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Heads of State of the RSFSR (1917-1922) and the USSR (1922-1991)

Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets

Also known as the President of the Russian Soviet Republic, President of the Russian Soviet Federation and Chairman of the Russian National Congress of Soviets from November 8, 1917 onward

• Note: The first Central Executive Committee of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets elected in June 1917 was not a governing body and its chairman was not the head of Russian state. This changed at the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets during the October Revolution.

• Lev Kamenev (9 November 1917 - 21 November 1917)
• Yakov Sverdlov (21 November 1917 - 16 March 1919) (died in office)
• Mikhail Vladimirsky (16 March 1919 - 30 March 1919) (acting)
• Mikhail Kalinin (30 March 1919 - 19 July 1938)

• Note: On 30 December 1922 the Soviet Union was formed. It comprised Soviet Russia (RSFSR) and other Communist-controlled Soviet republics. Mikhail Kalinin retained his position as Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets and became Chairman of the newly formed Central Executive Committee of the USSR as well. Both positions were mostly ceremonial, increasingly so in later years.

Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR (jointly)

Also known as President of the Soviet Union and President of the USSR CEC

• Mikhail Kalinin (30 December 1922 - 12 January 1938) (office renamed) representative from the Russian SFSR
• Grigory Petrovsky (30 December 1922 - 12 January 1938) representative from the Ukrainian SSR
• Aleksandr Chervyakov (30 December 1922 - 16 June 1937) representative from the Byelorussian SSR
• Nariman Narimanov (30 December 1922 - 19 March 1925) representative from the Transcaucasian SFSR
• Gazanfar Musabekov (21 May 1925 - June 1937) representative from the Transcaucasian SFSR
• Nedirbay Aytakov (21 May 1925 - 21 July 1937) representative from the Turkmen SSR
• Fayzulla Khodzhayev (21 May 1925 - 17 June 1937) representative from the Uzbek SSR
• Nusratulla Lutfullayev (18 March 1931 - 4 January 1934) representative from the Tajik SSR
• Abdullo Rakhimbayev (4 January 1934 - September 1937) representative from the Tajik SSR

All but Kalinin and Petrovsky were executed. Petrovsky miraculously was able to evade the Great Purge, but was ousted from the Party and government positions.

Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR

Also known as President of the USSR, President of the USSR SS Presidium

• Mikhail Kalinin (17 January 1938 - 19 March 1946)
• Nikolay Shvernik (19 March 1946 - 6 March 1953)
• Kliment Voroshilov (15 March 1953 - 7 May 1960)
• Leonid Brezhnev (7 May 1960 - 15 July 1964)
• Anastas Mikoyan (15 July 1964 - 9 December 1965)
• Nikolai Podgorny (9 December 1965 - 16 June 1977)
• Leonid Brezhnev (second term) (16 June 1977 - 10 November 1982) (died in office)
• Vasili Kuznetsov (10 November 1982 - 16 June 1983) (acting)
• Yuri Andropov (16 June 1983 - 9 February 1984) (died in office)
• Vasili Kuznetsov 9 February 1984 - 11 April 1984) (acting)
• Konstantin Chernenko (11 April 1984 - 10 March 1985) (died in office)
• Vasili Kuznetsov (10 March 1985 - 27 July 1985) (acting)
• Andrei Gromyko (27 July 1985 - 1 October 1988)
• Mikhail Gorbachev (1 October 1988 - 25 May 1989) (office renamed)

Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR

Also known as President of the USSR and President of the USSR Supreme Soviet until 1990, from 1990 onward, Speaker of the USSR Supreme Soviet

• Mikhail Gorbachev (25 May 1989 - 15 March 1990)

• Note: On 15 March 1990 most constitutional powers were transferred to the newly created office of the President of the Soviet Union. Anatoly Lukyanov was elected Chairman of the Supreme Soviet to replace Mikhail Gorbachev. Although the Chairman's office retained its name, it was now that of a parliamentary speaker, not a head of state. Real executive powers were retained by Mikhail Gorbachev.

President of the Soviet Union

• Mikhail Gorbachev (15 March 1990 - 25 December 1991) (office abolished with the dissolution of the USSR)
• Gennady Yanayev (acting; in opposition) (19 August 1991 - 21 August 1991)

See also

• Supreme Soviet
• Premier of the Soviet Union
• General Secretary of the CPSU