Dnipropetrovsk Mafia

The "Dnipropetrovsk Mafia" was the name given to a group of Soviet politicians who held high office while Leonid Brezhnev was First Secretary or General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) in 1964-82, who knew from his time when he was a provincial party official, in 1946-56.

The group took its name from the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine, where Leonid Brezhnev began his political career after graduating from the Dnipropetrovsk Metallurgical Institute. He was First Secretary of the Zaporozhe regional party committee in 1946-48, the Dnipropetrovsk party committee, in 1948-50, and the Central Committee of the Moldavian SSR (Moldova) communist party, in 1950-52. Most members of the 'mafia' were pensioned off - or in a few cases arrested either soon after Brezhnev died, in 1982, or when Mikhail Gorbachev took over as General Secretary of the CPSU in 1985.

Prominent members of the "Dnipropetrovsk Mafia" included:

Konstantin Chernenko, head of the propaganda department of the Central Committee of Moldavian communist party 1948-56. He was made head of the General Department of the Central Committee of the CPSU in 1965; joined the Politburo in 1978, and succeeded Yuri Andropov as General Secretary of the CPSU, 1983-85.

Nikolai Tikhonov, a graduate of the Dnipropetrovsk Metallurgical Institute worked in a metal factory in Dnipropetrovsk in 1933-1941, and knew Brezhnev from that time. From 1980-85- Chairman of the Council of Ministers (ie prime minister) of the USSR in 1980-85.

Andrei Kirilenko was Brezhnev's deputy in Zaporozhe, in 1944-47, and succeeded him as First Secretary in Dnipropetrovsk, 1950-55. He was a Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee and member of the Politburo, 1966-82.

Volodymyr Shcherbytsky was a middle-ranking party official in Dnipropetrovsk, in 1948-50. He was First Secretary, of the Central Committee of the Ukraine CP, and member of the Politburo, 1972-89.

Viktor Chebrikov was head of the industrial department of the Leninsky district party in Dnipropetrovsk in 1951-58. He was Deputy Chairman of the KGB, 1968-82. He was the only prominent memebr of the 'mafia' to be promoted after Brezhnev died, becoming chairman of the KGB in 1982, until 1988.

Semyon Tsvigun, deputy head of the Moldavian MGB/KGB in 1951-55; First Deputy Chairman of the USSR KGB under Andropov in 1967 until his death, by suspected suicide, in 1982.

Nikolai Shchelokov was Chairman of the Dnipropetrovsk City Soviet in 1939-41, and Deputy Chairman, Moldavian SSR Council of Minister in 1951-62. In 1966, he was appointed USSR minister for the Interior, but was dismissed and charged with corruption in 1982, and committed suicide in 1984.

Georgi Tsinev, a graduate of the Dnipropetrovsk Metallurgical Institute was Deputy Chairman of the KGB, 1970-82.

Veniamin Dymshits, head of a construction trust in Zaporozhe in 1946-50, was Chairman of Gosplan and a Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers, 1962-85.

Konstantin Grushevoi, a graduate of the Dnipropetrovsk Metallurgical Institute, was head of the political administration of the Moscow Military District, December 1965-1982.

Ivan Novikov, a graduate of the Dnipropetrovsk Metallurgical Institute was the Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers responsible for the construction industry in 1962-83.

Georgi Pavlov, a graduate of the Dnipropetrovsk Metallurgical Institute was Chief of administration of the Central Committee of the CPSU, in 1965-1983. He committed suicide when communist collapsed in the Soviet Union in August 1991.

Georgi Tsukanov, a graduate of the Dnipropetrovsk Metallurgical Institute, was Personal Assistant to the General Secretary of the Central Committee, (ie head of Brezhnev’s private office) in 1966-83.

Sergei Trapeznikov, Director of the party school in Moldavia, 1948-56, was appointed head of the science and education department of the Central Committee of the CPSU, September 1965, and retired 1983.