Anatoliy Lukyanov Former speaker of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Date of Birth: 07.05.1930 Country: Russia

1. Anatoly Lukyanov: A Soviet Political Figure
2. Early Life and Education
3. Early Career
4. Rise in the Communist Party
5. Role in the August Coup
6. Arrest and Release
7. Post-Coup Period
8. Later Life and Legacy

Anatoly Lukyanov: A Soviet Political Figure

Anatoly Lukyanov was a prominent figure in Soviet and Russian politics. He held various government and party positions throughout his career and was notable for his role in the August Coup of 1991.

Early Life and Education

Lukyanov was born in 1930 and graduated from Moscow State University's law faculty in 1953. He became an aspiring post-graduate at the same university from 1953 to 1956.

Early Career

Lukyanov's political career began with his appointment as a senior consultant to the Legal Commission of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in 1956. Later, he served as a legal adviser in Hungary and Poland. From 1961 to 1976, he held positions as a senior referent and deputy head of the department responsible for the work of the Council of Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Rise in the Communist Party

In 1977, Lukyanov became the head of the secretariat of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, a role he held until 1983. He subsequently served as first deputy head from 1983 to 1985 and as head of the General Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1985 to 1987.

Role in the August Coup

In October 1988, Lukyanov became the first deputy chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, a position he held until May 1989. On the evening of August 18, 1991, he declined an offer to lead the State Committee on the State of Emergency (SCSE) that orchestrated the August Coup. While he was not an official member of the SCSE, many believe he was one of its key architects.

Arrest and Release

Following the failed coup, Lukyanov was arrested and detained in Moscow's Matrosskaya Tishina detention center from August 29, 1991, until December 1992. He was eventually released on a non-departure undertaking. His arrest was strongly opposed by Ruslan Khasbulatov, the chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR, who was also arrested shortly afterward.

Post-Coup Period

In December 1993, the State Duma passed an amnesty law covering all participants in the coup, effectively closing the criminal case against Lukyanov. He was subsequently elected to the Государственная Дума (the lower house of the Russian Federal Assembly) in 1993, 1995, and 1999.

Later Life and Legacy

Lukyanov was a prolific author, with over 200 scientific publications and textbooks to his name. He made significant contributions to the drafting of the 1977 USSR Constitution and various other laws. He also wrote poetry under the pen name Anatoly Osennev and was a member of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. He passed away in 2019.