Nikolai Alexandrovich Tikhonov

Nikolai Tikhonov ( Russian Николай Александрович Тихонов , scientific. Transliteration Nikolai Aleksandrovich Tikhonov , born May 1 ^{. Jul} / 14. May 1905 ^greg. In Kharkov ; † 1. June 1997 in Moscow ) was a Soviet politician and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers of USSR head of the Soviet government from 1980 to 1985 .

biography

After studying at the Metallurgy College in Dnepropetrovsk , Tikhonov worked there as a metallurgy engineer at the Lenin Metallurgy Works from 1930 to 1941 . He rose from a simple engineer to the manager of a factory hall and later to the chief engineer of the factory. There he met Leonid Brezhnev and joined the CPSU quite late, not until 1940 . From September 1941 to July 1947 he was the chief engineer at the Novotrubnyj plant in the Sverdlovsk area , where he had played a major role in adapting production to wartime needs . From 1947 to 1950 he was director of the Yuzhnotrubnyj plant in Nikopol . He was one of the pioneers in the field of workers' welfare in his branch and among other things had a factory hospital and a factory culture house built.

From 1950 to 1955 Tikhonov was head of the main tube production department of the Ministry of Ferrous Metallurgy, from 1955 to 1957 deputy minister in the same ministry. From 1957 to 1963 he held several posts in the Soviet economic apparatus, from 1963 deputy head of the State Planning Committee of the USSR with the rank of Minister of the USSR. Candidate for the Central Committee of the CPSU from 1961 to 1966. Tikhonov was a deputy member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR for over 30 years. From October 1965 to September 1976 he was Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, and since September 1976 First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers. Member of the Central Committee of the CPSU from 1966 to 1989.

In 1978 Tikhonov, who was supposed to replace Brezhnev rival Alexei Kosygin as prime minister, became a candidate for the Politburo . From November 27, 1979 to October 15, 1985 he was a member of the highest political body of the USSR in the Politburo of the CPSU.

At the age of 75, Tikhonov became Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in October 1980 at Brezhnev's suggestion as successor to Alexei Kosygin , which he remained until September 1985, a few months after Mikhail Gorbachev was elected Secretary General.

Background to the change of power

While Brezhnev brought his favorites Chernenko and Tikhonov into the Politburo, KGB boss Yuri Andropov promoted Gorbachev and Eduard Shevardnadze as a counterweight . Tikhonov found himself in constant quarrel with Gorbachev - especially on agricultural issues - even before he was elected Secretary General. It was Tikhonov who, after Andropov's death, proposed and enforced the then ("second") Central Committee Secretary Konstantin Tschernenko in both the Politburo and the Central Committee as the new head of the Kremlin. So the rise of Gorbachev to head of the Kremlin in February 1984 after the death of Andropov was prevented by Chernenko and Tikhonov. According to the memoirs of Yegor Ligachev , who became Central Committee Secretary under Andropov and Central Committee Secretary under Gorbachev ("second"), Tikhonov vehemently resisted entrusting Gorbachev to succeed Chernenko as ("second") Central Committee secretary after Andropov's death. In 1985, Tikhonov, along with the Moscow party leader Viktor Grischin and the Central Committee Secretary and Politburo member Gregori Romanov, was one of the politburo members who wanted to prevent Gorbachev's rise to Kremlin boss. However, the then Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko vehemently sided with Gorbachev. Due to the behavior of Tikhonov described and his opposition to Gorbachev, however, after Gorbachev's appointment as Kremlin chief, it was clear that Tikhonov would soon have to vacate his post for reasons of age.

Tikhonov is described as having a strong personality. He owed his rise from an economic bureaucrat to one of the leading Soviet politicians to his personal acquaintance with Brezhnev.

Honors

Tikhonov was a two-time hero of socialist labor , was awarded a total of 9 orders of Lenin , an October Revolution order, two orders of the Red Banner of Labor and the Order of Red Star . In 1961 he became a doctoral engineer. Twice winner of the Stalin Prize (1943, 1951).

Publications

XXVI. Congress of the CPSU - The main directions of economic and social development of the USSR for the years 1981 to 1985 and for the period up to 1990. Rapporteur: NA Tikhonov, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. February 27, 1981. Dietz Verlag, Berlin, 1981.
NA Tikhonov, The Soviet Economy. Achievements, problems, prospects. Verlag Marxistische Blätter, Frankfurt am Main, 1985. ISBN 3-88012-728-X

Web links

predecessor	Office	successor
Alexei Kosygin	Prime Minister of the Soviet Union 1980–1985	Nikolai Ryschkov

personal data
SURNAME	Tikhonov, Nikolai Alexandrovich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Тихонов, Николай Александрович (Russian)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	soviet politician
DATE OF BIRTH	May 14, 1905
PLACE OF BIRTH	Kharkov
DATE OF DEATH	June 1, 1997
Place of death	Moscow