General Department of the CPSU Central Committee

The general department of the Central Committee of the CPSU was engaged in clerical activity, which made it one of the most influential departments in the USSR. Through it passed the entire paper circulation of the Central Committee of the CPSU ^[2] , including the materials of the KGB of the USSR ^[3] . The duties of the General Department of the Central Committee of the CPSU included clerical work and accounting for the activities of the Central Committee apparatus, as well as supervision of observance of the secrecy regime in party bodies ^[4] , storage of personal information about party and state figures of the USSR.

The General Department of the CPSU Central Committee prepared materials for the Politburo meetings - the agenda, notes and references, proposals and draft decisions were prepared by the General Department of the CPSU Central Committee and sent to members and candidates for membership in the Politburo. The head of the General Department and his deputy, in addition, were present at all meetings of the Politburo (Presidium) and the Secretariat of the CPSU Central Committee ^[4] . In the structure of the apparatus of the Central Committee of the CPSU, the General Department was the largest in the Central Committee: in 1982, it numbered 232 employees ^[5] .

The General Department of the CPSU Central Committee kept, among others, documents on the Katyn execution , as well as secret additional protocols to the Non-Aggression Treaty between Germany and the USSR .

Throughout its existence, the name of the department has changed several times until, in 1954, the final name was adopted, which was applied until the abolition: ^{[6] [7]}

• 1920 - Secret Operations Department of the Central Committee of the RCP (B.);
• 12/9/1921 - Bureau of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the RCP (b);
• 1925 - Bureau of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b);
• 03/19/1926 - Secret Department of the Central Committee of the CPSU (B.);
• 1934 - Special sector of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b);
• 10.1952 - Special sector of the CPSU Central Committee;
• 12.1952 - Office of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee;
• 1952 - Technical Secretariat of the Central Committee of the CPSU;
• 13.3.1953 - General Division of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the CPSU;
• 1954 - General Department of the Central Committee of the CPSU.

The head of the General Department in the entire history of its existence was occupied by 12 people: ^{[6] [7]}

• Smirnov, Nikolai Ivanovich ( September 12, 1920 - August 20, 1922 )
• Nazaretyan, Amayak Makarovich ( August 20, 1922 - November 1, 1924 )
• Mehlis, Lev Zakharovich ( November 1, 1924 - January 22, 1926 )
• Tovstukha, Ivan Pavlovich ( January 22, 1926 - July 16, 1928 )
• Poskrebyshev, Alexander Nikolaevich ( July 16, 1928 - August 15, 1952 )
• Sukhanov, Dmitry Nikolaevich ( August 15, 1952 - February 20, 1955 )
• Malin, Vladimir Nikiforovich ( February 20, 1955 - August 30, 1965 )
• Chernenko, Konstantin Ustinovich ( August 30, 1965 - November 12, 1982 )
• Bogolyubov, Claudius Mikhailovich ( November 12, 1982 - May 24, 1985 )
• Lukyanov Anatoly Ivanovich ( May 24, 1985 - January 17, 1987 )
• Boldin, Valery Ivanovich ( January 17, 1987 - May 3, 1991 )
• Laptev, Pavel Pavlovich ( May 3, 1991 - August 29, 1991 )

• Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History. Reference and informational materials to the documentary and museum funds of the RGASPI. Issue 3. 2004