The first deputy premier of the Soviet Union was the deputy head of government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Despite the title, the office was not always held by a single individual. The office bore three different titles throughout its existence: First Deputy Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars (1923–1946), First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers (1946–1991), and First Deputy Prime Minister of the Soviet Union (1991). The term "first deputy premier" was used by outside commentators to describe the office of first deputy head of government.
A first deputy premier was responsible for a specific policy area. For example, Kirill Mazurov was responsible for industry, while Dmitry Polyansky was responsible for agriculture in the Soviet Union. In addition, an officeholder would be responsible for coordinating the activities of ministries, state committees, and other bodies subordinated to the government. It was expected that a First Deputy gave these organs guidance in an expeditious manner to ensure the implementation of plans for economic and social development and to check if the orders and decisions of the government were being followed. If the premier could not perform his duties one of the first deputies would take on the role of acting premier until the premier's return. During the late 1970s, when the health of Premier Alexei Kosygin deteriorated, First Deputy Premier Nikolai Tikhonov acted on his behalf as during his absence. Finally, a first deputy was by right a member of the government Presidium, its highest decision-making organ.
Twenty-six individuals held the office of first deputy premier. The first officeholder was Valerian Kuibyshev, who was inaugurated in 1934. Lavrentiy Beria spent the shortest time in office, serving for 113 days. At more than seventeen years, Vyacheslav Molotov spent the longest time in office, and held his position for most of Joseph Stalin's chairmanship, as well as through the chairmanships of Georgy Malenkov and Nikolai Bulganin.
List of officeholders Portrait Name Term of office Premier Other offices held whileFirst Deputy Premier Took office Left office Time in office 1 Valerian Kuybyshev 14 May 1934 25 January 1935 † Vyacheslav Molotov Chairman of the Soviet People's Control Commission 2 Nikolai Voznesensky 10 March 1941 15 March 1946 Vyacheslav MolotovJoseph Stalin Chairman of the State Planning Commission 3 Vyacheslav Molotov 16 August 1942 29 June 1957 Joseph StalinGeorgy MalenkovNikolai Bulganin Minister of Foreign Affairs 4 Nikolai Bulganin 7 April 1950 8 February 1955 Joseph StalinGeorgy Malenkov Minister of Defence 5 Lavrentiy Beria 5 March 1953 26 June 1953 Georgy Malenkov Minister of Internal Affairs 6 Lazar Kaganovich 5 March 1953 29 June 1957 Georgy MalenkovNikolai BulganinNikita Khrushchev Minister of Building Materials Industry Chairman of the State Committee of theCouncil of Ministers for Labour and Wages 7 Anastas Mikoyan 28 February 1955 15 July 1964 Nikolai BulganinNikita Khrushchev 8 Mikhail Pervukhin 28 February 1955 5 July 1957 Nikolai Bulganin Chairman of the State Economic Commission on Current Economic Planning 9 Maksim Saburov 28 February 1955 5 July 1957 Nikolai Bulganin Chairman of the State Planning Committee 10 Joseph Kuzmin 28 February 1955 5 July 1957 Nikolai Bulganin Chairman of the State Planning Committee 11 Frol Kozlov 31 March 1958 4 May 1960 Nikita Khrushchev Chairman of the State Planning Committee 12 Alexei Kosygin 4 May 1960 15 October 1964 Nikita Khrushchev — 13 Dmitriy Ustinov 13 March 1963 26 March 1965 Nikita KhrushchevAlexei Kosygin — 14 Kirill Mazurov 26 March 1965 28 November 1978 Alexei Kosygin First Secretary of the Communist Party of Byelorussia 15 Dmitry Polyansky 2 October 1965 2 February 1973 Alexei Kosygin — 16 Nikolai Tikhonov 2 September 1976 23 October 1980 Alexei Kosygin — 17 Ivan Arkhipov 27 October 1980 4 October 1986 Nikolai TikhonovNikolai Ryzhkov — 18 Heydar Aliyev 24 November 1982 23 October 1987 Nikolai TikhonovNikolai Ryzhkov First Secretary of the Azerbaijan Communist Party 19 Andrei Gromyko 24 March 1983 2 July 1985 Nikolai Tikhonov Minister of Foreign Affairs 20 Nikolai Talyzin 14 October 1985 1 October 1988 Nikolai Ryzhkov Chairman of the State Planning Committee 21 Vsevolod Murakhovski 1 November 1985 7 June 1989 Nikolai Ryzhkov Chairman of the State Committee of the Council of Ministers for Agriculture 22 Yuri Maslyukov 5 February 1988 26 December 1990 Nikolai Ryzhkov Chairman of the State Planning Committee 23 Lev Voronin 17 July 1989 26 December 1990 Nikolai Ryzhkov — 24 Vladilen Nikitin 27 July 1989 30 August 1990 Nikolai Ryzhkov — 25 Vladimir Velichko 15 January 1991 26 November 1991 Valentin PavlovIvan Silayev Minister of Heavy Machine Building 26 Vitaly Doguzhiyev 15 January 1991 26 November 1991 Valentin PavlovIvan Silayev — 27 16 May 1991 26 November 1991 Valentin PavlovIvan Silayev —
See also Premier of the Soviet Union Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union List of leaders of the Soviet Union
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