Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev - everyone knows about these and other leaders of the Soviet state. However, there was a man in the history of the USSR who led the country several times, but at the same time remained in the shadows. His name was Vasily Kuznetsov, and he formally held the highest government post three times in the first half of the 1980s.
Kostroma nugget
Vasily Kuznetsov was born in the Kostroma province in 1901. For the time being, his biography was unremarkable: he served in the army, graduated from the Polytechnic University, and worked at a factory. In 1931 he went to the United States to study metallurgy at the Carnegie Institute of Technology.
Having studied in America, Kuznetsov was rapidly moving up the career ladder: in 1940 he was already deputy chairman of the USSR State Planning Committee.
By the time of Stalin's death, the "Kostroma nugget" was working in the foreign policy department of the CPSU Central Committee. In February 1957, he almost became the head of Soviet diplomacy. Nikita Khrushchev asked the outgoing head of the USSR Foreign Ministry Dmitry Shepilov to recommend someone to replace him. He offered Yuri Andropov and Vasily Kuznetsov. Shepilov described the first as a "bulldog", the second as "clever." Despite the fact that Kuznetsov's candidacy was more suitable, Khrushchev still chose Andropov.
Nevertheless, Kuznetsov's diplomatic career was developing successfully. He participated in the settlement of the Cuban missile crisis, negotiated with China after the clashes on Damansky Island, helped to reconcile India with Pakistan.
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"Elder" from the Supreme Council
People who knew Kuznetsov noted that he preferred to work with documents for a long time, carefully delving into all the details. At the same time, outside of work, he led a simple life, did not like to attract attention to himself. It was Kuznetsov who was considered a suitable candidate for the post of First Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, created in 1977, in fact, the second person in the state. At that time he was already 76 years old.
Why was this post established? Before giving an answer to this question, it is necessary to recall the state structure of the USSR according to the 1977 Constitution. Formally, the supreme body of power was the Supreme Soviet, which met twice a year (during breaks, its duties were performed by the Presidium of the Supreme Council). Its leader was formally the head of state. He had many responsibilities: from issuing decrees and adopting resolutions to awarding orders and medals and other ceremonial events.
The decrepit L. I. Brezhnev, who combined the posts of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, did not have enough strength for all this. Therefore, it was decided to introduce the post of deputy who would be engaged in routine work.
The king is not real
Since Kuznetsov was legally the second person in the state, he became the formal leader of the country after Brezhnev's death in November 1982. Kuznetsov served as the leader of the state until mid-June 1983, when Yuri Andropov was elected General Secretary. By the way, it was Kuznetsov who congratulated Soviet citizens on TV on December 31, 1983.
Meanwhile, the country has already entered the five-year plan of "magnificent funerals." "General Secretary from Lubyanka" held out until February 1984. And again Kuznetsov became the formal leader. This time until April 1984, when the country was headed by Konstantin Chernenko, who later almost never left the hospital.
The last, third time, Kuznetsov was at the top post after the death of Chernenko. At that moment, the deputy chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet was already over 80, which made him one of the oldest leaders of the state in Russian history.
Invisible leader
Despite his high position, Kuznetsov did not remain in the people's memory. The thing is that the Supreme Soviet was for the most part a decorative organ. Everything was decided in the party itself. Although she was not part of the system of government bodies of the USSR, Article 6 of the Constitution enshrined her leading role. Therefore, the will of the CPSU Central Committee was the law for any constitutional body, including the Supreme Soviet, which in reality had only one task - to clothe instructions coming from the party in the form of laws.
Therefore, almost no one remembered Kuznetsov. His appearance on television in December 1983 was the last. He retired in 1986 and died quietly in Moscow a year before the collapse of the USSR.
reference
Vasily Vasilievich KUZNETSOV is a Russian statesman, diplomat, laureate of the Stalin Prize (1941). Educated at the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute (1926). In 1920-1921. served in the Red Army. In 1927 he joined the CPSU (b). He worked at the Makeevka plant, head of the open-hearth shop. In 1933-1937. Deputy Head, Head of the Laboratory of the Elektrostal Plant (Moscow Region). In 1937-1940. engineer, chief engineer of Glavspetsstal. In 1940-1943. Deputy Chairman of the USSR State Planning Committee. At the same time, during the Great Patriotic War in 1941-1943. Deputy member of the State Defense Committee for Metallurgy. He headed the organization of the production of special steels for military production. In 1943-1944. chairman of the Central Committee of the trade union of workers of ferrous metallurgy of the Center. Since 1944, the chairman of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions. 1945-1953member of the General Council of the Executive Committee and vice-president of the World Federation of Trade Unions. Since 1946 he was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, in 1950-1953. member of its Presidium. Since 1952, a member of the Central Committee of the CPSU, and since 16.10.1952, a candidate member of the Presidium of the Central Committee. After the death of JV Stalin on 6/6/1953, he was removed from the Central Committee Presidium and transferred to diplomatic work and was appointed Deputy VM Molotov and Ambassador to China. In 1955-1977. 1st Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs under Molotov, D. T. Shepilov and A. A. Gromyko. In 1977 he was appointed 1st Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and became a candidate member of the Politburo of the Central Committee. He was the official head of state for a short time after the death of Leonid I. Brezhnev, Yu. V. Andropov, and K. U. Chernenko, and it was in his name that all telegrams of condolences from abroad were received. With the arrival of M. S. Gorbachev in 1986retired.
Ivan Proshkin