# Alexey Kuznetsov

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alexey_Kuznetsov
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alexey_Kuznetsov.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexey_Kuznetsov
> Source revision: 1350637063
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Soviet politician (1905–1950)

For other people named Alexey Kuznetsov, see [Alexey Kuznetsov (disambiguation)](/source/Alexey_Kuznetsov_(disambiguation)).

In this name that follows [East Slavic naming customs](/source/East_Slavic_naming_customs), the [patronymic](/source/Patronymic) is *Alexandrovich* and the [family name](/source/Surname) is *[Kuznetsov](/source/Kuznetsov)*.

Alexey Kuznetsov Алексей Кузнецов Senior Secretary of Cadres of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union In office 6 May 1946 – 1 July 1948 Preceded by Georgy Malenkov Succeeded by Georgy Malenkov First Secretary of the Leningrad Regional Party Committee In office 17 January 1945 – 26 March 1946 Preceded by Andrei Zhdanov Succeeded by Pyotr Popkov Additional positions First Secretary of the Leningrad City Party Committee In office 17 January 1945 – 26 March 1946 Preceded by Andrei Zhdanov Succeeded by Pyotr Popkov Member of the 18th Secretariat In office 18 March 1946 – 28 January 1949 Member of the 18th Orgburo In office 18 March 1946 – 7 March 1949 Personal details Born (1905-02-20)20 February 1905 Borovichi, Novgorod Governorate, Russian Empire Died 1 October 1950(1950-10-01) (aged 45) Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union Citizenship Soviet Party All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) (1925–1949) Military service Allegiance Soviet Union Branch/service Red Army Soviet Armed Forces Years of service 1941–1949 Rank Lieutenant general Battles/wars World War II Eastern Front Siege of Leningrad

**Alexey Alexandrovich Kuznetsov**[a][b] (20 February [[O.S.](/source/Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates) 7 February] 1905 – 1 October 1950) was a [Soviet](/source/Soviet_Union) statesman, [Lieutenant General](/source/Lieutenant_General), and member of the [CPSU Central Committee](/source/Central_Committee_of_the_Communist_Party_of_the_Soviet_Union) (1939–1949).

## Early life and career

Born in [Borovichi](/source/Borovichi), in the [Novgorod Governorate](/source/Novgorod_Governorate) of northwest Russia, he started work as teenager in a local sawmill.[1] In 1924–32, he was an organiser of [Komsomol](/source/Komsomol) in the Novgorod and [Nizhny Novgorod](/source/Nizhny_Novgorod_Oblast) provinces. In 1932, he was transferred to Leningrad ([Saint Petersburg](/source/Saint_Petersburg)) as a minor party official, but rose quickly during the [Great Purge](/source/Great_Purge), as more senior officials were arrested. In August 1937, he was appointed Second Secretary (deputy leader) to [Leningrad](/source/Leningrad) CPSU *[gorkom](/source/Gorkom)* (city committee) and *[obkom](/source/Obkom)* ([oblast](/source/Oblast) committee) making him second in command of the Leningrad province, under [Andrei Zhdanov](/source/Andrei_Zhdanov). On 19 November 1937, speaking at a public meeting in [Volkhovsky District](/source/Volkhovsky_District), he declared: "I consider it a great happiness to work under the leadership of Comrade Zhdanov. Under his leadership, I will continue to smash vile fascist agents. [Trotskyist](/source/Trotskyism)–[Bukharin](/source/Nikolai_Bukharin) saboteurs and spies, and fight for the purity of the ranks of our great communist party."[1]

During the [Siege of Leningrad](/source/Siege_of_Leningrad), Kuznetsov helped organize the city's defense.[2] In January 1945, he was promoted to the post of First Secretary of the Leningrad provincial and city party committees, when his mentor, Zhdanov, was called to Moscow to serve as a Secretary of the [Central Committee](/source/Central_Committee_of_the_Communist_Party_of_the_Soviet_Union). On 18 March 1946, he was promoted again, to the post of Secretary of the Central Committee, replacing [Georgy Malenkov](/source/Georgy_Malenkov) as the head of party organisation, and working alongside Zhdanov and [Stalin](/source/Joseph_Stalin). He was also given responsibility for supervising the police. This made a threat to the former head of the NKVD, [Lavrentiy Beria](/source/Lavrentiy_Beria).[3][4] Aged 41, he was now part of the 'inner circle' of the roughly nine most powerful Soviet officials, but "Kuznetsov's promotions earned him the undying hatred of the two most vindictive predators in the Stalinist jungle: Beria and Malenkov."[5]

## Leningrad affair

Main article: [Leningrad affair](/source/Leningrad_affair)

Kuznetsov's political position became exposed after the death of Zhdanov, in August 1948. On 15 February 1949, he was sacked and accused of 'non-Bolshevik deviation". This may have been because Kuznetsov had been digging into the death of [Politburo](/source/Politburo_of_the_Communist_Party_of_the_Soviet_Union) member [Sergei Kirov](/source/Sergei_Kirov)—suspicion of Stalin's involvement in this murder has never been put to rest—though the official charge against him and several leaders of the Leningrad Party related to the organisation of a wholesale trade fair in Leningrad without proper approval, in what came to be known as the [Leningrad affair](/source/Leningrad_affair). He was appointed Secretary of the Far Eastern Bureau of the CPSU.[1]

