Anatoly Lukyanov
Anatoly Ivanovich Lukyanov (Russian Анатолий Иванович Лукьянов; born May 7, 1930 in Smolensk ) is a former Soviet politician.
Political career
Mikhail Gorbachev promoted Lukjanows rise in the center of power. He was on 23 April 1985 to 1988 and Head of Department from July 1987 Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, and he headed the General Department - that the personnel department - of the Central Committee. 1988 to 1990 he was First Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, that Gorbachev 's deputy in the office of head of state. At the same time he was also from 30 September 1988 to July 14, 1990 Candidate of the Politburo, that candidate in the highest political body of the CPSU. After the new office of President of the Soviet Union has been set up and this Gorbachev took office, Lukyanov was from 15 March 1990 to 28 August 1991, Chairman of the Supreme Soviet. By early 1991, he supported the direction taken by Gorbachev political course of the concepts of glasnost (openness ) and perestroika ( restructuring ) for party and state. Only with the session of the Supreme Soviet, headed by Lukyanov June 17, 1991 tried unsuccessfully to weaken the position of Gorbachev and Prime Minister Valentin Pavlov it.
The August coup
Together with Defense Minister Marshal Dmitry Yazov, Interior Minister Boris Pugo, Prime Minister Valentin Pavlov, KGB chief Vladimir Kryuchkov, Vice President Gennady Yanayev and the Central Committee secretaries Valery Boldin, Oleg Shenin and Oleg Baklanov Lukyanov was co-initiator of the August coup against Gorbachev in August 1991. At 19 August 1991. reported the Soviet news agency TASS alleged disease Mikhail Gorbachev and that Yanayev have taken office. The attempt of the coup, Gorbachev to move to resign, failed. After three days, the coup was over, at which distinguished itself especially Boris Yeltsin as the main figure of resistance. Result of the conspiracy was that Gorbachev waned power, the CPSU and the end of 1991, the USSR was dissolved. Lukyanov later confessed: " This adventure was a conspiracy and an absolutely illegal act ... I have constantly pointed out the illegality of the act of the coup. " He and his Mitputschisten were sentenced to prison terms in 1993 made prison Verschonungen and amnesties.