Nikolay Ryzhkov Obituary, Cause of Death: What Happened to Former Soviet Prime Minister? How Did He Die?
Nikolay Ryzhkov, the former Soviet prime minister who oversaw the failed attempts to reform the Soviet economy and prevent its collapse, has died at the age of 94. He passed away on February 28, 2024, less than five months after resigning from the upper house of the Russian parliament, where he was the oldest member. The cause of death was not immediately announced, but he had suffered a heart attack in December 1990 and had been in poor health since then.
Ryzhkov was one of the last surviving members of the Soviet leadership that witnessed the dramatic changes and challenges of the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the USSR faced a deepening economic crisis, growing political dissent, and rising nationalist movements.
He was a loyal supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet leader who initiated the liberal reforms of perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness), but he also clashed with him over the pace and direction of the changes. He was criticized by both conservatives and reformers for his inability to cope with the worsening situation and improve the living standards of the Soviet people.
Nikolay Ryzhkov Death Date and Other Info
| September 28, 1929 | Born in the Donetsk region of Soviet Ukraine |
| 1950 | Sent to work at the Uralmashzavod in the Urals |
| 1970 | Became the director of the Uralmashzavod |
| 1982 | Appointed the head of the economics department of the Communist Party’s Central Committee |
| 1985 | Chosen by Gorbachev as the Soviet prime minister |
| 1990 | Announced a price liberalization program that failed to improve the economy |
| December 1990 | Suffered a heart attack and resigned as the prime minister |
| December 1991 | Left politics after the breakup of the USSR |
| 1995 | Elected to the lower house of the Russian parliament |
| 2003 | Moved to the upper house of the Russian parliament |
| October 2023 | Resigned from the upper house due to health reasons |
| February 28, 2024 | Died at the age of 94 |
From a Coal Miner’s Son to a Soviet Premier
Nikolay Ryzhkov was born on September 28, 1929, in the Donetsk region of then Soviet Ukraine, to a coal miner’s family. He underwent training as a mechanic and in 1950 was sent to work at the Uralmashzavod in the Urals, one of the main Soviet industrial enterprises. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the director of the plant in 1970. He then held senior positions at the ministry of heavy industries and the Gosplan state planning agency, before being appointed the head of the economics department of the Communist Party’s Central Committee in 1982.
In 1985, Gorbachev, who had just become the Soviet leader, chose Ryzhkov as his prime minister, entrusting him with the task of implementing his ambitious reform program. He was seen as a pragmatic and competent manager, who had experience in both industry and planning. He was also regarded as a loyal and honest communist, who shared Gorbachev’s vision of modernizing the Soviet system.
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The Struggle to Reform the Soviet Economy
As the prime minister, Nikolay Ryzhkov faced the daunting challenge of reviving the stagnant and inefficient Soviet economy, which was plagued by shortages, low productivity, corruption, and waste. He tried to introduce some market-oriented reforms, such as giving more autonomy and incentives to enterprises and farms, allowing private businesses and cooperatives, and liberalizing some prices. He also supported Gorbachev’s efforts to reduce military spending, improve relations with the West, and end the war in Afghanistan.
However, Ryzhkov’s reforms were hampered by several factors, such as the resistance of the conservative bureaucracy, the lack of legal and institutional framework, the opposition of the hard-line communists, and the rising demands of the reformist and nationalist forces. He also failed to address the fundamental problems of the Soviet economy, such as the over-centralization, the excessive subsidies, the distorted prices, and the chronic deficit. His reforms resulted in soaring inflation, worsening shortages, and growing social discontent.
Ryzhkov’s popularity plummeted as the Soviet people blamed him for their deteriorating living conditions. He faced fierce criticism from both the parliament and the media, where he was mocked as a “crying Bolshevik” for his emotional speeches. He also lost Gorbachev’s trust and support, as the Soviet leader shifted to a more radical course of reform, embracing the ideas of the pro-market and pro-democracy forces.
The End of an Era, Obituary, Cause of Death
Nikolay Ryzhkov’s tenure as the prime minister ended in January 1991, after he suffered a heart attack in December 1990. He was replaced by Valentin Pavlov, a conservative economist who tried to reverse some of the reforms and restore the old order. He left politics after the breakup of the USSR in December 1991, but returned to the Russian political scene in 1995, when he was elected to the lower house of parliament. He joined the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, which opposed the policies of Boris Yeltsin, the first president of Russia. He served in the lower house until 2003, and then moved to the upper house, where he remained until October 2023.
Ryzhkov was one of the few Soviet-era politicians who managed to retain some public respect and influence in the post-Soviet era. He was seen as a moderate and pragmatic voice, who advocated for social justice, national sovereignty, and cooperation with other former Soviet republics. He also defended the legacy of the USSR, arguing that it was not a totalitarian state, but a complex and diverse society, that had achieved many positive things, such as industrialization, education, science, culture, and social welfare.
