Nikolai Ivanovich Ryzhkov

Ryzhkov, Nikolai Ivanovich (1929– ), former prime minister of the USSR (1985–91). He left office when the restructuring of the Soviet government reduced the scope of the position. After his admittance into the Communist Party (1956), he rose through the ranks of the government, becoming deputy minister of heavy machinery (1975), chairman of the Soviet economic planning commission, called Gosplan (1979), Secretariat of the Central Committee involving economic concerns (1982), then full member of the Communist Party Politburo (1985). In 1991 he was a presidential candidate but lost the elections.

See also: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.