On 13 August 1949, Kuznetsov was summoned to Malenkov's office with other former Leningrad officials, and arrested, in connection with the Leningrad affair. Soviet leaders accused the trade fair organisers of denigrating the Central Committee and presenting themselves as special defenders of Leningrad.[6] Kuznetsov was forced to sign a confession under torture, but when put on trial with [Gosplan](/source/Gosplan) chairman [Nikolai Voznesensky](/source/Nikolai_Voznesensky) on 29 September 1950, he refused to confess, insisting, "I am a Bolshevik and remain one in spite of the sentence I have received. History will justify us." This allegedly angered Stalin and embarrassed police chief [Viktor Abakumov](/source/Viktor_Abakumov), but did not help Kuznetsov, who was sentenced to death.[7] Kuznetsov was [rehabilitated](/source/Rehabilitate_(Soviet)) posthumously on 30 April 1954, after the deaths of Stalin and Beria.[8]

## Personal life

With his wife Zinaida, Kuznetsov had a son, Valery, and a daughter, Alla. Alla was married to [Sergo Mikoyan](/source/Sergo_Mikoyan), son of [Anastas](/source/Anastas_Mikoyan).[8] They were engaged at the time of the downfall of Kuznetsov. The Mikoyan family did not attempt to stop the wedding on 18 February 1949. Kuznetsov attended the wedding, despite his fear that he might be putting his daughter at risk.[9]

## Honours and awards

- Two [Orders of Lenin](/source/Orders_of_Lenin)

- [Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad"](/source/Medal_%22For_the_Defence_of_Leningrad%22)

## References

### Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** In this name that follows [East Slavic naming customs](/source/East_Slavic_naming_customs), the [patronymic](/source/Patronymic) is *Alexandrovich* and the [family name](/source/Surname) is *Kuznetsov*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Russian: Алексей Александрович Кузнецов, romanized: *Aleksey Aleksandrovich Kuznetsov*

### Citations

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Khron_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Khron_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Khron_3-2) ["Кузнецов Алексей Александрович 1905–1950 Биографический Указатель"](http://hrono.ru/biograf/bio_k/kuznecovaa.php). *Khronos*. Retrieved 5 May 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMontefiore2004396_4-0)** [Montefiore 2004](#CITEREFMontefiore2004), p. 396.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Khrushchev, Nikita. ["'On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences" - Speech of the 20th Party Congress of the CPSU, February 1956"](https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/khrushchevs-secret-speech-cult-personality-and-its-consequences-delivered-twentieth-party). *Wilson Center Digital Archive*. wilsoncenter.org. Retrieved 5 May 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEConquest1961434–35_6-0)** [Conquest 1961](#CITEREFConquest1961), pp. 434–35.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMontefiore2004554_7-0)** [Montefiore 2004](#CITEREFMontefiore2004), p. 554.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Rudenko, Roman. ["Правленая стенограмма выступления Р.А. Руденко на собрании актива ленинградской партийной организации о Постановлении ЦК КПСС по «Ленинградскому делу». 6 мая 1954 г. СкрытьРеквизиты"](https://istmat.org/node/57850). *Исторические Материалы*. Retrieved 5 May 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMontefiore2004623_9-0)** [Montefiore 2004](#CITEREFMontefiore2004), p. 623.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEShakarian202538–39_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEShakarian202538–39_10-1) [Shakarian 2025](#CITEREFShakarian2025), pp. 38–39.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMontefiore2004608_11-0)** [Montefiore 2004](#CITEREFMontefiore2004), p. 608.

## Bibliography

- Conquest, Robert (1961). *Power and Policy in the U.S.S.R.: The Study of Soviet Dynastics*. London: MacMillan.

- Montefiore, Simon Sebag (2004). *Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar*. London: Phoenix. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-75381-766-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-75381-766-7).

- Shakarian, Pietro A. (2025). [*Anastas Mikoyan: An Armenian Reformer in Khrushchev's Kremlin*](https://books.google.com/books?id=rTNgEQAAQBAJ). Bloomington: Indiana University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0253073556](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0253073556).

v t e Governors of Saint Petersburg Governors General of Saint Petersburg Governorate (1703–1873) Menshikov Apraksin Sapieha von Münnich Golitsyn Bruce Arkharov von Buxhoeveden von der Pahlen M. Golenishchev-Kutuzov Kamensky Tolstoy Vyazmitinov Lobanov-Rostovsky Balashov Miloradovich P. Golenishchev-Kutuzov Essen Kavelin Khrapovitsky Shulgin Ignatyev Suvorov Levashov Gradonachalniks of Saint Petersburg (1873–1914) and Petrograd (1914–1917) F. Trepov Zurov Romeyko-Gurko Loris-Melikov Baranov Gresser von Wahl Kleigels Fullon D. Trepov Dedyulin von der Launitz Drachevsky Balk Heads of Petrograd under Provisional Government (1917) Yurevich Rogovsky Schreider Kishkin Chairs of Petrograd (1917-1924) and Leningrad (1924-1991) Executive Committee Trotsky Zinoviev Kirov Zhdanov Kuznetsov Popkov Andrianov Kozlov Alexeyev Ignatov Zamchevsky Spiridonov Rodionov Popov Aristov Solovyov Dumachyov Gerasimov Gidaspov Shelkanov Governors of Saint Petersburg (since 1991) Sobchak1 Yakovlev Beglov Matviyenko Poltavchenko Beglov Italics indicate acting officeholders 1The office was called Mayor of Saint Petersburg

Authority control databases International VIAF FAST WorldCat National United States

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alexey Kuznetsov](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexey_Kuznetsov) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexey_Kuznetsov?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.