Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

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The Politburo (in Russian: Политбюро), known as the Presidium from 1952 to 1966, functioned as the central policymaking and governing body of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The body was made up of the top members of the Central Committee. In theory, it acted as the political bureau (hence Politburo) of the Central Committee, elected by them to direct the Party between the sessions of the committee and with a mandate that only covered the Party. The Politburo was responsible to, and its membership was subject to, the approval of the Central Committee.

In reality, the Politburo oversaw the operations of the Committee and made all major policy decisions, which it then passed down through the Central Committee, the Supreme Soviet and the Party Congress. Its control extended from the Party and into government because Party personnel held all key government posts and party discipline therefore insured that Politburo policy was implemented by all government organizations. One example of the Central Committee of the CPSU overruling the Presidium (as the Politburo was known) was the defeat of the so-called Anti-Party Group in 1957.

Lenin set up the Politburo in 1917 to direct the Revolution, and following the Eighth Party Congress in 1919 it became and remained the true centre of political power in the Soviet Union. Originally, the Politburo consisted of 5 members: Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin, Lev Kamenev and Nikolai Krestinsky.

Although, in theory, the Politburo was elected from below, in practice, the leading members of the Politburo and, of course, Lenin were highly influential in determining the body's composition which, in the end, reflected the weight and competing influence of various individuals within the party, their allies within the Politburo and supporters outside of it.

Under Stalin the processes under which the leadership of the party was determined became an entirely hierarchical matter with the General Secretary (i.e. Stalin) determining the composition of the Central Committee and even that of the Politburo rather than the reverse. After Stalin's death the authority of the General Secretary waxed and waned to various degrees and the composition of the Politburo again became a matter of shifting alliances among leading members and interest groups within the party, at least until a General Secretary was able to consolidate his position.

The Politburo had both full and candidate (non-voting) members. The actual size of the Politburo varied, but it usually consisted of fourteen full and eight candidate members. Although it had no formal head, the General Secretary of the Party, who was also often head of the Central Committee, always played the leading role. In practice the most powerful Politburo members also had membership of the Secretariat of the CPSU Central Committee, the General Secretary leading of this group. Those who had seats on only one of these two bodies had less influence. Only a few women ever became members of the Politburo.

In order to minimize personal clashes and avoid factionalism there was a convention of procedure which mandated that strong criticisms be circulated beforehand to avoid conflict during actual meetings.

In 1990, the 28th Party Congress agreed to transfer the powers of the Politburo to Parliament, and the Politburo ceased to exist in August 1991.

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Politburo/Presidium membership

