1. Early life and education
Nikolai Tikhonov was born on May 14, 1905, in the city of Kharkiv, then part of the Russian Empire and now located in Ukraine. He came from a working-class family of Russian-Ukrainian heritage. His early education included attending the St. Catherine Institute of Communications (also referred to as Catherine Technical University or Catherine Railway College) from 1920 to 1924, where he completed his studies by 1924. Tikhonov continued his higher education at the Dnipropetrovsk Metallurgical Institute (also known as Dnepropetrovsk Metallurgical University), from which he graduated in 1930, earning a degree as an engineer. Some sources also indicate he obtained a PhD in 1930 from the Ukraine National Metallurgical Engineering University, which likely refers to the same institution.
2. Early career
Tikhonov began his professional life as an engineer in the Soviet industrial sector. From 1924 to 1926, he worked as an assistant engineer, and from 1930 to 1941, he was employed as an engineer at the Lenin Metallurgical Plant in Dnipropetrovsk. His dedication and skill led to his promotion to chief engineer of the plant in January 1941, having previously served as deputy workshop head from 1933 and workshop head from January 1938.
It was during his time in Dnipropetrovsk, specifically in the late 1930s, that Tikhonov forged a crucial connection with Leonid Brezhnev, who would later become the leader of the Soviet Union. This relationship was instrumental in Tikhonov's subsequent political ascent, as he became a key member of the "Dnipropetrovsk Mafia," a powerful faction established by Brezhnev. In September 1940, Tikhonov formally joined the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks). By the end of the 1940s, he had advanced to the position of a plant director. As a director, Tikhonov demonstrated significant organizational abilities, notably overseeing the reopening of a hospital, establishing dining facilities, and restoring social clubs for workers, helping to rebuild the plant and support its workforce in the aftermath of the Eastern Front. From September 1941, he served as chief engineer of the Novotrubny Plant in Pervouralsk, Sverdlovsk Province. Later, from July 1947 to December 1950, he directed the Nikopol Southern Pipe Metallurgical Plant in Nikopol. In 1943, he was awarded the Stalin State Prize for his contributions, and he notably donated 100.00 K SUR of his prize money to the Defense Fund.
3. Political and administrative career
Tikhonov's career saw him rise through various industrial and governmental posts, demonstrating a consistent upward trajectory within the Soviet state apparatus.
3.1. Industrial and Ministry Posts
In December 1950, Tikhonov transitioned to a role within the central government, becoming the Head of the Essential Pipe Industry Department of the Ministry of Ferrous Metallurgy of the Soviet Union. His responsibilities expanded, and in September 1955, he was appointed Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Ferrous Metallurgy, specifically tasked with overseeing the pipe industry. From 1957 to 1960, he served as Chairman of the Dnepropetrovsk National Economic Council. In 1959, he was part of a Soviet delegation led by Nikita Khrushchev during a historic official visit to the United States.
3.2. State Planning Committee (Gosplan)
In 1960, Tikhonov was appointed Deputy Chairman of the State Scientific and Economic Council under the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union. His influence continued to grow, and at the 22nd Party Congress in 1961, he was elected as a candidate member of the Central Committee. He then took on a significant role in central economic planning, serving as Deputy Chairman of the USSR State Planning Committee from 1963 to 1965. His organizational skills and dedication were recognized when he was awarded the Hero of Socialist Labour for the first time in 1966.
3.3. Deputy Premier and First Deputy Premier
Following the dismissal of Nikita Khrushchev in 1964 and Leonid Brezhnev's ascension to power, Tikhonov's career accelerated further. In 1965, he was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, commonly known as Deputy Premier. At the 23rd Party Congress in 1966, he became a full member of the Central Committee. As Deputy Premier, he was primarily responsible for the metallurgy and chemical industries.
In 1976, while Alexei Kosygin, the sitting Premier, was on sick leave during his final years in office, Brezhnev took advantage of the situation by appointing Tikhonov to the influential position of First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers. This move effectively diminished Kosygin's influence and elevated Tikhonov's standing within the Soviet leadership, although his specific responsibilities did not change, and he continued to provide general coordination for heavy industry. Tikhonov was notable for maintaining good relations with both Brezhnev and Kosygin, who reportedly valued his candor and honesty.
His political career reached its peak with his election as a candidate member of the Politburo on November 27, 1978, becoming a full voting member on November 27, 1979. Despite his high-ranking position, Tikhonov was notably not informed of the critical decision to intervene in Afghanistan in 1979, reportedly due to his strained relationship with then-Defense Minister Dmitriy Ustinov.
