Premier of the Soviet Union - Definition and Overview

Premier of the Soviet Union is the commonly used English term for the offices of Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars (or Sovnarkom)(1923-1946) and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR (1946-1991) (Председатель Совета Министров СССР) - who was the head of government in the Soviet Union.

However, the real power in the USSR was in the Politburo. After Lenin's death the key position in the Politburo and the country was the General Secretary. Some Soviet leaders held both positions at the same time. See also List of leaders of the Soviet Union Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars

• Vladimir Ilich Lenin (1917-1924)
• Alexey Ivanovich Rykov (1924-1930)
• Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov (1930-1941)
• Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin (1941-1946)

Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR

• Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin (1946-1953)
• Georgy Maximilianovich Malenkov (1953-1955)
• Nikolai Alexandrovich Bulganin (1955-1958)
• Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev (1958-1964)
• Alexey Nikolaevich Kosygin (1964-1980)
• Nikolai Alexandrovich Tikhonov (1980-1985)
• Nikolai Ivanovich Ryzhkov (1985-1991)

Prime Minister of the USSR

• Valentin Pavlov (January 14, 1991-August 22, 1991)
• Ivan Silayev (August 24, 1991-December 26, 1991)