Vasili Kuznetsov (politician)

Vasily Vasilyevich Kuznetsov (Russian Василий Васильевич Кузнецов; . * 31 Januarjul / February 13 1901greg in Sofilowka, Kostroma, . † June 5, 1990 in Moscow ) was a Soviet politician, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and thus interim head of state USSR from 1982 to 1983 and again in 1984 and a third time in 1985.

Kuznetsov joined in May 1927, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He studied engineering, interrupted this study, however, for a two-year stay in the United States in 1931 until 1933.

Within the Soviet government and the Communist Party Kuznetsov had since 1940 held a number of positions. Of 12 March 1946 to 12 March 1950, he was Chairman of the Council of Nationalities. In 1955 he became Minister of Foreign Affairs. On October 7, 1977 he was elected Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, a position that he held until 18 June 1986. In each case, after the death of Leonid Brezhnev (1982 ), Yuri Andropov (1984) and Konstantin Chernenko (1985 ), he was interim chairman of the Supreme Soviet - and head of state of the USSR. At the time of his 82nd to his 85th birthday he had held this position three times, and is therefore the oldest so far Soviet or Russian head of state.

In 1986, he ended his political career. He died on 5 June 1990 in Moscow and was buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery.