal of Khrushchev. Before that, he asked the head of the KGB Semichastny the possibility of physically eliminating Khrushchev.

The country is tired of the unpredictable Nikita. The students of the higher party school demanded that Khrushchev be removed. KGB paratroopers gathered during the exercise to scatter leaflets from the plane, addressed to the army and the population.

The palace coup was being prepared for a year, all the threads led to Zavidovo, where Brezhnev usually hunted, who put “pluses” and “minuses” against each name of the members of the Central Committee. He treated each one separately. The organizers took risks and, just in case, replaced Khrushchev's bodyguards.

The Presidium of the Central Committee took place, which adopted a resolution to hold a meeting with the participation of Khrushchev. Brezhnev was the first to take the floor. Everything was reduced to the features of the character and style of Khrushchev's work. All of them were unanimous in their opinion that the immediate removal of Nikita Sergeevich would be a common good.

Until late in the evening, Khrushchev's sins were listed. The defendant admitted his mistakes and agreed to sign his resignation. Brezhnev was nominated for the post of First Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU.

The arrival of Brezhnev actually meant the rejection of the ideals of communism. These people did not read Marx, Lenin, Stalin, so they treated Suslov with such respect, who studied the works.

The post-Stalin leaders did not understand well where to steer, shied from one extreme to another and led the country to collapse. Not wanting to admit their helplessness, they began to blame everything on the "unusable system."

As a result, only words and not a single economic and social problem has not been resolved. This is the state we live in now. Under Stalin, an official who overspent 2,000 rubles risked his life. Starting with Brezhnev and to this day, we see a “successful” fight against corruption.

One thing was clear to Brezhnev: it was necessary to correct the situation into which Khrushchev had driven the country - the collective farms were written off their debts, returned personal plots, restored normal ministries, purchased food and manufactured goods abroad, and abolished religious persecution. Everyone wanted peace after the crazy Nikita, the enthusiasm of the people faded, the slogans no longer worked.

Production was not updated, scientific developments were not introduced, the intelligentsia was dissatisfied with everything, the number of apparatchiks grew. Agriculture after Khrushchev it never recovered. Lack of spirituality, drunkenness, divorces grew. Problems piled up and got worse.

There came the triumph of the nomenklatura, enjoying privileges and power, degenerated into a caste of the irremovable. Everyone voted “yes” for everything, the country lived by inertia. Even then, sects began to penetrate into Russia. Wealths accumulated, hence the oligarchs in the future grew. The secret services used the opportunity to live without a deficit. The party has become a place for a career.

Everyone lived with a double morality, the ideology grew more and more into verbiage. Philistinism has risen to the level of the norm of life, therefore, with such nostalgia, those times are remembered by the townsfolk. The nomenklatura no longer had to be concerned about the good of the country, and it began to arrange its own well-being, to live according to its own special laws. The ideological and moral degradation of power has reached top level. I wanted luxury, open and impudent.

Brezhnev grew decrepit, ill, rejoiced at numerous awards and honors. It was clear that there was a deliberate undermining of the authority of the government, of the communist idea. The margin of safety created under Stalin was weakening. The world backstage was gradually disintegrating the USSR, rehearsing future "revolutions" in Czechoslovakia and Poland. CIA agents penetrated the intelligence services of the USSR, Gosplan - everywhere.

In addition to weapons, they did not produce competitive goods, they were forced to sit on the oil needle. The economy was falling apart and lagging behind the West more and more. Goods became scarce, people were chasing foreign junk, which was crowding out domestic products. Corruption grew without Stalinist strictness. Entire branches of the shadow economy have appeared. More and more became those who were ready to be sold (and therefore recruited) to Western intelligence services.

There were ideological dissidents. Anti-Soviet speeches became more frequent: in Arkhangelsk, at a demonstration, someone opened fire from a machine gun; in 1975, the Watchtower ship rebelled. The junior lieutenant made an attempt on Brezhnev, fired a pistol, but at the wrong car: he killed the driver, wounded the cosmonaut Beregovoy.

Those who have been abroad (there were a lot of them in Tolyatti) went crazy from Western abundance, accessible pornography. Western culture increasingly captured the Soviet youth. The anti-Russian ideology was being pushed more and more actively, the history of the country was falsified. That was the Brezhnev time, which for some reason they continue to call stagnation.

Outwardly, everything looked very calm, but behind the scenes there was a fierce undercover struggle for future power. In 1979, Brezhnev asked for a pension - they did not let him go. Companions continued to figure out who would win.

Romanov was compromised with a service from the Hermitage, which he allegedly ordered to give out for his daughter's wedding. Kulakov was found at the dacha with a bullet in his head. They poisoned Chernenko with fish, after which he fell seriously ill. Tsvigun, Shchelokov, Shcherbitsky shot themselves. He died in a strange car accident Masherov. The doctor Brezhnev Rodionov died unexpectedly.

It seemed that Brezhnev's health had been thoroughly worked on: several short years- and cheerful, energetic, he turned into a ruin. Since 1975, Chernenko had a facsimile of Brezhnev and the right to stamp state documents. Who had already prescribed sleeping pills to Brezhnev, but he used them immeasurably, up to 8 tablets a day.

In many ways, this was facilitated by a pretty nurse, clearly attached by the special services, with whom he did not want to part. No less strange is the case during Brezhnev's visit to Tashkent, when part of the tribune with the audience collapsed on him, breaking his collarbone (an incredible mistake (?) of the guards).

