Nikolai Tikhonov

Nikolai Aleksandrovich Tikhonov (Russian Николай Александрович Тихонов, scientific transliteration Nikolai Aleksandrovich Tikhonov; * 1 Maijul / May 14 1905greg in Kharkiv, .. † June 1, 1997 in Moscow) was a Soviet politician and chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union from 1980 to in 1985.

Biography

After his studies at the College of Metallurgy in Dnepropetrovsk Tikhonov worked from 1930 to 1941 there as metallurgy engineer at the metallurgy works Lenin. He rose from a simple engineer to head a workshop and later to the chief engineer of the plant on. There he met Leonid Brezhnev know and came quite late, only in 1940 in the Soviet Communist Party a. From September 1941 to July 1947 he was chief engineer of the Nowotrubnyj - work in the territory of Sverdlovsk, where he had played a greater role in the adjustment of production to the war needs. From 1947 to 1950 he was director of the Juschnotrubnyj plant in Nikopol. He was one of the pioneers in the field of Labour Welfare in its industry and among other things had a working hospital and a working culture house built.

From 1950 to 1955 Tikhonov was head of the department for the production of pipes of the Ministry of Ferrous Metallurgy, 1955-1957 Deputy Minister in the same Ministry. From 1957 to 1963 he took advantage of several posts in the Soviet economic apparatus, since 1963 deputy head of the State Planning Committee of the USSR in the rank of a minister of the USSR. Candidate of the Central Committee of the CPSU from 1961 until 1966. Tikhonov was one of more than 30 years as a deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. From October 1965 to September 1976 he was Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, since September 1976 First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers. Member of the Central Committee of the CPSU from 1966 until 1989.

1978 Tikhonov, who was supposed to replace the Brezhnev - Kosygin Alexei rival as prime minister was the candidate of the Politburo. From November 27 1979 to October 15, 1985, he was a member of the highest political body of the USSR Politburo of the CPSU.

In October 1980, with 75 years, Tikhonov was at the suggestion of Brezhnev as successor to Alexei Kosygin Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, which he remained until shortly after Mikhail Gorbachev's election as general secretary (1985).

During Brezhnev 's favorite Chernenko and Tikhonov took the Politburo, KGB chief Yuri Andropov promoted as a counterweight Gorbachev and Eduard Shevardnadze. Tikhonov was - especially in the agricultural matters - in constant dispute with Gorbachev, even before it was elected General Secretary. It was Tikhonov, of the former ( " Second " ) Central Committee Secretary Konstantin Chernenko suggested that Andropov 's death in both the Politburo and the Central Committee as the new Kremlin leader and prevailed. Thus the rise of Gorbachev to the Kremlin chief in February 1984 was prevented by the death of Andropov and Chernenko by Tikhonov. According to the memoirs of Yegor Ligatschows, the ( "Second " ) Central Committee Secretary was under Andropov Central Committee secretary and under Gorbachev, Gorbachev himself Tikhonov Central Committee Secretary Andropov 's death fought vehemently against the successor Chernenko as ( "Second " ) to trust. 1985 belonged Tikhonov with the Moscow party leader Viktor Grishin and the Commissioner for Defense Central Committee Secretary and Politburo member Gregori Romanov to the Politburo members, who wanted to prevent Gorbachev's ascent to the Kremlin leader. However, the then Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko turned vehemently to the Gorbachev page. Due to the described behavior Tichonows and his opposition against Gorbachev, however, it was clear after Gorbachev's appointment as Kremlin chief that Tikhonov out his post for reasons of age would have to leave soon.

Tikhonov is described as a strong personality. His rise from economic bureaucrats become one of the leading Soviet politician he owed ​​to his personal acquaintance with Brezhnev.

Honors

Tikhonov was a two-time Hero of Socialist Labor, was awarded a total of 9 Order of Lenin, October Revolution, a Medal, two Red Banner of Labour and the Red Star Order. In 1961 he became Doctor of Engineering. Two-time winner of the Stalin Prize (1943, 1951).

Publications

• XXVI. Congress of the CPSU - The main directions of economic and social development of the USSR for the years 1981-1985 and for the period until 1990 Rapporteur: NA Tikhonov, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR.. February 27, 1981. Dietz Verlag, Berlin, 1981.
• A. N. Tikhonov, The Soviet economy. Achievements, problems, perspectives. Publisher Marxist leaves, Frankfurt am Main, 1985. ISBN 3- 88012-728 X -