Politburo

Politburo (abbreviation for Politychne biuro). The top policy-making body of the CC CPSU and of the central committees of the republican organizations of the Party. The first Politburo of the CC CP(B)U was set up on 6 March 1919. In Ukraine it was called the Bureau of the CC CPU (1952–3), the Presidium of the CC CPU (1953–66), and then by its original name of Politburo. Until its dissolution in the wake of the Mikhail Gorbachev reforms, the Politburo consisted of 10 to 11 full (voting) and 3 to 7 candidate members, who were elected by the CC CPU. These were secretaries of the CC, the head of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR, the president of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR and some of his deputies, the commander of the Kyiv Military District, and sometimes several first secretaries of oblast Party committees. The body was controlled directly by the Politburo of the CC CPSU and oversaw all political work in Ukraine. It worked closely with the Secretariat of the CC CPU, which was responsible for organizational matters, and there was usually some overlap in their membership.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 4 (1993).]