4. Premiership (1980-1985)
Tikhonov's five-year term as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, occurred during a period of increasing economic difficulties for the Soviet Union, often referred to as the "Era of Stagnation."
4.1. Appointment and Key Policies
In October 1980, following the resignation of Alexei Kosygin due to illness, Nikolai Tikhonov was elected the new Chairman of the Council of Ministers at the age of 75. Despite being in a position to enact significant changes, Tikhonov largely refrained from implementing effective reforms to the Soviet economy throughout his premiership, even as official statistics increasingly revealed signs of stagnation.
At the 26th Party Congress, Tikhonov presented the Eleventh Five-Year Plan for 1981-1985. During his address, he announced that the state would allocate 9.00 M SUR for mothers taking parental leave, a policy aimed at addressing the nation's declining birth rate. He acknowledged the insufficient production of grain in Soviet agriculture and called for an improvement in Soviet-US relations. However, he publicly dismissed any speculation that the Soviet economy was in crisis, despite admitting to various economic "shortcomings" and the persistent "food problem." Other topics he highlighted for discussion included the urgent need to conserve energy resources, boost labour productivity, and enhance the quality of Soviet-produced goods. Early in his term, in January 1981, Tikhonov conceded that the government's demographic policy was one of his cabinet's weakest areas. He, along with other leaders, grew concerned that the birth rate among the Russian population was decreasing, while the death rate was rising, a trend exacerbated by the Era of Stagnation.
4.2. Under Andropov and Chernenko
Tikhonov's influence remained substantial during the brief leaderships following Brezhnev's death. Brezhnev had awarded Tikhonov his second Hero of Socialist Labour title in 1982, reportedly on the advice of Konstantin Chernenko. Upon Brezhnev's death later that year, Tikhonov strongly supported Chernenko's candidacy for General Secretary. However, Yuri Andropov ultimately won the vote.
Andropov, a reform-minded leader, reportedly considered replacing Tikhonov with Heydar Aliyev. Aliyev, a former head of the Azerbaijani KGB, was appointed to the First Deputy Premiership of the Council of Ministers without Tikhonov's consent, which was seen as a move to undermine him. However, Andropov's death in 1984 left Tikhonov's position secure. The appointment of Andrei Gromyko to the First Deputy Premiership, again without Tikhonov's consent and while he was on a state visit to Yugoslavia, further fueled speculation among Western analysts that Tikhonov's standing within the Soviet hierarchy was weakening.
In his final days, Andropov, in failing health, prepared a speech for the Central Committee indicating that Mikhail Gorbachev, not Chernenko, should succeed him. However, this part of his speech was not read to the Central Committee plenum due to an "anti-Gorbachev troika" comprising Chernenko, Dmitriy Ustinov, and Tikhonov. During Andropov's last illness, Tikhonov was the most dominant figure in the Soviet Union. He presided over Politburo sessions, led the Soviet delegation to the 1984 Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) conference in East Berlin, managed bilateral relations with Eastern Bloc states, and hosted the Prime Minister of Finland. Despite his de facto leadership, Tikhonov peacefully stepped aside and supported Chernenko's candidacy for General Secretary. After Chernenko's death in 1985, Tikhonov attempted to find a contender to challenge Gorbachev's bid for the General Secretaryship, even supporting Viktor Grishin, but his efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.
4.3. Gorbachev's Reforms and Resignation
Upon Mikhail Gorbachev's ascent to power, Tikhonov's influence rapidly waned. Although he was elected chairman of the newly established Commission on Improvements of the Management System, this role was largely honorary, with the actual leadership falling to its deputy chairman, Nikolai Ryzhkov. The Victory Day Parade on May 9, 1985, marked Tikhonov's final appearance atop Lenin's Mausoleum.
On May 23, 1985, Tikhonov presented his development plan for the periods 1985-1990 and extending up to 2000. This plan faced considerable criticism from his colleagues, and Gorbachev openly stated that Tikhonov was "ill-equipped" for the Premiership. Tikhonov's projections included an estimated growth of 20-22 percent in Soviet national income, an increase of 21-24 percent in industrial output, and a doubling of Soviet agriculture output by the year 2000-targets that were increasingly unrealistic for the stagnating Soviet economy.
