Vitaly Vorotnikov

Vitaly Ivanovich Vorotnikov (Russian: Вита́лий Ива́нович Воротнико́в; 20 January 1926 – 19 February 2012) was a Soviet politician and diplomat who was the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR between 1988 and 1990.

Vitaly Vorotnikov
Вита́лий Воротнико́в
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR
In office
3 October 1988 – 29 May 1990
Preceded byVladimir Orlov
Succeeded byBoris Yeltsin (as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR)
Chairman of the Council of Ministers – Government of the Russian SFSR
In office
24 June 1983 – 3 October 1988
Preceded byMikhail Solomentsev
Succeeded byAlexander Vlasov
First Secretary of the Krasnodar Regional Committee
In office
23 July 1982 – 27 June 1983
Preceded bySergei Medunov
Succeeded byGeorgy Razumovsky
First Secretary of the Voronezh Regional Committee
In office
8 February 1971 – 11 July 1975
Preceded byNikolai Miroshnichenko
Succeeded byVadim Ignatov
Full member of the 26th, 27th Politburo
In office
26 December 1983 – 14 July 1990
Personal details
Born
Vitaly Ivanovich Vorotnikov

(1926-01-20)20 January 1926
Voronezh, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died19 February 2012(2012-02-19) (aged 86)
Moscow, Russia
Nationality Soviet Union
 Russia
Political partyCommunist Party of the Soviet Union (1950-1990)

Early life and education

Vorotnikov was born in Voronezh,[1] and in 1940 entered a local Aviation Industry community college, majoring in aircraft engine technology. After the Soviet Union entered World War II and adult workers left for the Red Army service, 16-year-old Vitaly took a job at the Voronezh Steam Locomotive Repair plant. Soon the front line approached the city, and he was evacuated to Kuybyshev, where he spent most of the war working for Kuibyshev aviation plant No. 18 and studying at Kuybyshev Aviation Technology School.

Career

After graduation, Vorotnikov kept working at the plant after the war in both managerial and Communist Party organizing positions. At the same time he was taking evening classes at the Kuybyshev Aviation Institute, finally earning his engineering degree in 1954.[2]

From the position of the chairman of the Communist Party committee at his plant (1950–1960) Vorotnikov advanced to a position of responsibility in the Kuybyshev Oblast Part Committee (1960). After occupying a number of positions of regional importance in Russia's Kuybyshev and Voronezh Oblasts for almost 20 years, he served as the Soviet ambassador to Cuba from 1979 to 1982.[2] In fact, he was exiled by Brezhnev to this post.[3]

After being recalled from Cuba when Brezhnev died and a short stint in charge of the Communists of Krasnodar Krai,[2] Vorotnikov was finally brought to Moscow, where he was to occupy the top positions in the government of the RSFSR. He became a candidate member of the Politburo and soon a full member.[3] From 1983 to 1988 he was the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR, and from 1988 to 1990 Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR.[4] During his long retirement, Vorotnikov wrote several volumes of memoirs.[5]

Death

Vorotnikov died on 19 February 2012 at the age of 86.[5]

Decorations and awards

References
  1. Christian Schmidt-Hauer, Gorbachev: the path to power. I. B. Tauris, London, 1986, p. 201; ISBN 1-85043-015-2
  2. Виталий Воротников. Биография главы советского правительства (Vitaly Vorotnikov. Biography of the Head of the Soviet Government)
  3. Stephen White (2011). Understanding Russian Politics. Cambridge University Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-139-49683-4. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  4. Nikolai Zen'kovich, The most secret relatives (in Russian), OLMA-Press, Moscow, 2005, p. 69; ISBN 5-94850-408-5
  5. "Former Soviet presidium's chairman Vitaly Vorotnikov dead". Information Telegraph Agency of Russia. 20 February 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
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