Vitaly Ivanovich Vorotnikov (russian: Вита́лий Ива́нович Воротнико́в; 20 January 1926 – 19 February 2012) 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 diplomat who was the

Chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the group ...

of the

Presidium A presidium or praesidium is a council of executive officers in some political assemblies that collectively administers its business, either alongside an individual president or in place of one. Communist states In Communist states the presid ...

of the

Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR The Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR (russian: Верховный Совет РСФСР, ''Verkhovny Sovet RSFSR''), later Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation (russian: Верховный Совет Российской Федерации, ...

between 1988 and 1990.

Early life and education

Vorotnikov was born in Voronezh, and in 1940 entered a local Aviation Industry community college, majoring in aircraft engine technology. After the Soviet Union entered World War II and adult workers left for the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian language, Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist R ...

service, 16-year-old Vitaly took a job at the Voronezh Steam Locomotive Repair plant. Soon the front line approached the city, and he was evacuated to Kuybyshev, where he spent most of the war working for Kuibyshev aviation plant No. 18 and studying at Kuybyshev Aviation Technology School.

Career

After graduation, Vorotnikov kept working at the plant after the war in both managerial and

Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of '' The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engel ...

organizing positions. At the same time he was taking evening classes at the Kuybyshev Aviation Institute, finally earning his engineering degree in 1954.Виталий Воротников. Биография главы советского правительства
(Vitaly Vorotnikov. Biography of the Head of the Soviet Government) From the position of the chairman of the Communist Party committee at his plant (1950–1960) Vorotnikov advanced to a position of responsibility in the

Kuybyshev Oblast Samara Oblast ( rus, Сама́рская о́бласть, r=Samarskaya oblast, p=sɐˈmarskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Samara. From 1935 to 1991, it was known as Kuyb ...

Part Committee (1960). After occupying a number of positions of regional importance in Russia's Kuybyshev and

Voronezh Oblast Voronezh Oblast (russian: Воронежская область, Voronezhskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Voronezh. Its population was 2,308,792 as of the 2021 Census. Geograph ...

s for almost 20 years, he served as the Soviet ambassador to

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...

from 1979 to 1982. In fact, he was exiled by Brezhnev to this post. After being recalled from Cuba when Brezhnev died and a short stint in charge of the Communists of

Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai (russian: Краснода́рский край, r=Krasnodarsky kray, p=krəsnɐˈdarskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and ...

, Vorotnikov was finally brought to Moscow, where he was to occupy the top positions in the government of the

RSFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...

. He became 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 contracti ...

and soon a full member. From 1983 to 1988 he was the

of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR, and from 1988 to 1990 Chairman of the

of the

.Nikolai Zen'kovich
The most secret relatives
, OLMA-Press, Moscow, 2005, p. 69; During his long retirement, Vorotnikov wrote several volumes of memoirs.

Death

Vorotnikov died on 19 February 2012 at the age of 86.

Decorations and awards

Hero of Socialist Labour The Hero of Socialist Labour (russian: links=no, Герой Социалистического Труда, Geroy Sotsialisticheskogo Truda) was an honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It repre ...

(1986) * Four

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 ...

(1971, 1973, 1982 and 1986) *

Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (russian: Орден Октябрьской Революции, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on October 31, 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferr ...

Order of the Patriotic War The Order of the Patriotic War (russian: Орден Отечественной войны, Orden Otechestvennoy voiny) is a Soviet military decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to partisan ...

, 1st class *

Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour (russian: Орден Трудового Красного Знамени, translit=Orden Trudovogo Krasnogo Znameni) was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to th ...

, three times *

Order of the Badge of Honour The Order of the Badge of Honour (russian: орден «Знак Почёта», orden "Znak Pochyota") was a civilian award of the Soviet Union. It was established on 25 November 1935, and was conferred on citizens of the USSR for outstanding ...

* Order of Honour * Gold Medal of the Exhibition of Economic Achievements, three times * Order of Solidarity (Cuba, 1982) * Honorary Citizen of Voronezh (1996)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Voronov, Gennady 1926 births 2012 deaths People from Voronezh Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Eighth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Ninth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Tenth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Eleventh convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union candidate members Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Samara State Aerospace University alumni Ambassadors of the Soviet Union to Cuba Heads of government of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Heads of state of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Heroes of Socialist Labour Recipients of the Order of Honour (Russia) Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Russian Marxists Soviet Marxists Burials in Troyekurovskoye Cemetery