Soviet Leaders Since the Revolution

V.I. Lenin: Led the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. Premier of Council of People’s Commissars until he died in office Jan. 21, 1924.

Josef Stalin: Longest-ruling Soviet leader; succeeded Lenin. General secretary of the Communist Party from 1922 to 1953. Named chairman of Council of Ministers (or premier) May, 1941. Died in office March 5, 1953.

Georgi M. Malenkov: Took over Stalin’s post as premier from March, 1953, until February, 1955.

Nikita S. Khrushchev: Took over Stalin’s job as party leader in September, 1953; also became premier in March, 1958, upon resignation of Nikolai Bulganin; ousted in October, 1964.

Nikolai A. Bulganin: Premier from February 1955 until forced out by Khrushchev in March, 1958.

Leonid I. Brezhnev: Communist Party leader from October, 1964, until death in November, 1982. President from June, 1977.

Aleksei N. Kosygin: Premier from October 1964, until October, 1980.

Yuri V. Andropov: Premier from death of Brezhnev to own death in office Feb. 13, 1984.

Konstantin U. Chernenko: Died in office 1985.

Mikhail S. Gorbachev: Named general secretary of Soviet Communist Party Central Committee in March, 1985, upon death of Chernenko. On Dec. 21, 1991, 11 Soviet republics proclaim a new Commonwealth of Independent States, putting a formal end to the Soviet Union. On Dec. 25, Gorbachev resigned.