Date	Comments
10 [23] Oct 1917	Andrei Bubnov, Grigory Zinoviev, Lev Kamenev, Vladimir Lenin, Grigory Sokolnikov, Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky elected members of the Political Bureau at the Central Committee meeting
Oct 1917	Political bureau ceased to function after the success of the Bolshevik Revolution in Petrograd (25 October (Old Style, [November 7] New Style), 1917)
25 March 1919	Kamenev, Nikolai Krestinsky, Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Nikolai Bukharin, Zinoviev and Mikhail Kalinin elected candidate members
Jul - Sep 1919	According to an agreement between the Politburo and the Orgburo, chief secretary of the Central Committee Elena Stasova temporarily joined the Politburo from July to September 1919
5 April 1920	Kamenev, Krestinsky, Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Bukharin, Zinoviev and Kalinin elected candidate members
16 March 1921	Zinoviev, Kamenev, Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Bukharin, Kalinin and Vyacheslav Molotov elected candidate members
3 April 1922	Zinoviev, Kamenev, Lenin, Alexei Rykov, Stalin, Mikhail Tomsky and Trotsky elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Bukharin, Kalinin and Molotov elected candidate members
26 April 1923	Zinoviev, Kamenev, Lenin, Rykov, Stalin, Tomsky and Trotsky elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Bukharin, Kalinin, Molotov and Yan Rudzutak elected candidate members
21 January 1924	Lenin dies
2 June 1924	Bukharin, Zinoviev, Kamenev, Rykov, Stalin, Tomsky and Trotsky elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Felix Dzerzhinsky, Kalinin, Molotov, Rudzutak, Sokolnikov and Mikhail Frunze elected candidate members
31 October 1925	Frunze dies
1 January 1926	Bukharin, Kliment Voroshilov, Zinoviev, Kalinin, Molotov, Rykov, Stalin, Tomsky and Trotsky elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Dzerzhinsky, Kamenev, Grigory Petrovsky, Rudzutak and Nikolai Uglanov elected candidate members
20 July 1926	Dzerzhinsky dies
23 July 1926	Zinoviev relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Rudzutak elected full member; candidate members re-elected as follows:Andrei Andreyev, Lazar Kaganovich, Kamenev, Sergei Kirov, Anastas Mikoyan, Sergo Ordzhonikidze, Petrovsky, Uglanov
23 October 1926	Trotsky and Kamenev relieved of duties at the joint plenum of the Central Committee and the Central Control Commission
3 November 1926	Ordzhonikidze relieved of duties at the joint plenum of the Central Committee and the Central Control Commission; Vlas Chubar elected candidate member
19 December 1927	Bukharin, Voroshilov, Kalinin, Kuibyshev, Molotov, Rykov, Rudzutak, Stalin and Tomsky elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Andreyev, Kaganovich, Kirov, Stanislav Kosior, Mikoyan, Petrovsky, Uglanov and Chubar elected candidate members
29 April 1929	Uglanov relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Karl Bauman elected candidate member
21 June 1929	Sergei Syrtsov elected candidate member at the Central Committee plenum
17 November 1929	Bukharin relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
13 July 1930	Voroshilov, Kaganovich, Kalinin, Kirov, Kosior, Kuibyshev, Molotov, Rudzutak, Rykov and Stalin elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Andreyev, Mikoyan, Petrovsky, Syrtsov and Chubar elected candidate members
1 December 1930	Syrtsov relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
21 December 1930	Rykov and Andreyev relieved of duties at the joint plenum of the Central Committee and the Central Control Commission; Ordzhonikidze elected full member
4 February 1932	Rudzutak relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Andreyev elected full member
10 February 1934	Andreyev, Voroshilov, Kaganovich, Kalinin, Kirov, Kosior, Kuibyshev, Molotov, Ordzhonikidze and Stalin elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Mikoyan, Petrovsky, PAvel Postyshev, Rudzutak and Chubar elected candidate members
1 December 1934	Kirov assassinated
25 January 1935	Kuibyshev dies
1 February 1935	Mikoyan and Chubar elected full members at the Central Committee plenum, Andrei Zhdanov and Robert Eikhe elected candidate members
18 February 1937	Ordzhonikidze commits suicide
26 May 1937	Rudzutak expelled from the Central Committee and party after being arrested 25 May 1937
12 October 1937	Nikolai Yezhov elected candidate member at the Central Committee plenum
14 January 1938	Postyshev relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Nikita Khrushchev elected candidate member
29 April 1938	Eikhe arrested
3 May 1938	Kosior arrested
16 June 1938	Chubar relieved of duties by the Politburo decision
22 March 1939	Andreyev, Voroshilov, Zhdanov, Kaganovich, Kalinin, Mikoyan, Molotov, Stalin and Khrushchev elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Lavrenty Beria and Nikolay Shvernik elected candidate members
21 February 1941	Voznesensky, Georgy Malenkov and Aleksandr Shcherbakov elected candidate members at the Central Committee plenum
