President of the Soviet Union
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| President of the Soviet Union | |
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| Former political post | |
 State Emblem |
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 Mikhail Gorbachev |
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| First officeholder | Mikhail Gorbachev |
| Last officeholder | Mikhail Gorbachev |
| Official residence | Grand Kremlin Palace |
| Appointer | Direct election,[1] Congress of People's Deputies[2] |
| Office began | 15 March 1990 |
| Office ended | 25 December 1991 |
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| This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the Soviet Union |
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Leadership
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Judiciary
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Society
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The President of the Soviet Union (Russian: Президент Советского Союза, Prezident Sovetsky Soyuz), officially called President of the USSR (Russian: Президент СССР[1]) or President of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (Russian: Президент Союза Советских Социалистических Республик)[3] was the head of state of the Soviet Union from 15 March 1990 to 25 December 1991. Mikhail Gorbachev was the only person to occupy the office. Gorbachev was also General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union between March 1985 and August 1991. He derived an increasingly greater share of his power from his position as president until he finally resigned as General Secretary after the Soviet coup d'état attempt of 1991.
From the mid-1970s on, all effective executive political power was in the hands of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, with the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet exercising largely symbolic and figurehead duties. Starting with Leonid Brezhnev in 1977, the last four General Secretaries simultaneously served as Chairmen of the Supreme Soviet during their time in office.
During the election of the president several candidates were nominated, among leading contenders were KGB persona Vadim Bakatin and Premier Nikolai Ryzhkov.
The Vice President of the Soviet Union was Gennady Yanayev, who briefly usurped Gorbachev as president in the 1991 attempted coup as leader of the State Committee of the State of Emergency.
List of Presidents of the Soviet Union[edit]
| No. | Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Took office | Left office | Political Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
.jpg) |
Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-) |
15 March 1990 | 25 December 1991 | Communist |
| – |
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Gennady Yanayev (usurper) (1937-2010) |
19 August 1991 | 21 August 1991 | Communist |
See also[edit]
- Index of Soviet Union-related articles
- List of heads of state of the Soviet Union
- Premier of the Soviet Union
- General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
References[edit]
- ^ a b 1977 Soviet Constitution with amendments of 1989—1990. Chapter 15.1: President of the Soviet Union
- ^ Soviet Law from 14 March 1990 N 1360-I "On establishment of the Presidency of the Soviet Union and amendments and additions to the Constitution (Basic Law) of the Soviet Union". Article III
- ^ Full title of the Soviet Presidency was used in signatures under many of Soviet laws, see, for example, signature under constitutional amendments of 26 December 1990 (law №1861-I)
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