Brezhnev stopped trusting Andropov and thought about a successor. On the eve of the November holidays, he arranged an interrogation for Chazov about Andropov's health, and planned a plenum of the Central Committee for the end of November, where important personnel changes were expected. On November 9, Brezhnev met with Andropov, what they talked about is unknown. The next morning, Brezhnev was found dead in his dacha. He died suddenly, in his sleep, a few days before the plenum, at which he was going to name a successor.

Andropov was the first to arrive at the deceased, followed by the faithful Chazov, members of the Politburo were not allowed. Andropov took the briefcase with compromising information on all members of the Politburo and only a day later gave the command to inform about the death of Leonid Brezhnev.

• Tags: ,

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

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

At the 17th Party Congress, Stalin was not formally re-elected to the post Secretary General. 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 as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, he left the Secretariat and Nikita Khrushchev, who was soon elected First Secretary of the Central Committee, entered the leading positions in the party.

Not limitless rulers

In 1964, opposition within the Politburo and the Central Committee removed Nikita Khrushchev from the post of First Secretary, electing Leonid Brezhnev to take his place. Since 1966, the position of the head of the party has again become known as the General Secretary. In the Brezhnev era, 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.

According to the same principle as the late Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko ruled the country. Both were elected to the highest party post when their health was deteriorating, and worked as General Secretary a short time. 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 August coup 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev stepped down as General Secretary. He was replaced by Deputy Vladimir Ivashko, who served 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 chronological order

General secretaries of the USSR in chronological order. Today they are already just a part of history, and once their faces were familiar to every single inhabitant of a vast country. Politic system in the Soviet Union was such that the citizens did not choose their leaders. The decision to appoint the next general secretary was made ruling elite. But, nevertheless, the people respected the state leaders and, for the most part, perceived this state of affairs as a given.

Joseph Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (Stalin)

Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, better known as Stalin, was born on December 18, 1879 in the Georgian city of Gori. He became the first general secretary of the CPSU. He received this position in 1922, when Lenin was still alive, and until the death of the latter he played a secondary 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 him, but thanks to tough, uncompromising actions, Iosif Vissarionovich managed to emerge victorious from the game. Most of the other applicants were physically destroyed, some left the country.

In just a few years of rule, Stalin took the whole country under his "hedgehogs". By the beginning of the 1930s, he finally established himself as the sole leader of the people. The policy of the dictator went down in history:

· mass repression;

· total dispossession;

collectivization.

For this, Stalin was branded by his own followers during the “thaw”. But there is something for which Joseph Vissarionovich, according to historians, is worthy of praise. This is, first of all, the rapid transformation of a ruined country into an industrial and military giant, as well as a victory over fascism. It is quite possible that if the "cult of personality" was not so condemned by all, these achievements would have been unrealistic. Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin died on March 5, 1953.

Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev

Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev was born on April 15, 1894 in the Kursk province (the village of Kalinovka) into a simple working-class family. Participated in civil war where he took the side of the Bolsheviks. In the CPSU since 1918. In the late 1930s he was appointed secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

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

When Khrushchev was General Secretary, the Soviet country:

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

· Actively built up five-story buildings, today called "Khrushchev";

planted the lion's share of the fields with corn, for which Nikita Sergeevich was even nicknamed the "maize man".

This ruler went down in history primarily with his legendary speech at the 20th Party Congress in 1956, where he branded Stalin and his bloody policies. From that moment, 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 the removal of Khrushchev from his post on October 14, 1964.

Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev

Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev was born in the Dnepropetrovsk region (village Kamenskoye) on December 19, 1906. His father was a metallurgist. In the CPSU since 1931. Main post countries occupied as a result of a conspiracy. It was Leonid Ilyich who led the group of members of the Central Committee that ousted Khrushchev.

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

· the development of the country has stopped in almost all areas, except for the military-industrial;

The USSR began to seriously lag behind Western countries;

Citizens again felt the grip of the state, repressions and persecution of dissidents began.

Leonid Ilyich tried to improve relations with the United States, which had aggravated back in the time of Khrushchev, but he did not succeed very well. The arms race continued, and after the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, it was impossible to even think about any kind of 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 region) June 15, 1914. His father was a railroad worker. In 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 Committee state security. He was elected by his associates to the highest post. The board of this general secretary covers a period of less than two years. Per given time Yuri Vladimirovich managed to fight a little with corruption in power. But he did nothing 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 (the village of Bolshaya Tes). His parents were peasants. In the CPSU since 1931. Since 1966 - Deputy of the Supreme Council. Appointed General Secretary CPSU February 13, 1984.

Chernenko became the successor of 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 Privolnoe). His parents were peasants. In the CPSU since 1952. He proved to be an active public figure. Moved quickly along the party line.

He was appointed Secretary General on March 11, 1985. He went down in history with the policy of "perestroika", which provided for the introduction of glasnost, the development of democracy, 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 the side of citizens. former USSR, which just during the reign of Mikhail Sergeevich broke up.

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 the USSR headed 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 closed by Chernenko. Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev is still alive. In 2017, he turned 86 years old.

Photos of the General Secretaries of the USSR in chronological order

Stalin

Khrushchev

Brezhnev

Andropov

Chernenko