Nikolai Alekseevich Voznesensky (russian: Никола́й Алексе́евич Вознесе́нский, – 1 October 1950) was a
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
politician and
economic planner who oversaw the running of
Gosplan
The State Planning Committee, commonly known as Gosplan ( rus, Госплан, , ɡosˈpɫan),
was the agency responsible for central economic planning in the Soviet Union. Established in 1921 and remaining in existence until the dissolution of ...
(State Planning Committee) during the
German-Soviet War
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Poland and other Allies, which encompassed Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northeast Europe (Baltics), and Sout ...
. A
protégé
Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...
of
Andrei Zhdanov
Andrei Aleksandrovich Zhdanov ( rus, Андре́й Алекса́ндрович Жда́нов, p=ɐnˈdrej ɐlʲɪˈksandrəvʲɪtɕ ˈʐdanəf, links=yes; – 31 August 1948) was a Soviet politician and cultural ideologist. After World War ...
, Voznesensky was appointed Deputy Premier in May 1940.
Simon Sebag Montefiore
Simon Jonathan Sebag Montefiore (; born 27 June 1965) is a British historian, television presenter and author of popular history books and novels,
including ''Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar' (2003), Monsters: History's Most Evil Men and ...
, ''Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar'', Weidenfeld & Nicolson: 2003, p.310. He was directly involved in the recovery of production associated with the movement of industry eastwards at the start of the war. His work ''The Economy of the USSR during World War II'' is his account of these years.
Following the war, Voznesensky was persecuted during the
Leningrad affair. In a secret trial, he was found guilty of
treason
Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...
, sentenced to death and executed the same day. He was rehabilitated in 1954.
He was a close associate of
Alexei Kosygin
Alexei Nikolayevich Kosygin ( rus, Алексе́й Никола́евич Косы́гин, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsʲej nʲɪkɐˈla(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ kɐˈsɨɡʲɪn; – 18 December 1980) was a Soviet statesman during the Cold War. He served as the Premi ...
and
Mikhail Rodionov
Mikhail Ivanovich Rodionov (russian: Михаи́л Ива́нович Родио́нов; – 1 October 1950) was a Soviet- Russian statesman who was from 1946 to 1949 the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Russian SFSR, literally meanin ...
.
Biography
Early life
Nikolai Voznesensky was born in Tula in the family of a clerk of a forestry office. He was the younger brother of
Alexander Voznesensky
Alexander Alexeyevich Voznesensky (russian: Александр Алексеевич Вознесенский) (March 5, 1898—October 28, 1950) was a Soviet statesman, economist and brother of Nikolai Voznesensky.
Biography
Born in ...
.
Voznesensky joined the Komsomol in 1919 and quickly rose through its ranks becoming the editor in chief of the ''Kommunar'' newspaper which was the official organ of the Tula Komsomol District in 1925.
After graduating from the
Sverdlov Communist University
The Sverdlov Communist University (Russian: Коммунистический университет имени Я. М. Свердлова) was a school for Soviet activists in Moscow, founded in 1918 as the Central School for Soviet and Party Work. ...
he was sent to study at the economic faculty of the
Institute of Red Professors
An institute is an organisational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body.
In some countries, institutes can ...
in 1928 and later himself became a professor of the institute from 1931. In 1935 he was awarded the academic degree of Doctor of Economics.
Rise to power and World War II
Voznesensky was quickly rising through the ranks of the party with the help of his mentor Andrei Zhdanov. In 1934 he became a member of the
Central Control Commission and was the representative of the party control commission in Donetsk.
From 1935 to 1937 he was the head of the Leningrad Control Commission and in November 1937 he was appointed deputy head of the
State Planning Committee
The State Planning Committee, commonly known as Gosplan ( rus, Госплан, , ɡosˈpɫan),
was the agency responsible for central economic planning in the Soviet Union. Established in 1921 and remaining in existence until the dissolution of ...
(Gosplan), which he was then appointed Chairman in 1938. In 1941 he was elected as a candidate member of the
Politburo
A politburo () or political bureau is the executive committee for communist parties. It is present in most former and existing communist states.
Names
The term "politburo" in English comes from the Russian ''Politbyuro'' (), itself a contraction ...
of the VKP (b), and he received the newly created post of Deputy Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, making him of the most powerful men in the Soviet Union at the age of thirty eight.
During the
German-Soviet War
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Poland and other Allies, which encompassed Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northeast Europe (Baltics), and Sout ...
he was a member of the
State Defense Committee
The State Defense Committee (russian: Государственный комитет обороны - ГКО, translit=Gosudarstvennyĭ komitet oborony - GKO) was an extraordinary organ of state power in the USSR during the German-Soviet War (Grea ...
and a member of the Committee under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR for the restoration of the economy in the liberated territories.
Post World War II and Leningrad Affair
From February 28, 1947 to March 1, 1949 he was a full member of the Politburo of the All-Union Communist Party (b). Voznesensky was one of the people in charge of the reconstruction of the Soviet economy after the war and was also a member of the commission of the Soviet Union's nuclear project.
After the death of Andrei Zhdanov, Voznesensky disappeared from public life for a period of time. In connection with the
Leningrad Affair, on March 7, 1949, he was removed from the post of deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and removed from the Politburo of the Central Committee.
From a resolution adopted by the Central Committee, Voznesensky was accused of being purposefully responsible for "..the disappearance of secret documents in the USSR State Planning Committee". He was arrested on October 27, 1949, and was sentenced to death on the night of September 30, 1950. He is believed to have been shot shortly after the verdict was announced.
Voznesensky was rehabilitated by the
on April 30, 1954 and his membership was reinstated in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
Honours and awards
* Two
Orders of Lenin
The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration b ...
*
Stalin Prize Stalin Prize may refer to:
* The State Stalin Prize in science and engineering and in arts, awarded 1941 to 1954, later known as the USSR State Prize
The USSR State Prize (russian: links=no, Государственная премия СССР, ...
- 1947
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Voznesensky, Nikolai
1903 births
1950 deaths
People from Chernsky District
People from Chernsky Uyezd
Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union members
People's commissars and ministers of the Soviet Union
Second convocation members of the Soviet of Nationalities
Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, 1938–1947
Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, 1947–1951
Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic
Second convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
Soviet economists
Institute of Red Professors alumni
Full Members of the USSR Academy of Sciences
Stalin Prize winners
Recipients of the Order of Lenin
Leningrad affair
People executed for treason against the Soviet Union
People executed for corruption
Members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union executed by the Soviet Union
Russian people executed by the Soviet Union
People from Tula Oblast
Executed Soviet people from Russia
Soviet rehabilitations