Vladimir Ivashko

Vladimir Ivashko
File:Vladimir Ivashko.jpg
Deputy General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
In office 12 July 1990 – 24 August 1991
General Secretary	Mikhail Gorbachev
Preceded by	Yegor Ligachev
Succeeded by	None—post abolished
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada
In office 4 June 1990 – 9 July 1990
Preceded by	Platon Kostiuk
Succeeded by	Ivan Pliushch(acting)
Personal details
Born	28 October 1932 Poltava, Ukrainian SSR
Died	13 November 1994(1994-11-13) (aged 62) Moscow, Russia
Political party	Communist Party of the Soviet Union

Vladimir Antonovich Ivashko (Template:Lang-ru Template:Lang-ua) (28 October 1932 — 13 November 1994), was briefly the acting General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) during the period from 24 August 1991 to 29 August 1991. On 24 August Mikhail Gorbachev resigned, and on 29 August the CPSU was suspended by the Supreme Soviet. Before becoming General Secretary he had been voted Gorbachev's Deputy General Secretary within the Party on 12 July 1990, a newly created position as a result of the 28th Congress of the Communist Party

The Communist Party in between Gorbachev's resignation and its suspension was politically impotent. By the time of the 28th Congress in July 1990, the party was largely regarded as being unable to lead the country and had, in fifteen republics, split into opposing factions favouring either independent republics or the continuation of the Soviet Union. Stripped of its leading role in society the party lost its authority to lead the nation or the cohesion that kept the party united. Actual political power lay in the positions of President of the Soviet Union (held by Gorbachev) and President of the Russian SFSR (held by Yeltsin). During the August coup he did not make public statements but on behalf of the Secretariat of the CPSU Central Committee distributed letters to local party organizations calling on them to uphold the CPSU.

Ivashko briefly held the post of the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR from 4 Jun 1990 to 9 Jul 1990. He resigned after declining to be recalled by the Rada to Kiev during the 28th Congress of the Communist Party in Moscow, and a few days later successfully secured the position of Deputy General Secretary of the CPSU.

Ivashko served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Ukranian SSR from 28 Sep 1989 to 22 Jun 1990. He resigned following opposition demonstrations against his occupation of both the 1st Secretary post and Chairmanship of the Rada.

Ivashko retired in 1992 and died on 14 November 1994, at the age of 62 after an undetermined "long illness".