Ivan Spiridonov

Ivan Spiridonov
Chairman of the Council of the Union of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union
In office April 23, 1962 – June 14, 1970
Preceded by	Pavel Lobanov
Succeeded by	Alexey Shitikov
8th First Secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
In office December 24, 1957 – May 3, 1962
Preceded by	Frol Kozlov
Succeeded by	Vasily Tolstikov
12th First Secretary of the Leningrad City Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
In office July 1956 – December 24, 1957
Preceded by	Ivan Zamchevsky
Succeeded by	Nikolay Rodionov
Personal details
Born	Ivan Vasilyevich Spiridonov October 23, 1905 Pogibalovka, Nizhny Novgorod Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	July 7, 1991 (aged 85) Moscow, RSFSR, Soviet Union
Resting place	Troyekurovskoye Cemetery
Political party	Communist Party of the Soviet Union since 1928
Education	Leningrad Correspondence Industrial Institute
Profession	Engineer
Awards	Orders Order of Lenin Order of the October Revolution Order of the Patriotic War Order of the Red Banner of Labour Order of Friendship of Peoples Order of the Badge of Honour Medals Medal "For Labour Valour"

Ivan Vasilyevich Spiridonov (October 23, 1905, Pogibalovka, Nizhny Novgorod Governorate – July 7, 1991, Moscow) was a Soviet statesman and party leader. In 1954–1962, he was the First Secretary of the Leningrad City Committee, then the Regional Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In 1959–1962 – Member of the Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union for the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. In 1962–1970 – Chairman of the Council of the Union of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union.

Early life and engineering career

Born into a peasant family. Since 1925 – a mechanic, head of the technical control department of the shop. In 1939, he graduated from the Leningrad Correspondence Industrial Institute. Since 1939, in engineering and technical positions, director of the Oryol Textile Machinery Plant. In 1941, the plant was evacuated to Kuznetsk, Penza Region, was transformed into the Kuznetsk Textile Engineering Plant and redesigned to produce products for the Special Forces Missile Forces. In 1944–1950, he was the director of the Leningrad Gosmetr Plant.

Political career

In 1950–1952, he was Secretary of the Moscow District Committee of the All–Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of the city of Leningrad.

In 1952, Ivan Spiridonov became Deputy Chairman of the Leningrad Regional Executive Committee, and in 1954, he took over as Secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In July 1956 – December 1957 – 1st Secretary of the Leningrad City Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

First Secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from December 24, 1957, to May 3, 1962. Having taken the chair of the First Secretary of the Regional Committee after the departure of Frol Kozlov, Spiridonov directed most of his efforts to housing construction. Under him, new standard designs of not very comfortable, but cheap houses ("Khrushchyovkas") were developed, large construction trusts appeared, which switched to the method of complex development of entire residential areas. In the same period, through traffic was opened along the Moscow–Leningrad Highway. The scientific and technical base of Leningrad developed at a rapid pace. The construction of scientific campuses began in the districts of Pesochny, Krasnoye Selo, Gatchina, Kirovsk and others. The development of fundamental scientific research contributed to the flourishing of the defense industry, whose enterprises began to determine the entire structure of the local industry and directly influence the rate of economic development of the region.

In 1961, at the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, as the head of the Leningrad delegation, he proposed the removal of body of Stalin from the Mausoleum.

Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1961–1971). Member of the Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union for the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1959 – November 23, 1962). Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union of the 5th–8th convocations.

Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from October 31, 1961, to April 23, 1962.

From April 23, 1962, to June 14, 1970 – Chairman of the Council of the Union of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union.

Retirement and death

He retired in July 1970. He died on July 7, 1991, in Moscow. He was buried at the Troyekurovskoye Cemetery.

• 
  Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev (foreground right) and First Secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Ivan Spiridonov (foreground left) congratulate the newlyweds Kirillovs at the Wedding Palace on the Red Fleet Embankment, 28

Sources

• Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, All–Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks), Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks), Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (Bolsheviks): Historical and Biographical Reference. Moscow: Publishing House "Parade". 2005. ISBN 5-8061-0062-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
• Biography of Ivan Spiridonov on the Russian Biography Website