Viktor Michailowitsch Tschebrikow

Viktor Michailowitsch Tschebrikow ( Russian Виктор Михайлович Чебриков , English: Viktor Mikhailovich Chebrikov; born April 27, 1923 in Yekaterinoslav ; † July 7, 1999 in Moscow ) was head of the KGB and Soviet politician from 1982 to 1988 .

Life

Ascent

When the so-called Great Patriotic War broke out in World War II in 1941 , Chebrikov was just 18 years old. From a young lieutenant he served himself up to major and at the end of the war received his further staff training at the Frunze Military Academy in Moscow . Due to eye problems, he ended his military career and studied at the engineering college in Dnipropetrovsk. From 1950 he worked as a metallurgist for the city. He joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) in 1950 . In 1961 he became the first secretary of the city committee of the Dnipropetrovsk party, where he met Leonid Brezhnev , the party leader of the Ukraine at the time.

After Semitschastny was replaced as head of the Soviet secret service, Tschebrikow switched to the State Security Committee (KGB) in 1967 and became head of department and deputy chairman of the KGB under its new head, Yuri Andropov . In this position he also investigated corruption issues in which Brezhnev's relatives should be involved.

At the center of power

After Brezhnev's death in 1982, Vitaly Fedorchuk became chairman of the KGB. After complaints from leading KGB officers about him, the new head of state Andropov took care of his removal as early as December 1982. The new chairman of the KGB was Tschebrikow, now Colonel General of the KGB, who was considered a capable administrative specialist and distinguished himself by his correct, competent and straightforward administration. Chebrikov held the post of KGB chairman until 1988.

He led Operation RYAN to investigate feared NATO attack plans . Under him, the KGB supported the election of Gorbachev as General Secretary. From 1984 to 1985 Tschebrikow was a candidate for the Politburo of the CPSU. In 1985, with the support of Gorbachev, he was promoted to the highest political body in the USSR, and he became a full member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from April 23, 1985 to September 20, 1989 . In 1987, Tschebrikov's growing rejection of Gorbachev's domestic policy led him to promote Kryuchkov . In October 1988 Tschebrikow was replaced as chairman of the KGB by Kryuchkov, but remained a member of the Politburo until September 1989.

After relinquishing the chairmanship of the KGB, Chebrikov was secretary of the Central Committee from 1988 to 1989 . At the age of 65 he retired from active career.

He was married since 1947 to a graduate of his college days.

Honors

Chebrikov received the Order of the Hero of Socialist Labor , four times the Order of Lenin , the Order of the October Revolution , the Order of the Red Banner , the Alexander Nevsky Order , three times the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, the Order of the Great Patriotic War and the State Prize of the USSR .

literature

• Michail Gorbatschow: Memories, Siedler-Verlag, Berlin, 1995, ISBN 3-88680-524-7 .
• Montgomery, Isobel: Viktor Chebrikov: KGB chief who favored modest Soviet reforms in The Guardian of 7 July 1999. Viktor Chebrikov: KGB chief who favored modest Soviet reforms.

Web links

• Guardian: Viktor Chebrikov (English)