HomeNationsSoviet UnionCommunist PartyCommunist Party: 1966-1991 (Politburo)

USSR: Communist Party: Politburo

Politburo of the Central Committee
8 Apr 1966 Politburo elected by the Central Committee: full members - Brežnev, Voronov, Kirilenko, Kosygin, Mazurov, Pelshe, Podgornyj, Polyansky, Suslov, Shelepin, Shelest; candidate members - Grishin, Demichev, Kunayev, Masherov, Mzhavanadze, Rashidov, Ustinov, Shcherbitsky
21 Jun 1967 Andropov elected candidate member at the Central Committee plenum
9 Apr 1971 Politburo elected by the Central Committee: full members - Brežnev, Voronov, Grishin, Kirilenko, Kosygin, Kulakov, Kunayev, Mazurov, Pelshe, Podgornyj, Polyansky, Suslov, Shelepin, Shelest, Shcherbitsky; candidate members - Andropov, Demichev, Masherov, Mzhavanadze, Rashidov, Ustinov
23 Nov 1971 Solomentsev elected candidate member at the Central Committee plenum
19 May 1972 Ponomarev elected candidate member at the Central Committee plenum
18 Dec 1972 Mzhavanadze relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
27 Apr 1973 Voronov and Shelest relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Andropov, Grechko and Gromyko elected full members, Romanov candidate member
16 Apr 1975 Shelepin relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
5 Mar 1976 Politburo elected by the Central Committee: full members - Andropov, Brežnev, Grechko, Grishin, Gromyko, Kirilenko, Kosygin, Kulakov, Kunayev, Mazurov, Pelshe, Podgornyj, Romanov, Suslov, Ustinov, Shcherbitsky; candidate members - Aliyev, Demichev, Masherov, Ponomarev, Rashidov, Solomentsev
26 Apr 1976 Grechko died
24 May 1977 Podgornyj relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
3 Oct 1977 Kuznecov and Cernenko elected candidate members at the Central Committee plenum
17 Jul 1978 Kulakov died
27 Nov 1978 Mazurov relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Cernenko elected full member; Tikhonov and Shevardnadze candidate members
27 Nov 1979 Tikhonov elected full member at the Central Committee plenum; Gorbacëv elected candidate member
4 Oct 1980 Masherov died as a result of car accident
21 Oct 1980 Kosygin relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Gorbacëv elected full member, Kiselyov candidate member
3 Mar 1981 Politburo elected by the Central Committee: full members - Andropov, Brežnev, Gorbacëv, Grishin, Gromyko, Kirilenko, Kunayev, Pelshe, Romanov, Suslov, Tikhonov, Ustinov, Cernenko, Shcherbitsky; candidate members - Aliyev, Demichev, Kiselyov, Kuznecov, Ponomarev, Rashidov, Solomentsev, Shevardnadze
25 Jan 1982 Suslov died
24 May 1982 Dolgikh elected candidate member at the Central Committee plenum
10 Nov 1982 Brežnev died
22 Nov 1982 Kirilenko relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Aliyev elected full member
11 Jan 1983 Kiselyov died
29 May 1983 Pelshe died
15 Jun 1983 Vorotnikov elected candidate member at the Central Committee plenum
31 Oct 1983 Rashidov committed suicide
26 Dec 1983 Vorotnikov and Solomentsev elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; Chebrikov elected candidate member
9 Feb 1984 Andropov died
20 Dec 1984 Ustinov died
10 Mar 1985 Cernenko died
23 Apr 1985 Ligachev, Ryzhkov and Chebrikov elected full members at the Central Committee plenum; S.Sokolov elected candidate member
1 Jul 1985 Romanov relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Shevardnadze elected full member
15 Oct 1985 Tikhonov relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Talyzin elected candidate member
18 Feb 1986 Grishin relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Yeltsin elected candidate member
6 Mar 1986 Politburo elected by the Central Committee: full members - Aliyev, Vorotnikov, Gorbacëv, Gromyko, Zaykov, Kunayev, Ligachev, Ryzhkov, Solomentsev, Chebrikov, Shevardnadze, Shcherbitsky; candidate members - Demichev, Dolgikh, Yeltsin, Slyunkov, S.Sokolov, Solovyov, Talyzin
28 Jan 1987 Kunayev relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Yakovlev elected candidate member
26 Jun 1987 S.Sokolov relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Slyunkov, Yakovlev and Nikonov elected full members, Yazov elected candidate member
21 Oct 1987 Aliyev relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
14 Feb 1988 Yeltsin relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Maslyukov and Razumovsky elected candidate members
30 Sep 1988 Gromyko, Solomentsev, Demichev and Dolgikh relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Medvedev elected full member, Biryukova, Vlasov and Lukyanov elected candidate members
20 Sep 1989 Nikonov, Chebrikov, Shcherbitsky, Solovyov and Talyzin relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Kruchkov and Maslyukov elected full members, Primakov and Pugo candidate members
9 Dec 1989 Ivashko elected full member at the Central Committee plenum
14 Jul 1990 Politburo elected by the Central Committee: Burokyavichus, Gumbaridze, Gorbacëv, Gurenko, Dzasokhov, Ivashko, Karimov, Luchinsky, Masaliyev, Makhkamov, Movsisyan, Mutalibov, Nazarbayev, Niyazov, Polozkov, Prokofyev, Rubiks, Semyonova, Sillari, Ye.Sokolov, Stroyev, Frolov, Shenin and Yanayev [1]
11 Dec 1990 Ye.Sokolov and Movsisyan relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum; Malofeyev and Pogosyan elected members
31 Jan 1991 Gumbaridze and Yanayev relieved of duties at the joint plenum of the Central Committee and Central Control Commission; Annus elected member
25 Apr 1991 Masaliyev relieved of duties at the joint plenum of the Central Committee and the Central Control Commission; Amanbayev, Yeremey and Surkov elected members
26 Jul 1991 Pogosyan relieved of duties at the Central Committee plenum
Information source: [2]

[1] The 28th Congress of the CPSU changed the party charter including procedures for election of the Politburo. It revoked division into full members and candidate members within the Politburo.
[2] Чернев А.Д. 229 кремлевских вождей. Политбюро, Оргбюро, Секретариат ЦК Коммунистической партии в лицах и цифрах. Справочник. М.: Редакция журнала "Родина", Научный центр "Руссика". 1996.