Preceded by Nikita Tolubeev Role Politician | Name Volodymyr Shcherbytsky Nationality Soviet | |
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Died February 16, 1990, Kiev, Ukraine | ||
Volodymyr Vasylyovych Shcherbytsky (Ukrainian: Володи́мир Васи́льович Щерби́цький, Russian: Влади́мир Васи́льевич Щерби́цкий; [vlɐˈdʲimʲɪr vɐˈsʲilʲɪvʲɪtɕ ɕːɪrˈbʲitskʲɪj]; 17 February 1918, Verkhnodniprovsk — 16 February 1990) was a Ukrainian and Soviet politician. He was a leader of the Communist Party of Ukraine from 1972 to 1989. During World War II, he participated in the invasion of Iran by the Soviet forces (see Iran crisis of 1946).
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Biography
An influential figure in the Soviet Union, a member of Soviet politburo since 1971, he was a close ally to the Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. His rule of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was characterized by the expanded policies of re-centralisation and suppression of dissent. While supporting Russification policies, he still allowed the Ukrainian language to keep circulating side-by-side with Russian in this traditionally bilingual republic. Scherbytsky's power base was arguably one of the most corrupt and conservative among the Soviet republics.
Shcherbytsky is sometimes held responsible for concealing the real scale of the Chernobyl Accident even to the central government in Moscow and for holding a May Day demonstration in Kiev only five days after the accident happened, when the public was still severely exposed to nuclear radiation.
On 20 September 1989, Shcherbytsky lost his membership of the politburo in a purge of conservative members pushed through by Mikhail Gorbachev. Eight days later he was removed from leadership of the Communist Party of Ukraine at a plenum in Kiev personally presided over by Gorbachev.
Shcherbytsky died on 16 February 1990 after a long illness.
Awards
Volodymyr Shcherbytsky was twice awarded the Hero of Socialist Labour — in 1974 and 1977. During his public service he also received numerous other civil and state awards and recognitions, including the Order of Lenin (in 1958, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1977, 1983 and 1988), the Order of October Revolution (in 1978 and 1982), the Order of the Patriotic War, I class (in 1985) and various medals.