Knowra Alexei Rykov Alexei Rykov Alexei Rykov (1881–1938) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and Soviet statesman who chaired the Council of People's Commissars from 1924 to 1930. He was executed during the Great Purge.
Vladimir Lenin : A Bolshevik revolutionary who led the Soviet government from its founding until his death in 1924. Lenin appointed Rykov to senior roles, including head of the Supreme Council of the National Economy.
Council of People's Commissars : The Soviet Union’s government cabinet, composed of the heads of its people’s commissariats. Rykov chaired this body from 1924 to 1930, coordinating the central government’s work.
Russian Social Democratic Labour Party : A Marxist political party founded in the Russian Empire in 1898, later divided into Bolshevik and Menshevik factions. Rykov entered revolutionary politics through this party and joined its Bolshevik faction.
Right Opposition : A faction within the Soviet Communist Party that opposed Stalin’s move toward forced collectivization and rapid industrialization. Rykov’s alliance with Bukharin and Tomsky made him a leading figure in this opposition.
Joseph Stalin : A Soviet political leader who ruled the country from the late 1920s until his death in 1953. Rykov opposed Stalin’s policies before losing political power and being condemned as an enemy.
Supreme Council of the National Economy : A Soviet agency established to coordinate and direct the national economy. Rykov led the council after the Bolshevik Revolution, before becoming head of government.
Bolsheviks : The revolutionary faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party led by Vladimir Lenin. Rykov became a Bolshevik and built his career within the faction’s underground organization.
Great Purge : A campaign of political repression and mass executions in the Soviet Union, especially from 1936 to 1938. Rykov was arrested, tried, and executed during the purge’s assault on former party leaders.
Nikolai Bukharin : A Bolshevik theorist and Soviet politician who led the party’s right wing in the 1920s. Rykov joined Bukharin in defending the New Economic Policy and opposing forced collectivization.
Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union : The Communist Party’s leading political body, which made major decisions for the Soviet state. Rykov’s cabinet office depended on party power, where the decisive political contests took place.
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