Alexander Gorkin

Alexander Fyodorovich Gorkin (Russian: Александр Фёдорович Горкин; September 5, 1897 – June 29, 1988) was a Soviet state and party leader, Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (1938–1953 and 1956–1957), Hero of Socialist Labour (1967).

Alexander Gorkin
Александр Горкин
Gorkin in 1938
Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Soviet Union
In office February 12, 1957 – September 20, 1972
Preceded by	Anatoly Volin
Succeeded by	Lev Smirnov
Chairman of the Central Audit Commission of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
In office February 3, 1959 – October 17, 1961
Preceded by	Peter Moskatov
Succeeded by	Nonna Muravyova
Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union
In office January 15, 1938 – March 15, 1954
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Nikolai Pegov
In office July 16, 1956 – February 12, 1957
Preceded by	Nikolai Pegov
Succeeded by	Mikhail Georgadze
First Secretary of the Orenburg Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)
In office December 20, 1934 – July 11, 1937
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Peter Mitrofanov
Personal details
Born	September 5, 1897 Rameshki Village, Bezhetsky Uyezd, Tver Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	June 29, 1988 (aged 90) Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Soviet Union
Resting place	Novodevichy Cemetery
Political party	Russian Communist Party (1916–1974)
Children	2
Education	Institute of Red Professors (1 year)
Awards	Hero of Socialist Labour Order of Lenin Order of the October Revolution Order of the Red Banner of Labour Order of Friendship of Peoples Order of the Badge of Honour
Signature

Biography

Gorkin was born into a Russian peasant family. In 1916, he joined the Bolsheviks. In 1917, he graduated from the Tver Gymnasium. From August 1917 to June 1919, he was Secretary of the Tver City Council of Deputies, and from December 1918 to February 1919 he was Chairman of the Provincial Executive Committee. In 1919, he became a member of the Board of the Kursk Governatorial Extraordinary Commission, and the head of the Penza Governatorial Village Department and out-of-school subdivision. In 1920–1921, he did political work for the Red Army.

In 1921–1933, he was an employee of the Tver Governatorial Committee of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks), the Kyrgyz Regional Committee of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks), the Orenburg Governatorial Committee of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks), the Agricultural Union, the Poultry and Water Union, the Middle Volga Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks), apparatus of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks). In 1931–1932, he studied at the Agrarian Faculty of the Institute of Red Professors in Moscow. In 1933–1934, the Second Secretary of the Middle Volga Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) in Samara.^[1][2]

From December 1934 to July 1937, he was the First Secretary of the newly created Orenburg Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks).^[3] During this period, mass repressions took place in the Orenburg Oblast,^[4][5][6] during which, in particular, all members of the Bureau of the Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) were killed.^[7][8]

From July 9, 1937 to January 1938 he was Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union. In 1938–1953 and 1956–1957 he was Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (from March 15, 1953 to July 15, 1956 this position was held by Nikolai Pegov, and Gorkin was deputy). He was a member of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union of the 1–8th convocations (1937–1974).

In 1957–1972 he was Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Soviet Union, simultaneously in 1959–1961 he was Chairman of the Central Audit Commission of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He participated in a campaign for the rehabilitation of victims of personality cult.

He was a delegate to the 8–10, 15, 17–24 Congresses of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. A Candidate Member of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) (1939–1952), a member of the Central Audit Commission of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1952–1976).

After 1972 he was a personal pensioner.^[9] He lived in Moscow. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery.^[10]

Family

The son, Yuri Alexandrovich Gorkin (born in 1921), a participant in the Great Patriotic War, was awarded orders and medals. He graduated with honors from the Moscow Higher Technical School named after Nikolai Bauman with a degree in radio electronics. Director of the Research Institute of Biotechnology, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor. Wife, Nadezhda Nikolaevna Gorkina, artist-architect, restorer.

Daughter, Olga Yuryevna Gorkina, journalist, art critic, television producer.

Daughter, Maya Alexandrovna Gorkina (born in 1930) was married to an intelligence officer of the Main Intelligence Directorate, resident in Norway and the United Kingdom, Yevgeny Ivanov (1926–1994), involved in a scandal with a lover of the British Minister of War, John Profumo, a 19-year-old dancer and Model Christine Keeler.

Awards

• Hero of Socialist Labour (September 4, 1967);
• Three Orders of Lenin (September 4, 1947; September 4, 1957; September 4, 1967);
• Order of the October Revolution (August 31, 1971);
• Order of the Red Banner of Labour (September 2, 1977);
• Order of Friendship of Peoples (September 3, 1982);
• Order of the Badge of Honour (September 4, 1987);
• Medals.