10 May 1945	Shcherbakov dies
18 March 1946	Beria and Malenkov elected full members, Nikolai Bulganin and Alexei Kosygin candidate members at the Central Committee plenum
3 June 1946	Kalinin dies
26 February 1947	Voznesensky elected full member at the Central Committee plenum
18 February 1948	Bulganin approved full member by questionnaire
31 August 1948	Zhdanov dies
4 September 1948	Kosygin approved full member by questionnaire
7 March 1949	Voznesensky relieved of duties
16 October 1952	Andrianov, Aristov, Beria, Bulganin, Voroshilov, Ignatyev, Kaganovich, Korotchenko, Kuznetsov, Otto Kuusinen, Malenkov, Malyshev, Melnikov, Mikoyan, Mikhaylov, Molotov, Pervukhin, Ponomarenko, Saburov, Stalin, Mikhail Suslov, Khrushchev, Chesnokov, Shvernik, Shkiryatov; candidate members: Leonid Brezhnev, Andrei Vyshinsky, Arseni Zverev, Ignatov, Kabanov, Kosygin, Patolichev, Pegov, Puzanov, Tevosyan, Yudin Unofficial Bureau of the Presidium formed as follows: Beria, Bulganin, Voroshilov, Kaganovich, Malenkov, Pervukhin, Saburov, Stalin, Khrushchev
5 March 1953	Stalin dies
5 March 1953	Presidium re-elected at the joint session of the Central Committee, the Council of Ministers and the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet as follows: Beria, Bulganin, Voroshilov, Kaganovich, Malenkov, Mikoyan, Molotov, Pervukhin, Saburov, Khrushchev; candidate members: Bagirov, Melnikov, Ponomarenko, Shvernik
6 June 1953	Melnikov relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Kirichenko elected candidate member
7 July 1953	Beria relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum (arrested 26 June 1953)
17 July 1953	Bagirov relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
12 July 1955	Kirichenko and Suslov elected full members at the Central Committee plenum
27 February 1956	Bulganin, Voroshilov, Kaganovich, Kirichenko, Malenkov, Mikoyan, Molotov, Pervukhin, Saburov, Suslov, Khrushchev; candidate members: Brezhnev, Georgy Zhukov, Mukhitdinov, Furtseva, Shvernik, Dmitri Shepilov
14 February 1957	Kozlov elected candidate member at the Central Committee plenum
29 June 1957	Kaganovich, Malenkov, Molotov and Shepilov relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Presidium re-elected as follows: Aristov, Belyaev, Brezhnev, Bulganin, Voroshilov, Zhukov, Ignatov, Kirichenko, Kozlov, Kuusinen, Mikoyan, Suslov, Furtseva, Khrushchev, Shvernik; candidate members: Kalnberzin, Kirilenko, Korotchenko, Kosygin, Mazurov, Vasil Mzhavanadze, Mukhitdinov, Pervukhin, Pospelov.
29 October 1957	Zhukov relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
17 December 1957	Mukhitdinov elected full member at the Central Committee plenum
18 June 1958	Podgorny and Polyansky elected candidate members at the Central Committee plenum
5 September 1958	Bulganin relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
4 May 1960	Belyaev and Kirichenko relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Kosygin, Podgorny and Polyansky elected full members
16 July 1960	Voroshilov relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
18 January 1961	Voronov and Viktor Grishin elected candidate members at the Central Committee plenum
31 October 1961	Brezhnev, Voronov, Kozlov, Kosygin, Kuusinen, Mikoyan, Podgorny, Polyansky, Suslov, Khrushchev, Shvernik; candidate members: Grishin, Mazurov, Mzhavanadze, Sharaf Rashidov, Vladimir Shcherbitsky.
23 April 1962	Kirilenko elected full member at the Central Committee plenum
23 November 1962	Yefremov elected candidate member at the Central Committee plenum
13 December 1963	Shcherbitsky relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Shelest elected candidate member
17 May 1964	Kuusinen dies
14 October 1964	Khrushchev relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
16 November 1964	Kozlov relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Shelepin and Shelest elected full members, Demichev elected candidate member
26 March 1965	Mazurov elected full member at the Central Committee plenum, Ustinov elected candidate member
6 December 1965	Shcherbitsky again elected candidate member at the Central Committee plenum
8 April 1966	Brezhnev, Voronov, Kirilenko, Kosygin, Mazurov, Pelše, Podgorny, Polyansky, Suslov, Shelepin and Shelest elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Grishin, Demichev, Kunayev, Masherov, Mzhavanadze, Rashidov, Ustinov and Shcherbitsky elected candidate members
21 June 1967	Andropov elected candidate member at the Central Committee plenum
9 April 1971	Brezhnev, Voronov, Grishin, Kirilenko, Kosygin, Kulakov, Kunayev, Mazurov, Pelshe, Podgorny, Polyansky, Suslov, Shelepin, Shelest and Shcherbitsky elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Andropov, Demichev, Masherov, Mzhavanadze, Rashidov and Ustinov elected candidate members
23 November 1971	Solomentsev elected candidate member at the Central Committee plenum
19 May 1972	Ponomarev elected candidate member at the Central Committee plenum