As part of Gorbachev's strategy to remove and replace the most conservative members of the Politburo and usher in his era of reforms, Tikhonov was compelled to retire from his position. Nikolai Ryzhkov officially succeeded him as Chairman of the Council of Ministers on September 27, 1985. Tikhonov's resignation was formalized at a Central Committee plenum that same month. At the time of his resignation, Tikhonov was the oldest member of the Soviet leadership. He remained active in Soviet politics, though in a much less prominent capacity, until 1989, when he finally lost his seat in the Central Committee, marking his complete withdrawal from active political life.
5. Later life and death
After his forced resignation from active politics in 1989, Nikolai Tikhonov lived a life of seclusion. He reportedly wrote a letter to Mikhail Gorbachev expressing his regret for having supported Gorbachev's election to the General Secretaryship, a sentiment that some believe gained public sympathy after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Tikhonov spent his retirement years at his dacha, living as a "hermit" and rarely appearing in public. His later life was described as difficult, as he had no children and his wife had passed away.
Prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Tikhonov briefly worked as a State Advisor to the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet in 1986. After the USSR's collapse, his personal pension was revoked, and he received only a regular old-age pension. According to Mikhail Smirtyukov, a friend, Tikhonov and his wife lived very modestly in a three-room apartment and had no financial savings. During his time in government, they reportedly spent all their money on purchasing buses, which they donated to pioneer camps and schools. In his final days, Tikhonov wrote to then-President Boris Yeltsin, requesting to be buried at public expense due to his lack of savings.
Nikolai Tikhonov died on June 1, 1997, at the age of 92, in Moscow, Russia. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow, alongside his mother and wife.
6. Legacy and Assessment
Tikhonov's legacy is largely intertwined with the "Era of Stagnation," a period marked by economic challenges and political inertia in the Soviet Union. His impact on post-Soviet culture is considered minimal, and he is largely forgotten by later generations.
6.1. Positive Assessment
Despite the criticisms of his premiership, Tikhonov's long career in Soviet administration and industry spanned decades, indicating a dedicated and competent administrator. He was recognized for his organizational skills early in his career, particularly during his time as a plant director, where he demonstrated an ability to improve working conditions and productivity. His capacity to maintain good relations with both Brezhnev and Kosygin, two strong personalities at the helm of Soviet power, suggests a level of diplomatic and political astuteness. It is also noted that Brezhnev, despite any public image of Tikhonov as a mere "yes man," privately referred to him as his "greatest critic," implying that Tikhonov was capable of offering candid opinions. His numerous awards, including multiple Hero of Socialist Labour and Order of Lenin citations, reflect a career that, at various points, was highly valued by the Soviet state.
6.2. Criticism and Controversy
Tikhonov's premiership is primarily criticized for its failure to initiate meaningful economic reforms during a critical period of stagnation. Despite acknowledging economic "shortcomings" and the persistent "food problem," he largely maintained the status quo, hindering the Soviet Union's ability to adapt to changing global and internal circumstances. His conservative stance and resistance to Mikhail Gorbachev's initial reform efforts solidified his image as an obstacle to progress. Western analysts, such as Time magazine, characterized Tikhonov as a "tried and tested yes man" who lacked experience in crucial areas like foreign and defense policy upon assuming the Premiership.
His attempt to prevent Gorbachev's ascension to General Secretary after Chernenko's death further highlights his conservative ideology and his inability or unwillingness to embrace the necessary changes for the Soviet Union's future. The eventual dismantling of a bust dedicated to Tikhonov in his birthplace of Kharkiv, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, symbolically reflects a contemporary rejection of figures associated with the Soviet past. Overall, Tikhonov's legacy is often seen as emblematic of the missed opportunities and inertia that characterized the late Soviet period.
7. Awards and Decorations
Throughout his long career, Nikolai Tikhonov received numerous state awards and decorations from the Soviet Union and other countries.
- Hero of Socialist Labour (twice: May 13, 1975, and December 10, 1982)
- Nine Orders of Lenin (March 26, 1939; March 31, 1945; September 4, 1948; May 11, 1954; July 19, 1958; November 26, 1971; May 13, 1975; December 10, 1982; May 13, 1985)
- Order of the October Revolution (May 13, 1980)
- Two Orders of the Red Banner
- Order of the Red Star
- Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class (April 23, 1985)
- Two Stalin Prizes:
- 1st class (1943) - for radical improvement in the production of pipes and mortar ammunition.
- 3rd class (1951) - for the development and commercial production of large-diameter seamless pipes.
- Doctor of Technical Sciences (1961)
- Numerous other medals and foreign awards.