18 December 1972	Mzhavanadze relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
27 April 1973	Voronov and Shelest relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Andropov, Grechko and Gromyko elected full members, Romanov candidate member
16 April 1975	Shelepin relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
5 March 1976	Andropov, Brezhnev, Grechko, Grishin, Gromyko, Kirilenko, Kosygin, Kulakov, Kunayev, Mazurov, Pelshe, Podgorny, Romanov, Suslov, Ustinov and Shcherbitsky elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Aliyev, Demichev, Masherov, Ponomarev, Rashidov and Solomentsev elected candidate members
26 April 1976	Grechko dies
24 May 1977	Podgorny relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
3 October 1977	Kuznetsov and Chernenko elected candidate members at the Central Committee plenum
17 July 1978	Kulakov dies
27 November 1978	Mazurov relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Chernenko elected full member; Tikhonov and Shevardnadze candidate members
27 November 1979	Tikhonov elected full member at the Central Committee plenum; Gorbachev elected candidate member
4 October 1980	Masherov killed in car crash
21 October 1980	Kosygin relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Gorbachev elected full member, Kiselyov candidate member
3 March 1981	Andropov, Brezhnev, Gorbachev, Grishin, Gromyko, Kirilenko, Kunayev, Pelshe, Romanov, Suslov, Tikhonov, Ustinov, Chernenko and Shcherbitsky elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Aliyev, Demichev, Kiselyov, Kuznetsov, Ponomarev, Rashidov, Solomentsev and Shevardnadze elected candidate members
25 January 1982	Suslov dies
24 May 1982	Dolgikh elected candidate member at the Central Committee plenum
10 November 1982	Brezhnev dies
22 November 1982	Kirilenko relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Aliyev elected full member
11 January 1983	Kiselyov dies
29 May 1983	Pelshe dies
15 June 1983	Vorotnikov elected candidate member at the Central Committee plenum
31 October 1983	Rashidov commits suicide
26 December 1983	Vorotnikov and Solomentsev elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Chebrikov elected candidate member
9 February 1984	Andropov dies
20 December 1984	Ustinov dies
10 March 1985	Chernenko dies
23 April 1985	Ligachev, Ryzhkov and Chebrikov elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; S.Sokolov elected candidate member
1 July 1985	Romanov relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Shevardnadze elected full member
15 October 1985	Tikhonov relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Talyzin elected candidate member
18 February 1986	Grishin relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Yeltsin elected candidate member
6 March 1986	Aliyev, Vorotnikov, Gorbachev, Gromyko, Zaykov, Kunayev, Ligachev, Ryzhkov, Solomentsev, Chebrikov, Shevardnadze, Shcherbitsky elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Demichev, Dolgikh, Yeltsin, Slyunkov, S.Sokolov, Solovyov and Talyzin elected candidate members
28 January 1987	Kunayev relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Yakovlev elected candidate member
26 June 1987	S.Sokolov relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Slyunkov, Yakovlev and Nikonov elected full members, Yazov elected candidate member
21 October 1987	Aliyev relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
14 February 1988	Yeltsin relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Maslyukov and Razumovsky elected candidate members
30 September 1988	Gromyko, Solomentsev, Demichev and Dolgikh relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Medvedev elected full member, Biryukova, Vlasov and Lukyanov elected candidate members
20 September 1989	Nikonov, Chebrikov, Shcherbitsky, Solovyov and Talyzin relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Kryuchkov and Maslyukov elected full members, Primakov and Pugo candidate members
9 December 1989	Ivashko elected full member at the Central Committee plenum
14 July 1990	Burokevicius, Gumbaridze, Gorbachev, Gurenko, Dzasokhov, Ivashko, Karimov, Luchinsky, Masaliyev, Makhkamov, Movsisyan, Mutalibov, Nazarbayev, Niyazov, Polozkov, Prokofyev, Rubiks, Semyonova, Sillari, Ye. Sokolov, Stroyev, Frolov, Shenin and Yanayev elected members of the Politburo at the Central Committee plenum
11 December 1990	Ye. Sokolov and Movsisyan relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Malofeyev and Pogosyan elected members
31 January 1991	Gumbaridze and Yanayev relieved of duties at the joint plenum of the Central Committee and Central Control Commission; Annus elected member
25 April 1991	Masaliyev relieved of duties at the joint plenum of the Central Committee and the Central Control Commission; Amanbayev, Yeremey and Surkov elected members
26 July 1991	Pogosyan relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
24 August 1991	Following the failed August Coup Yeltsin banned the CPSU